joeI receive questions from individuals who have allergies to solvents or are concerned about fumes from the oil paints since they live in a small home or apartment. How can they control the odors, or do they need to simply use acrylics.
I love oils and there are several choices here. One of the best is water-soluble oil paints. They are water miscible and not water-based. This simply means you can treat them just like you would with traditional oils. With one exception, that is. Instead of using mediums, thinners or solvents, you use water or a water-soluble medium. They behave virtually the same as traditional oils
Brush clean up is…..just use baby oil. And best of all, water soluble oils do not stain your hands.
The water soluble oils dry just a little faster than traditional oils, so you’re not fighting the same problems as acrylic artists when relying on blending your colors. Drying time is based on how much water is mixed in to the paints and whether oil-based, or water-soluble mediums are added.
Many artists today and even readers of this newsletter are enjoying their work with these paints, and they’re ideal for people with allergies to solvents or with home studios and apartments who wish to avoid fumes.