I’m shocked! I’ve used nearly a whole 500ml bottle of acrylic medium to make the structure of my current artist’s book.
(Working title: The Pomegranate.)
A friend of mine - previously tasked with getting supplies for me - says I have an acrylic medium addiction. But even by my standards, that’s a lot. Why I started using acrylic paint
I resisted using acrylic paint for the longest time. The synthetic-sounding name put me off. I didn’t see myself as an acrylic sort of a girl.
But when I eventually tried acrylic paint in the early 2000’s, I found its quick drying time and opaque quality suited it my workflow perfectly. I like to be able to make mistakes and cover them easily. And I don’t have much patience for waiting for paint to dry. So acrylic paint has been an integral part of my creative process ever since. But I love our planet and my distress at climate change is growing. The contradiction of "Creative Fire"
In 2013 I made the artwork “Creative Fire”. It was my response to the increasingly unbearable summers we were experiencing in Spain due to global warming.
It hasn’t escaped me how much of a contradiction this is. Acrylic paint is made from a synthetic resin binder called acrylic polymer emulsion. Basically liquid plastic! So while I’m happy with the rapid progress I’ve been making on The Pomegranate over the last fortnight, I recognise that it's partly due to the fast-drying nature of these synthetic materials. And, compared to my other pieces, The Pomegranate is surprisingly heavy. Since it’s otherwise made of corrugated cardboard and tissue paper, the weight is mainly due to that 500ml of acrylic medium! I feel it as the weight of my ecological footprint. Too deep a print by far. If I make a similar piece to The Pomegranate in the future, I'll use a cornstarch paste instead of acrylic medium. That’s not a difficult switch. And I’ve already switched up using acrylic medium as a varnish for cold wax medium. But substituting acrylic paint in my workflow is a much bigger ask. There’s no doubt that it’s going to require not only some changes in my process but also a change in the look of the work. Of course I know that my tiny consumption of acrylic paint doesn't contribute to global pollution massively. And I’m aware that a common practice among ‘environmentally concerned’ artists is to filter out the acrylic paint from the water. Then leave the left-over paint sludge to dry out before throwing it away. But this isn’t very practical now that I don’t have a permanent studio. Plus it still begs the question of what’s going to happen to those plastic solids at the end. (Throwing away the paint I already own without using it won’t make it much less polluting. So I’ll probably still be using acrylics for quite a while.) But I believe in living according to my core values as far as possible. So I’m not happy with using so much of a material that has no place in our planet’s ecosystem. Tempera - an eco-friendly alternative to acrylic paint?
For 2020, one of my goals is to explore options for greener alternatives to acrylic paint. Ones that could fit with my workflow.
I began researching this last year but somehow, it got away from me. There are lots of suppliers offering earth pigments. And info about easels and paper using wood sourced from sustainable forests. But for commercially prepared ‘green’ paint alternatives other than oils, I find a lot of dead links. So I keep coming back to the idea of Tempera. (Tempera paint consists of pigments mixed with a glutinous, water-soluble binder medium such as egg yolk. It dries to the touch quickly, but can take up to a year to fully cure.) I'm back in Spain next month and I have in a book back there on natural paints. So I'll experiment with some of the recipes for making egg tempera paints. (There are also recipes for milk paint but I’ve never heard of artists using those.) I can imagine myself procrastinating massively if I have to make up my own paint. It could be a big bar to entry. That said, I have used powdered earth pigments before but mixed with - you guessed it - acrylic medium. So I’m prepared to try. My creative voice is strong enough, my process robust enough, to subject it to some stress. I can even embrace the idea that different media will add an exciting new dimension to the work. What about you? How do you reconcile ‘being green’ with your creative process?
Have you struggled - or do you continue to struggle - with your own dilemmas in terms of materials you previously took for granted?
I’d love to hear! I’d be SO grateful for any suggestions for green alternatives to acrylic paint. Especially if you’ve tried them yourself. Please comment so others can benefit from your expertise! UPDATE 22nd OCT 2020 I've created a free online space to share ideas and links for artists who are trying to find eco materials to work with. It's a private community on Mighty Networks so you don't need to be on social media to join and no-one will be selling you anything there. It's a place to upload pics of our own work as well as links to books, websites and suppliers of interest and generally chat about our experiences. (Yeah, that's right, it's like those networks that used to exist before Facebook took over everything.) I’d love it if you’d join! © Author: Cherry Jeffs Liked this post? Word of mouth is the main way for indie creators to get known.
19 Comments
fritzie
20/1/2020 01:55:27 pm
I think this is a wonderful contribution on several levels and look forward to hearing where you go with this.
