Painting & Drawing Techniques
ID | Painting/Drawing Tech | Ingestion Haz | Inhalation Haz | Skin Contact Haz | Other Hazards | Precautions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | WATER-BASED PAINTS | May contain preservatives, such as formaldehyde | Don't eat, drink, smoke in studio; wash hands, including under fingernails (good hygiene); switch to formaldehyde-free painting medium; avoid inhaling pigment powder; use least toxic preservatives possible | |||
2 | Acrylic Paints (Water-Emulsion) | May contain ammonia which may cause eye, nose, throat irritation, especially if large amounts are used;may contain preservatives, such as formaldehyde | Good hygiene; switch to formaldehyde-free painting medium; avoid inhaling pigment powder; use least toxic preservatives possible; use window exhaust fan | |||
3 | Watercolors and Gouache | Moderately toxic | Slightly toxic | Gum arabic and gum tragacanth cause skin allergies; gum arabic can cause asthma; may contain preservatives, such as formaldehyde | Good hygiene; switch to formaldehyde-free painting medium; avoid inhaling pigment powder; use least toxic preservatives possible | |
4 | Casein Paints | Strong irritant | Strong irritant | Ammonia also causes irritation to eyes | Good hygiene; switch to formaldehyde-free painting medium; avoid inhaling pigment powder; use least toxic preservatives possible; use exhaust fan; wear gloves; goggles; apron; use eyewash fountain | |
5 | Tempera | Highly toxic | Highly toxic | Hazards in pigments & preservatives; tetrachloroethane highly toxic; more toxic than carbon tetrachloride, causing severe liver damage | Good hygiene; DO NOT USE tetrachloroethane | |
6 | Fresco Paints | Limewater moderately toxic | Powdered lime highly corrosive | Limewater moderately toxic | Powdered lime is highly corrosive by eye contact | Good hygiene; switch to formaldehyde-free painting medium; avoid inhaling pigment powder; use least toxic preservatives possible; wear gloves and goggles when handling lime; use eyewash fountain |
7 | Latex Paints | Slightly toxic if glycols are present | Possibly toxic if the paint contains glycol ethers | May contain glycols, mercury | Don't use paints with mercury preservatives | |
8 | NON-WATER BASED PAINTS | |||||
9 | Oil Paints | Pigment Poisoning | Turpentine/mineral spirits moderately to seriously toxic | Pigment poisoning; turpentine absorbed through skin | Turpentine, mineral spirits moderately toxic by all routes of entry; they're irritants and narcotics; wood/steam-distilled turpentine more toxic than gum turpentine; turpentine washes very hazardous | Good hygiene; replace turpentine with turpenoid/odorless mineral spirits; set up window exhaust fan; don't do turpentine wash; wear respirator w/organic vapor cartridges; neoprene gloves; reuse solvent; remove paint from hands with baby or vegetable oil |
10 | Alkyd and Other Solvent-Based Paints | Toxic | Pigment hazards; solvent-based paints more hazardous than oil paints; much more solvent exposure; toluene/xylene much more toxic than paints with mineral spirits; flammable | Use powerful exhaust fan; wear NIOSH-approved respirator with organic vapor cartridges; eliminate ignition sources; use neoprene gloves; replace turpentine with turpenoid/odorless mineral spirits | ||
11 | Encaustic | Respiratory irritation from decomposition of waxes | Pigment hazard; fire hazard from heating wax | Good hygiene; always cover containers of dry pigments; melt wax in double boiler or on hot plate; don't use flame; use lowest temperature feasible to minimize vaporization of wax | ||
12 | Epoxy Paints | Hardeners moderately toxic/ solvents in epoxy systems highly toxic | Hardeners moderately toxic | Pigment hazards; epoxy hardeners can cause large numbers of skin and respiratory allergies; solvents in epoxy systems can include aromatic hydrocarbons, which can cause irritation, narcosis, and liver damage | Good hygiene; wear neoprene gloves and have very good ventilation; use an organic vapor respirator when working indoors | |
