If you don’t find a company you are looking for in this list, there is the chance that you find them via the search box.
Companies might change the ingredients of their products over time; if they do offer an ingredients’ list or Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to their products, please cross-check. Should there be any discrepancies, please let me know.
I started my compendium in spring 2017; if you type the name of a company into the search box, you can find the blog entry in which I introduced the information of the company (if date not mentioned below). This can give you an estimate about how old the information is.
In future, I will note the time I last updated each company’s entry here in the compendium.
As of February 2021, this is the information sheet, companies receive attached in the enquiries (English version, German version).
From 2021 on, I will relay a summary of the information I am provided with by the companies, and ask you, the reader, to form your own opinion. You are able to see, if and how far a company choses to disclose their cruelty-free status; and concerning animal derivatives, what details are given on the products and the manufacturing cycle.
Here is my entry on how to decipher company responses and how to read information on MSDS.
Anja (Ansho)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Amsterdam
declined to reply
Arches
declined to reply
Arteza declined to reply
Art Select
declined to reply
Bob Ross
declined to reply
Boesner
declined to reply
Botz Glazes (->pottery) status: March 2017
glazes should be free of any animal derivatives
although their papers do not contain animal derivatives with the exception of Mi Teintes and Ingres Vidalon, they do not know about the glue and packaging and several dyes get tested on rabbits.
So Canson is neither completely free of animal derivatives nor is it cruelty-free.
Source: Mail contact
Chameleon Art Products (status : Jul/Aug 2017)
The company identifies as cruelty-free, the Chameleon Pens are free of animal derivatives.
- Chameleon Pens
Source: Mail contact
Cléopâtre
Declined to reply.
Colorfin: Sofft Sponges
Declined to reply.
Colors Of Nature – earth-friendly artist’s paint (all-vegan company)
sadly, this company closed down – status: August 2019
- Oil Paints and organic linseed oil
- Encaustic Plant Wax Pucks
- Brushes
- Watercolour Paints
- Crayons
- Pastels
- Pigments
- Kids’ Watercolour Paint
- Glass Mullers (designed and manufactured for Colors of Nature by artist Silvia Taylor)
- Natural Brush Soap
- empty paint tubes (e.g. you can store your own created colour blends)
Source: Mail contact
C.Kreul (status :2017 to Dec 2018)
- Javana fabric paints
- Javana Textil Potch
- Javana texi mäx glitter, opak and sunny
- Javana Phantom Pen
- Javana Laundry Marker
- Kreul Textil Liner
- Hobby Line Acrylic Gloss, Satin and Matt Varnish
- Hobby Line Art Potch (Varnish & Glue)
- Hobby Line Foto Transfer Potch
- Hobby Line Gemstone Glue
- Solo Goya Glossy Varnish (Picture Varnish; Gemäldefirnis)
- Solo Goya Matt Varnish (Picture Varnish; Gemäldefirnis)
- Solo Goya Fixative
- Solo Goya Acrylic Paints
- Solo Goya Art Acryl Basic
- Solo Goya Triton Acrylic Paint Marker
- Solo Goya Pouring Liquid
- Solo Goya Tempera Gouache
- Solo Goya Aqua Paint Marker
- Kreul Pic Tixx Pens, with the exception of Pic Tixx Candle Pens, those are vegetarian friendly
PAPER:
- Kreul Paper Water Color
- Kreul Paper Mixed Media
- Kreul Paper Sketching
- Solo Goya Paper Sketching
- Solo Goya Paper Water Color
- Solo Goya Paper Oil Color
- Solo Goya Triton Acrylic Pad
CANVAS
- Kreul Canvas Board
- Kreul Stretched Canvas
- Solo Goya Stretched Canvas Basic Line
- Solo Goya Stretched Canvas Premium Line
And Following products are vegetarian friendly:
- Kreul Pic Tixx Candle pens
- Chalky chalk paint
- Solo Goya Triton Acylic Paints (several colours are only vegetarian friendly)
Source: Mail contact
Clay and Paint factory status: Sept 2017
NOT vegan-friendly.
