Thank you to my reader M, for letting me know that Derivan have their cruelty-free statement now up on their website.
Here you can find Derivan’s statement.
Source: reader mail; Derivan website
Derivan’s listing in my compendium.
I am very glad to be the messenger of such good news.
Caran d’Ache sent me their certificate of compliance .
I contacted them for products free of animal derivatives – including manufacturing process- and for their cruelty-free status. And good tidings I bring.
Please see the Caran D’Ache certificate of compliance and pay attention to exceptions in product lines. Some products contain the pigment ivory black, which is of an animal source.
Neither products nor raw materials get tested on animals.
Product lines free of animal derivatives (with exceptions of products containing the pigment ivory black):
Source: mail contact
I initially contacted Holbein back in 2017 and now did so again, to see whether there might have been some changes to make their coloured pencils ingredients now suitable. Unfortunately, it hasn’t changed. Back then I was informed of the use of animal fats to disperse the pigments. As of now, they cannot give any guarantee.
No further information was disclosed.
So here is my up to date listing for my compendium:
manufacturer: Holbein
currently no products free of animal derivatives available
cruelty-free level: no information disclosed
I am sorry about the disappointing news. I hope there will be changed in the future and I will circle back to them in some years.
source: mail contact
Here is the new updated information on Faber-Castell. All the previously listed products are still free of animal derivatives, which includes the packaging. Additionally, I asked about the watercolours in pan format and starter set in tubes, Albrecht Dürer watercolour marker, grip fountain pens, converter, pastel toned and metallic textmarker, notebook A5 and A6– those are free of animal derivatives as well. Unfortunately I do not know whether this includes the manufacturing cycle just the finished products. Back in 2017, concerning Faber-Castell’s cruelty-free status, I received the reply, that they neither tested on animals nor commissioned animal testing; not in Europe and not anywhere else. A person in the chemistry department also mentioned back then (2017) for as long as they can look back – 30 years – to their knowledge, there hadn’t ever been commissioned such testing. It was also pointed out to me (again, 2017), that animal testing for painting -, drawing -, and writing supplies was forbidden by law in Germany.
Bearing the 2017 information in mind, I also asked about an update on the company status about the topic but unfortunately, I did not get any information about it this time, so I will place the cruelty-free status as undisclosed for now (because of lack of new information).
cruelty-free status: undisclosed for now concerning the 2021 update (in 2017, cruelty-free)
Here is my updated ( incomplete) list of products, free of animal derivatives (this includes the packaging; not known whether this extends to manufacturing cycle as well):
All Faber-Castell coloured pencil ranges are free of animal derivatives.
Additional information provided by Faber-Castell – products free of animal derivatives:
Source: mail contact
New product enquiries sent out to:
To all, who have sent enquiries to me about companies (and products) that I have yet to contact: I have not forgotten any of you, I will pick up where I left off. Thank you for your patience.
Hi everyone,
unfortunately I have yet to receive word from Arteza. I have contacted them three times to no avail.
I know some of you have written to the company and received positive replies, of their products being vegan and not tested on animals.
Unfortunately a product being not tested on animals does not necessarily mean the raw materials weren’t and does not automatically correlate with the company being cruelty-free, the company not commissioning animal testing elsewhere, or the raw material suppliers not testing on animals.
The product being vegan, does not automatically mean no animal derivatives were used in the manufacturing process.
Everyone of course makes their own decision on “how vegan and cruelty-free” a product and company have to be. And maybe the information given by Arteza to you is acceptable.
I sent them my information sheet on how I assess these topics. They decided not to reply for more than one year. This leads me to note “declined to reply” in my compendium.
I am verry sorry for all, that hoped for some clarity here about Arteza. I always hope for the best and to be able to add a new company for you on here, but I guess they might just not be interested.
Thank you Sidra, for writing to me about this.
Again, I want to mention here, that momentarily I cannot reply to your messages via mail, but will answer your questions here, in hope you find my reply. Please don’t think I purposely overview any correspondence.
Anja
source: mail contact
Speedball has gotten back to me. The Super Black India Ink is unfortunately not vegan, it contains shellac.
They checked my list, and the information about all the other products is still valid.
Here is the up-to-date list of vegan-friendly Speedball products:
Source: Mail contact
the Speedball Super Black India Ink might not be vegan any longer.
Thank you Emily, for pointing this out to me.
Back in September 2017, I received the information from Speedball that all drawing and lettering products didn’t contain animal ingredients/byproducts.
Unfortunately, Emily discovered shellac being listed on the label of the Super Black India Ink she purchased.
I have contacted Speedball and have taken the ink of my list until I have further information.
A Speedball product update will follow as soon as I hear back from the company.
Here is my information sheet I attached in my mail to them: Criteria cruelty-free and vegan April2018
Dear Emily, I am very sorry to hear this happened to you. I did write you a mail, but unfortunately my computer froze everything, when I hit send and crashed. I tried for 10 minutes to get back in, but it is useless. I write this on a borrowed device and hope you are able to find my reply to your mail here. I did not forget about you. This bugs me too, I was really happy to have found a non-acrylic drawing ink. I attached my information sheet to my inquiry, which also includes a list with animal ingredients. It is possible, the person replying did not know shellac is of animal origin. – Again, I am very sorry this happened to you.
The broadpen,Faber-Castell ink and their synthetic brush range are products newly added to my Faber-Castell list of vegan-friendly products.
Here is the list of vegan-friendly products by Faber-Castell:
All Faber-Castell coloured pencil ranges are vegan-friendly.
Find Faber-Castell in the compendium.
Source: Mail contact
Thank you to eagle-eyed reader Isabella, for pointing out that more colours in both the Academy Colouring and Watercolour range are no longer vegan-friendly. Derwent now provides information in their colour charts about products being vegan-friendly or not.
Derwent doesn’t carry out animal testing, but also can’t confirm whether all of the raw material is free of animal testing.
Derwent Products free of animal derivatives :
Derwent Ranges that are only partially free of animal derivatives:
Source: Mail contact; Derwent website