Environmentally friendly products are so important to me. From what I put on my body, in my body, and what I use to make art, I am always trying to be thoughtful of where items come from, and how it affects the environment.
Of all the areas in my life, I am probably the least knowledgeable when it comes to ecofriendly art supplies, or what makes for an environmentally, or socially responsible choice to use for my materials. I thought I would learn a few things for myself, and round up some items for you that might be of interest for the budding artist in your life!
Hence, our Ecofriendly Mixed Media Supply Round up!
What is mixed media? Its simply what it sounds like! It is mixing up the materials used to create an art piece. It can be 2-D or 3-D, flat or textured, black and white or colored. Ususally mixed media pieces include layers of materials that make the viewer want to know where they got all of their materials!
Here is one of my mixed media pieces! I used paint, a found 2×4 plank board, sewing pattern paper, and watercolors to come up with my image!
First of all, when it comes to art supplies, I still have materials I bought when I was a naive college student, forced to purchase the exact items my professors wanted us to purchase. That is not to say that I didn’t make any art since then, but it is all I knew, so that is all I would then purchase to replace what I used up. Cash-poor college student + artist =hoarding art materials, and only purchasing minimal amounts (because, well, cash-poor college student, of course). Artists have always been good at making art out of found objects, and in mixed media you practice putting these items together in a way that makes visual sense to the artist and creates a story.
Now, when it comes to the guilt associated with art supplies, one thing I do know is that I always had heard that white glue is made with animal products. Specifically horse hooves was what I was told, but it most likely is sometype of byproduct from an animal industry. When I was younger, I wanted to know all about these things so that I could run and tell the rest of the world all that is wrong with everything anyone is doing, but now it would hurt my heart too much to know the insides of this industry. I will opt instead to search for environmentally based products. And, my search came up with Onyx and Green for MANY items! The folks at Onyx and Green make a plant based glue stick. No harm to be done to the animals, and you can feel safe using these in your studio, or with your kids because it is also non-toxic!!
I love this next product, and have been using it for years. This is the Strathmore Artagain paper, in black. I use this when I work on mandalas, where I use colored pencils on this paper. The colors are vibrant against the black page! Even better, the paper is recycled fibers!
Strathmore also carries Bamboo Cards! Mixed media artists love to have a good sturdy background to add their images and paint and make their creations! This set of 10 cards is perfect for mixed media cards and a great way to connect with people!
Fabriano makes the whitest of white papers, with recycled pulp, and NO bleach!
Tree Free Paper might be another option if you want to reduce your footprint! Ecopaper makes this amazing product using post-consumer waste!
You can’t forget a good ground for your surface! Artists use gesso to prepare the surface for a watery paint, or a thick glue. Some also will use gesso to block colors from bleeding- like when using markers. Check out this gesso from Natural Earth Paint! This will surely prep any surface you want to art on!
https://naturalearthpaint.com/eco-gesso-kit/
Scissors are so important in Mixed media! Sizing images down, cutting paper. You know how important they are! How about scissors made with corn handles vs. plastic???? No one wants to think about the hoards of scissors that are in landfills, but this one is biodegradable in the handles, and the blades surely can be melted down for reuse.
Making your own book is another way to be ecofriendly! You can choose to add reclaimed papers or scraps from another project, and bind the pages together vs. gluing them. Great way to reduce what goes into the landfill if you are turning scraps into books to fill with your mixed media images!
https://www.dickblick.com/products/shizen-bookmaking-kits/
Adding images with inks is a great way to lend your own artistic touch to your piece. Try these soy based inks! Guilt free intaglio inks here: https://www.dickblick.com/products/akua-intaglio-inks/
Dick Blick also carries this spray fixative, that is non-toxic, and seals your mixed media pieces for protection! It is made with milk protein, so if you are vegan, it might not be the best option for you, BUT it is better for your work environment than aerosol!
https://www.dickblick.com/products/spectrafix-spray-fixative/
Use this link to get free shipping with Dick Blick when you spend $35 or more!
https://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=521770&m=30103&u=1683817
And I honestly did save the best for last. One of my favorite mixed media materials is GLITTER! I love to add shine, and this glitter from
https://shopuniversalsoul.com/
Is plant based, and biodegradable!!! Now, you don’t have to feel guilty for glitter following you around everywhere!
I hope this list helps you find materials that you can use to make eco-friendly choices in your art studio! I would love to know how you are making environmentally friendly choices in your art making! This is just a tiny list compared to the many options out there, but please, share with us what you find on your journey to eco-friendly living!
Please note, that some of the links in this post might be affiliate links, which means that if you click on the link or purchase certain items, I may receive a small commission.
