Cruelty Free Art Supplies
Is there anything nicer than getting your hands on some new art supplies? It has to be one of my favourite things about my business!
I’ve always cared about what’s in things and how they are made. In a previous life I could have been a mechanic or something. I love learning about how things work and what it can do. I am also vegan, so I like to know that the products I use have no animal-derived content.
Here’s a list of some products and companies I have used which I believe tow the line between quality and kindness. (Not sponsored, of course!) I’m a big fan of Faber Castell and Caran D’Ache, who have a fair amount of vegan products among their range. They are not cheap, but absolutely worth the price tag. And their packaging is also very handsome, so would make a lovely gift if Father Christmas was so inclined.
PAPER
There are two things to keep in mind about paper:
It isn’t always vegan. Gelatine can be used as a sizing agent in paper production. This makes the paper less porous, so inks are less likely to bleed into the paper. It can also help keep your paper smooth, and less likely to tear from a nib scratching on its surface. Sometimes wool felt is used to as a bed for the paper sheets too.
‘Recycled’ doesn’t always mean what you think it does. I know. The term is used like ‘free range’ with eggs; it implies a more environmentally friendly without necessarily being better for the environment. ‘Recycled’ can mean that brand new, unused paper pulp is simply having its second turn being flattened out onto a sheet. When paper is made, the pulp is flattened and trimmed and those trimmed offcuts are then collected and pressed again into another ‘recycled’ sheet. But it’s brand new, straight-from-a-tree pulp. Actually recycled paper comes from pulp that has already been out in the world before returning for re-use as a second sheet of paper. Lower quality pulp can be made into card packaging or paper towels. The thing to look out for real recycled paper is a phrase like ‘post consumer waste’.
I like to buy my paper for my sculptures from a proper paper merchant to make sure what I’m buying. Companies like GF Smith can tell you which of there papers were made with Wind Farm energy, or water pumped from a stream, or with pulp from left over beer making hops. Their catalogue is also very handsome; both informative and useful for collaging. My niece is always keen to take any out-of-date catalogue off my hands!
Clairefontaine, Strathmore and Fabriono make vegan paper, and have a lovely selection to choose from, which you can buy from plenty of art shops.
The Pink Pig have a lovely collection of actually recycled sketchbooks that are very nice to draw or paint on.
PAINT
Things to look out for include:
Ox Gall
Bone/Ivory pigments
Glycerin, which could be animal or plant derived
Honey
Gesso, which could have rabbit skin glue
Hog/Sable/Goat/Squirrel hair brushes. Vegan brushes are described as ‘synthetic’ or ‘polytip’, which means they are made of plastic.
ACRYLIC
I use acrylics for my sculptures. Obviously they are plastic based, but for long lasting sculptures I find this useful because they are colourfast and smooth drying. It is important to not waste any paint, especially as once it is dry it is no longer usable. Tubes are recyclable and washing water is better in a sand bin than down the drain, so that it doesn’t go into the ecosystem.
I use Daler-Rowney System 3 Acrylics. I believe all colours are vegan (this is not true of all Daler-Rowney products, but it is true of most. They have a very informative FAQ on their website). I think their paints have really good colour and rich pigmentation, even their cheaper student range, which is not always true of acrylic paint sets.
GOUACHE
I’ve only ever used Caran D’Ache, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM! The colours are lovely and vibrant, and I feel like I can mix any shade I want to. I’ve had the same set for years now, and it’s nowhere near close to running out. Very nice for sketch-booking.
WATERCOLOUR
I love to use watercolours in my sketchbooks. My favourite are by Colors Of Nature, but sadly the company is no longer in business.
I am rather fond on Viviva coloursheets, because I find them a unique and fun experience being paper sheets, rather than pans. It’s a bit of a novelty, and useful if you are off on a jaunt through the woods with your sketchbook. The colours don’t last as long as I’d like them to, though.
I also have a lovely set of Holbein watercolours, but I had to gift the black, because it is the only colour in the set which is not vegan. I have a Daniel Smith Lamp Black to use instead.
GLUE
I am excessively fond of a strong PVA (not the watery stuff we all used at school! The sticky, properly adhering variety). You are generally safe with PVA, which is non toxic and plastic based.
Words to look out for are casein and isinglass. Some glues might contain fish bladder, or rabbit skin, which are fairly self explanatory.
UHU, Pritt Stick and Gorilla Glue are vegan across their whole range, I believe.
My favourite glue is Crafter’s Pick The Ultimate, which is very sticky and strong. But do watch out if you get it on your clothes, because once it is dry, scratching it off will rip the fabric! It is not cheap, but you certainly get what you pay for.
PENS AND PENCILS
Wax is generally the thing to look out for, which my be tallow (animal fat). Pastel pencils can sometimes have animal derived glue as a binding agent.
Faber Castell are one of my favourites. Their Polychromos pencils are very nice and all vegan. Derwent Inktense are also very nice to draw with. I’m also very fond of Caran D’ache Prismalo, and Museum Aquarelle watercolour pencils.
I really like Faber Castell Ecco Pigment pens, which come in a big range of sizes. Their teeny is great for tiny details. And they are waterproof, so I can use them with my gouache and watercolours.
Do you have any favourites? Let me know.