I’ve always loved art. I used to draw and paint when I was younger, and as I got older, I started to take it up again. Recently, my love of art collided with my desire for a more sustainable lifestyle—and that’s when things got interesting! Here’s how I discovered that eco-friendly art supplies make for better artwork (and a cleaner planet).
It was harder to get started than usual.
Perhaps the most difficult adjustment was that I had to make more of an effort to get started. The materials were more expensive, and I had to spend more time cleaning up afterwards. So instead of just throwing my paint-splattered clothes in the hamper and moving on, I’d have to fold them neatly and put them away in their place. However, once I got used to this new routine, it felt pretty great.
I found that using eco-friendly art supplies gave me better control over my work. The paints were water-based rather than oil-based so they dried faster; which meant no smudges or smears! The acrylics also dried much faster than oils would have done (if at all). This allowed me to create detailed drawings without worrying that they would smear once I left them alone. It’s amazing what a little control can do for your confidence level!
The materials were more expensive.
You may find that eco-friendly materials are more expensive than regular art supplies. For example, when I went to buy my eco-friendly paints at the art store, they were over $30 for a set of four bottles. And there was no way to tell which ones would be best for me.
If you don’t want to spend more money on eco-friendly art supplies, try buying only the items you need and then recycling them afterwards (more on that later). Try looking around before purchasing supplies so you can save money by buying used products or making your own materials.
I had better control of my artwork.
As a beginner, the number of supplies overwhelmed me and the number of them I’d inevitably mess up. But with eco-friendly art materials, I had more control over my artwork. I no longer spent hours cleaning up paint or had to constantly buy new brushes because they were too dirty. Instead, my work was cleaner and crisper than ever before!
I also noticed that my confidence in what I made grew as well. This may sound silly, but it’s true: when you’re working with materials that are easy on the environment (and on your wallet), you feel like you can make something special no matter how inexperienced or uninspired you are feeling at any given moment!
Finally—and maybe most importantly—using eco-friendly products helped me focus more on the actual process behind making art. Instead of worrying about which paper towel to use, someone spills their water cup onto the floor again.
I felt better about myself and my effect on the planet.
I felt like a better person for doing something good for the planet and all of us who live here. It’s not much (or maybe it is), but it made me feel like I was doing my part.
I had been purchasing all of my paintbrushes in plastic containers at the art store until now. Now, instead of getting brushes in plastic containers, I just buy them individually and keep them in their original packaging.
I spent less time cleaning up afterwards.
As a result, I spent less time cleaning up afterwards. It also helped that the paints were water-based, so they’d wash off my hands easily when I was done.
Not only did this help save me time and money on buying new supplies, but it also made a more enjoyable art session. Since then I didn’t have to spend half my afternoon scrubbing dried paint from the bottom of my canvas.
I Start Using these Eco-Friendly Art Supplies
Eco-Friendly Paints
You can identify eco-friendly paints by looking at the ingredients on the bottle. Look for paints that come from natural materials, such as soy, or vegetable oils. These ingredients give you a better chance of not having toxic chemicals in your paint. There are also many brands out there that make all-natural paints and they have certified green certifications so you know they’re safe!
The Gamblin Reclaimed Earth Set is a great choice for artists who want to work with natural minerals and pigments. It consists of six earth pigments that are nontoxic and safe but have high colour intensity. Each pigment has a unique quality:
- Gamblin Red Oxide is a bright red pigment with a warm undertone that goes on smoothly in oils and acrylics.
- Gamblin Burnt Umber is a rich orange-brown hue that works well when mixed with other colours to create shades such as burnt orange or sienna brown.
- Gamblin Yellow Ochre has yellow undertones that give it warmth when used alone or combined with other pigments in their sets like sienna brown or raw umber to create warmer tones than those produced by traditional earth paints made from natural oxides (which tend toward cool hues).
Explore more eco-friendly art supplies here.
Eco-Friendly Paint Mixing Stick
I love these eco-friendly paint mixing sticks. They’re using recycled materials and they’re non-toxic. You can use them with almost any type of paint without getting harmful chemicals to your skin or lungs. The best part is that they’re easy to clean up when you’re done using them. You can just toss them into the recycling bin or compost pile!
You could also use these handy little helpers when making art outside. They won’t absorb moisture from the air as wooden sticks would.
The Dirty Pour Fluid Art Paint Mixing Stick consists of recycled plastic and is reusable. It comes in a set of 4, so you can have a bunch on hand to create your gradients or use them to mix colours.
