Title: Oil Paints — How Safe Are They? | Artists Network
Headings: Oil Paints — How Safe Are They?
Oil Paints — How Safe Are They?
Q. I’ve heard people say that painting with traditional and water-soluble oils poses health hazards for the painter. Some say even people with whom the painter comes in close contact, such as family members, are at risk. Just how safe or unsafe are oil paints?
1. Drying Oils
2. Stabilizers
3. Soaplike Substance
Safe-Use Practices for Oils
Q. What safety precautions should I follow when painting with oils?
1. Keep paint and solvents off your skin.
2. Paint in a well-ventilated area.
Waste Management for Oils
Q. How can I safely dispose of oil painting materials?
How to Use a Solvent Can
What to Do When the Solvent Can is Full
LEARN MORE

Content: Oil Paints — How Safe Are They? | Artists Network
Art Techniques and Skills, Artists Magazine, Oil Painting
Oil Paints — How Safe Are They? Posted on January 10, 2017
by Artists Network Staff
This article on oil paints is by Michael Skalka, chair of the subcommittee on artist’s materials for ASTM International. It first appeared as the Ask the Experts column in the November 2009 issue of The Artist’s Magazine. Q. I’ve heard people say that painting with traditional and water-soluble oils poses health hazards for the painter. Some say even people with whom the painter comes in close contact, such as family members, are at risk. Just how safe or unsafe are oil paints? A. Traditional oil paints are basically a drying oil and pigment. Manufactures also add stabilizers because modern paints need to be stored for a considerable length of time before use. Stabilizers keep the oil from separating from the pigment.