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Thanks for the support, Fritzie. I almost didn't post this article because I felt like I was saying that all my work is really non-environmentally friendly so don't buy it ;) But I recognise that it's no more or less so than most other people's work out there.
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Have you tried encaustic? I have a good friend, artist, who uses it and she loves it. I have not tried it myself but I know the Romans used it and some are still around from ancient times. I am concerned about acrylics dried out left overs too since I do all my paintings in acrylics and colored pencil. I am going to be looking more into encaustics and cold wax too myself. Hope it works out for you!
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Hey Victoria, good to hear form other artists are on the same quest!
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Victoria
20/1/2020 07:43:53 pm
Cold wax and encaustic still have to be in an environment that is cool so not so good in hot areas like here in New Mexico, plus no control of what others would do to keep them cool. Also looked into casein, milk based, but takes 3-6 weeks to dry and can not use them on canvas but a possibility. Also watercolor and gouache seem to be safer choices too, but like pastels hard to varnish without messing up the surface. Looking into safer ways to dispose of acrylics and the water used too. But still the solid left over plastic...will keep learning. Hope you find what can work best for you. Thank you for the response and will check the website you recommended.
Hey Victoria, I'm getting very excited about a brand of cold wax products called Zest It as I've seen their test for mixing with metallic pigments and I can't see why it wouldn't work for other pigments as well. Their range is biodegradable and they ship worldwide or even buy via eBay.
Victoria
23/1/2020 05:54:25 pm
Thank you Cherry! this website is awesome! It has caused me to look into this more of a possibility! Esp the use of being able to use pastel, which is one of my fav mediums but too easily damaged. Will study this sites info more and do some of the testing my self in the possible near future! Thank you again!
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11/2/2020 06:53:20 pm
Unfortunately, I can't help you with any acrylic paint alternatives – I tried using gouache, but it being non-waterproof and brittle is a deal-breaker in most of my craft projects. I don't like it much for my paintings, either. It doesn't work well with my style. I use watercolor and ink whenever it makes sense, but acrylic paint has spoiled me and I don't see myself giving it up. The thought of pouring micro-plastic in the sewer is unnerving... and yet, like the thought of giving up meat and dairy, I'm conscious of the fact it would be better for the planet*, but I can't make myself do it.
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Hey Nela, we all have to make the changes that we feel able to make. I gave up meat in my 20's but I've never managed to give up dairy. Even when we think we're making good decisions, it doesn't always turn out that way. For years we were told that diesel vehicles were better than petrol...until we weren't!
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Sam
28/6/2020 01:20:04 pm
How have you gotten on with the Zest It wax and earth pigments? I’m looking into environmentally-friendly painting alternatives too, I’m excited to try earth pigments with oil but also enjoy the practicality of acrylic!
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30/6/2020 07:49:49 am
Hi Sam,
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It is now September 11, 2020 and due to COVID-19, I have yet to put paint to canvas (since March 10 or so of this year). I miss it. In the interim, however, I read two of Daniel Quinn's books, "Ishmael" and "The Story of B" and my life was turned upside down. I have been pursuing reducing my footprint ever since and have made significant changes to my life in many areas.
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Cherry Jeffs
14/9/2020 04:50:35 pm
Hey Cindy, thanks for reading and sharing your situation :)
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Asma Sareshwala
18/10/2020 04:24:34 pm
Hi! It was so good to come across your page. I’ve recently got into reclaiming ceramic pots by adding clay work and paint on them. I found myself in the similar dilemma. One one hand I’m upcycling for sustainability and on the other hand I’m using acrylics paint on it.
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22/10/2020 04:19:33 pm
Hi Asma, thanks for sharing your story - and your dilemma! There are clearly no easy answers and we all have to find our own way through as best as we can.
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Asma Sareshwala
22/10/2020 11:13:05 pm
Hi cherry! Thank you for the invite I’d love to join. It sounds like fun community 😍
Ben L
2/1/2021 01:16:51 pm
Glad I’m not the only one concerned about this. Rediscovered my paints during COVID and began using them before they all dried, but the smell affected me more than it used to, so ventilation. But got me wondering what was in this paint. It felt like a Hobson’s choice between oils and acrylics.
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6/1/2021 01:04:35 pm
Hey Ben, you're definitely not alone! Do come over and join the Eco Artists group where we're talking more about these issues and the solutions that different people are trying.
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16/1/2021 02:08:06 am
LOVE this! I'm just starting out with selling my art & want to be as eco-friendly as possible. I'd LOVE to join the Mighty Network once it's up and running.
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