Eco-Friendly Glitters
Take a look at your glitter, and you’ll likely see that it comes from plastic. That means that when you use it, the glitter will not biodegrade as natural materials do. This is because glitter is considered to be an artificial substance. However, because microplastics are small in size, they can enter the water supply and accumulate in humans’ bodies if consumed.
Given the facts, you may want to consider using eco-friendly art supplies instead of regular old sparkly bits of plastic. Fortunately for you, there are plenty! Some companies have created alternatives such as mica powder and even edible gold leafing. These don’t come with many negative side effects for consumers or our environment as a whole
In the past, I’ve used glitter to decorate cards and crafts. The glitter maybe comes from plastic, which is harmful to you and your family if it’s ingested.
Glitter can come from metal flakes or even sugar. But these options are expensive, so I tried out ElectrikGlitter instead! It uses 100% recycled materials including post-consumer waste and old CDs!
Explore more eco-friendly art supplies here.
Eco-Friendly Pencils
I love to draw and I use a lot of pencils. But I hate how they end up in landfill after use. That’s why I started using eco-friendly pencils that come from recyclable paper and are biodegradable.
The Sprout Pencil is a pencil that comes from recyclable materials. It’s also environmentally friendly, and it’s no deforestation or chemicals used during production. This means that the product’s waste is recyclable into something else instead of throwing it in the trash.
Eco-Friendly Crayons
Crayons come from wax, which is a natural product. They’re non-toxic and safe for kids to use. Crayons also come from renewable resources. The waste is ground into crayon wax again and used to make new crayons!
Crayons are recyclable by melting them down and reusing the materials in new crayons! This means that you’ll never have to throw away your old ones.
Azafran, a small company that makes pencil crayons in the US using organic beeswax and natural pigments, has been making eco-friendly art supplies for years. These compacts are perfect for when you’re on the go or want something easy to store. Their lead comes from recycled materials and their packaging is 100% biodegradable. This means it won’t take up space in your trash can forever!
Eco-Friendly Pencil Case
If you like drawing and sketching, it’s important to have a place for all of your pencils and pens. In addition to keeping them in one place, it also helps protect them from getting lost, breaking, or rolling around your drawer. I prefer a case that has room for all of my art supplies: pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and pens.
A good quality eco-friendly pencil case is made out of leather instead of plastic or nylon (which are not biodegradable). The leather is usually tanned using natural materials rather than chemicals. It’s safe for humans as well as the environment.
This pen bag is the perfect size to fit your pens, pencils, and markers. It’s also stylish with cork leather and recycled paper. The iSamzan Portable Stylish Cork Pen Bag makes a great gift for any artist who likes to carry their supplies around with them in style!
Eco-Friendly Sketch Pad
This eco-friendly sketchbook uses paper pulp made out of 100% recycled paper. The cover is 100% recyclable cardboard, and the core of the book comes with 70gsm paper. The pages are acid-free so they won’t yellow over time.
So what does this all mean? It means that you can use your favourite pencils or markers without worrying about ruining them on your sketch pad! It’s also nice that they’re easy to order online since most artists don’t have access to speciality art stores where they’d find something like this on their own.
If you’re looking to start making environmentally-friendly purchases, the Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad is a great place to start. The sketch pad comes from 100% recycled paper. It features an acid-free cover that is sturdy enough to last through years of use.
The sketchbook comes in a range of sizes from 4×6″ up to 8×10″, so you can find one that’s perfect for your needs. It can be used for pencils, pens, and markers as well as other art supplies like pastels or charcoal.
Conclusion
In this post, we’ve looked at a few of the best eco-friendly art supplies on the market. I hope that you found it helpful! If so, don’t forget to share this post and let your friends know about all these amazing resources for creating art with minimal environmental impact.
- Eco Friendly Green Packaging: Sustainable Solutions for a Better Tomorrow
- Eco Friendly Trash Bags: Rethinking Waste Management
- Eco Friendly Mailers: Shipping Solutions with a Conscience
- Eco Friendly Sustainable Roofing: Building a Greener Future
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- Eco Friendly Green Packaging: Sustainable Solutions for a Better Tomorrow
- Eco Friendly Trash Bags: Rethinking Waste Management
- Eco Friendly Mailers: Shipping Solutions with a Conscience
- Eco Friendly Sustainable Roofing: Building a Greener Future
- Eco Friendly Top 10 Sustainable Corporate Gifts: Gifts That Give Back