13 | VARNISHES, LACQUERS, MEDIUMS | Turpentine; methyl alcohol; ethyl alcohol; methylene chloride moderately toxic | Turpentine; methyl alcohol moderately toxic; ethyl alcohol slightly toxic; toluene, xylene; methylene chloride highly toxic | Turpentine; methyl alcohol moderately toxic; ethyl alcohol slightly toxic; toluene, xylene; methylene chloride moderately toxic | Turpentine irritant/narcotic, can cause kidney damage/allergies; methyl alcohol affects nervous system/liver/kidneys; toluene, xylene absorbed through skin; n-hexane highly toxic/flammable/cause nerve damage; methylene chloride probable carcinogen | Wear gloves; have good local exhaust ventilation; wear NIOSH-approved organic vapor respirator; take precautions against fire; place solvent-soaked rags in waste disposal can, & empty daily; wash hands with baby/vegetable oil; avoid methylene chloride |
14 | PRESERVATIVES | Hazard for children | Not sufficient hazard | Not sufficient hazard | Use of pure preservatives to add to art materials can be a hazard to the artist, depending on the preservative | With children, use only materials & preservatives approved for children; use least toxic preservatives available; use gloves, ventilation, personal protective equipment |
15 | SPRAY PAINTING | Highly hazardous | Accidental injection of spray into fingers from high-pressure spray guns | Spraying of solvent-containing paints/aerosol spray cans with flammable propellants is fire hazard; spray guns/airbrushes/aerosol spray cans can produce fine particulate mist that remains in air for up to 2 hours; can cause headache/nausea/fatigue | Use spray booth, exhausted to outside; wear NIOSH-approved respirator, w/toxic dust and mist, or organic vapor cartridges; use exhaust fan; don't spray w/ carcinogenic pigments; eliminate flames; avoid getting fingers in way | |
16 | DRY DRAWING MEDIA | |||||
17 | Pastels | Dust major hazard; may cause sensitivity in asthmatics; spray fixatives hazardous | Pastels can contain toxic pigments, including chrome yellow, cadmium, and manganese; poorly labeled; blowing off excess pastel dust increases amount of dust inhalation; n-hexane can cause nerve damage | Avoid pigments containing lead chromate & other toxic pigments; don't blow off excess dust; tap drawing; wear NIOSH-approved toxic dust respirator; don't hand rub drawing; wet mop; switch to less dusty pastels; use exhaust fan and spray outside | ||
18 | Pencils, Graphite, Charcoal, and Chalks | Hazards with graphite, charcoal dust; solvent-based drawing gums, spray fixatives hazardous | Solvent-based drawing gums hazardous | Inhalation of large amounts of graphite over a period of years can cause a benign pneumoconiosis; blowing off excess charcoal dust is major cause of inhalation of charcoal dust; dustless chalks have binders added | Avoid toxic pigments; don't blow off excess dust; tap drawing; wear NIOSH-approved toxic dust respirator; don't hand rub drawing; wet mop; use water-based drawing gums instead of solvent-based types | |
19 | Oil Pastels, Oil Sticks, and Crayons | Toxic pigments, such as lead chromate, hazardous | Solvents hazardous | Pigments are irritants; solvents hazardous | Industrial crayons may have toxic pigments such as lead chromate; children's varieties should have only nontoxic pigments and extenders; oil pastels and sticks may also have toxic pigments | Avoid crayons, oil pastels, or oil sticks containing lead chromate or other extremely toxic pigments; use window exhaust fan if you use solvents |
20 | LIQUID DRAWING MEDIA | |||||
21 | Pen and Ink | Dyes and inks irritating; solvent-based inks containing toluene are highly toxic | Solvent-based inks highly toxic if absorbed | Water-based drawing inks normally not considered hazardous, although little is known about the hazards of the dyes used in some of these inks; solvent-based inks hazardous | Do not airbrush solvent-based drawing inks, obtain MSDS's for the inks | |
22 | Felt-Tip Markers | Xylene hazardous; ethyl and propyl alcohol less toxic, but irritating; methyl isobutyl ketone strongly irritating | Water-based felt-tip markers are normally not considered hazardous, although little is known about the dyes used; xylene-containing markers may cause dizziness, headaches, nausea if they're used without adequate ventilation | Use water-based, or alcohol-based markers; use window exhaust fan when using large numbers of permanent markers, or when using them for extended periods of time |