Eco-Conscious Art Materials at Opus Art Supplies

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Eco-Conscious Art Materials at Opus

There are many ways we can start Living A Greener Practice.

One of the simplest actions we can take is choosing art materials with reduced environmental impact. Undoubtedly there are more radical or drastic ways to support environmentalism. However, in choosing more sustainable options, we add our voice to push the companies that create the goods we utilize and consume to make better choices on their end. Consider it but a first step on the journey of Living a Greener Practice.

Our Eco-Conscious Art Materials collection is composed of our picks for artists seeking to choose more sustainable art supplies, made just that bit easier.

Keep reading this article to learn more about the steps our suppliers have taken to provide art materials that deliver on quality and performance, while having less of an impact on our environment.

Liquitex Professional Recycled Plastic Canvas

New from Liquitex is a professional-grade stretched canvas made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and FSC Certified wood. The recycled plastic canvas is made in partnership with Waste2Wear to deliver this 100% traceable textile.

Liquitex Recycled Plastic Canvas has been quality tested by pro-artists and at the Liquitex lab. Confidently paint with your acrylic or oil paints on this innovative surface.

As a company, Liquitex continues to see a net reduction in CO² emissions since 2019, and has the aim of becoming fully carbon neutral by 2030. Learn more about sustainability at Liquitex here.

Hahnemühle Fine Art Papers

Hahnemühle has long been working on producing resource-saving papers from alternative fibres. In 2008 they launched their Bamboo Mixed Media paper, followed later by the Agave and Hemp papers in Hahnemühle’s Natural Line. These fibres grow rapidly and require little water for cultivation.

Hahnemühle powers their manufacturing solely through wind, water, and solar energy. Learn more about Hahnemühle's living tradition of sustainability here.

Explore Hahnemühle Natural Papers - From The Collection

Hahnemühle Hemp Sketch and Agave Watercolour Pads from the Natural Line

Winsor & Newton Cadmium-Free Colours

Cadmium is a metal which is known to be toxic to humans. Industrial uses for cadmium include rechargeable batteries, electroplating, and plastic stabilization. In fine art, the use of Cadmium paints is well-documented in the works of Van Gogh, Monet, and Matisse, to name a few.

In 2019, Winsor & Newton launched Cadmium-free watercolour and oil paints that surpass Cadmium hue colours in terms of matching the colour and performance of true Cadmium paints.

Read more about Cadmium-Free options from Winsor & Newton by clicking the button below.

Explore Winsor & Newton Cadmium-Free

Winsor & Newton Professional Water Colour Cadmium-Free Colours.

Winsor & Newton Professional Water Colour Cadmium-Free Options.

Caran d'Ache

Caran d'Ache utilizes both solar energy and a heating system fuelled by 80 tonnes of wood shavings from pencil production. They use a water-based varnish to replace the former solvent-based version of the past.

Caran d'Ache uses FSC-Certified wood for their pencils, and are committing to using certified Swiss wood (to reduce impact from shipping) for 20% of their production by 2028.

Learn More About Sustainability at Caran d'Ache

Efforts and commitments at Caran d'Ache

Beam Paints - Making Colours with Conscience

Manufacturing their beautiful handmade paints in M’Chigeeng First Nation in the Great Lakes region, Beam celebrates their Indigenous roots. Their paints come plastic-free materials such as beeswax cloth, reclaimed off-cut wood palettes.

Their paints are made simply, using lightfast pigments, tree sap, gum arabic, and Manitoulin Island Honey. The result is colours that are a joy to paint with!

Explore Beam Paints - From The Collection

Beam Paints Watercolours in Paintstones and Palettes

Looking for more Eco-Conscious Art Materials?

There are more Eco-Conscious Art Materials awaiting you in our convenient collection!

Check our upcoming events and demonstrations to gain more insight into some of the products featured in this article and in our Eco-Conscious Art Materials collection.

Lastly, visit us in-store for helpful tips from our staff, and keep an eye out for new additions to our Resource Library.