Cretacolor status: March 2017
unavailable information about animal ingredients in products and contamination of raw materials through animal derivatives , because these aspects are not part of the material testing. No animal testing in the manufacturing process, however no guarantee for raw material suppliers and subsuppliers apply such testing
Culture Hustle – “Potions and Powders” status: March 2018
Products:
- Powders: powder paints; mixable with water, acrylic medium …
- Potions: acrylic paints
Daler-Rowney status: March 2017
- All Artist Oil Colours with the exception of Ivory Black and Blue Black
- All Georgian Oil Colours with the exception of Ivory Black, Prussian Green and Coeruleum Hue
- All Cryla and Cryla Flow colours with the exception of Ivory Black
- All Designer’s Gouache with the exception of Neutral Grey 2, Paynes Grey, Lamp Black, Cool Grey 1,2, & 3 and Warm Grey 1,2, &3.
- All System 3 colours with the exception of Raw Sienna
- Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic Inks
- Artist Inks
- Rowney Block Printing Colours (Water Based and Oil Based)
- Dalon and Cryla, brushes and series 260, 270 &280.
- All painting surfaces and equipment with the exception of Saunders Waterford paper (gelatin sized), canvas panels (backing glue is an animal derivative) and rabbit skin size
http://www.daler-rowney.com/en/content/home
Source: Mail contact
Defet – da Vinci Brushes status: 2017
All purely synthetic da Vinci brushes are free of animal derivatives (bristles and glue used). Pay attention to combination fibre brushes that also contain animal hair.
Synthetic brushes – free of animal derivatives:
- Casaneo (watercolour brushes)
- Nova Synthetics,
- Spin Synthetics,
- Cosmotop Spin
- Cosmotop series 5040
- Effect Brushes and Pipe Overgrainers
- Vario Tip
- Top Acryl
- Grigio Synthetics
- College /Forte Acrylics
- Impasto Top Acryl II
- Junior Synthetics
- Forte Synthetics
- Forte Basic
- Fit for school and hobby
- Paint-finger
- Manolino
- Primo Synthetics
Source: Mail contact
Deka Farben
(fabric paints)
declined to reply
Delta Marker by Rotbart status: March 2017
- Alcohol Marker
Source: Mail contact
Derivan status: April 19th, 2018
Australia based Derivan is a cruelty-free company with an array of different products.
Jul 18th ,2020 update: some watercolour shades contain oxgall (Derivan watercolour information sheet) several may contain honey (information via reader mail)
Except the one colour Ivory Black in the Matisse range, all Derivan and Matisse branded paints are vegan-friendly!
Here you can find all of their products, e.g. cadmium-free acrylics, different types of acrylics, acrylic based inks, mediums, screen ink, block ink, watercolour, fabric paint, face and body paint, glitter glue, liquid pencil, …
Matisse is Derivan’s professional acrylics range
Source: Mail contact
Derwent status: 2017- Dec 2018
Derwent does not test on animals or commission animal testing. However, they cannot guarantee that all the raw material they use are free from animal testing.
- All Derwent Coloursoft pencils
- All Derwent Inktense
- All Derwent Graphitint pencils
- All Derwent Aquatone
- All Derwent Metallics
- All Derwent Graphitone
- All Derwent Pastel Pencils and Pastel blocks
- All Derwent Charcoal Pencils and Charcoal XL Blocks
- All Derwent Graphite Blocks and Graphite XL Blocks
- Derwent Graphic Pencils B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H, 8H
- All Derwent erasers
- Graphik Line Painter and Line Maker
- Derwent watercolour paper
- all waterbrushes: water reservoir brushes with small, medium and chisel tip
- water soluble sketching pencils
Derwent Ranges that are only partially free of animal derivatives:
Source: Mail contact; Derwent website
Source: Mail contact
Eberhard Faber
declined to reply
Etchall – products for etching glass status: March 2018
Products free of animal ingredients:
- Etching Crème
- Dip n’ Etch
- Vinyl Etchmask
- Squeegee
- Detail Pick Tool
- Svivel Knife
- … for more check out their website
Faber-Castell
status: April 2nd, 2021
Faber-Castell is completely cruelty-free and has been so for more than several decades (more than 40 years), including their raw material suppliers. This does not only mean, they don’t test on animals and do not commission such testing but also their raw material suppliers don’t test or commission for the material they use. So no animal testing on any level, including MSDS (material safety data sheets) and raw material suppliers.
All listed products here are free of animal derivatives, including the manufacturing process and packaging.
cruelty-free status: cruelty-free on all levels
Here is my updated (incomplete) list of products, free of animal derivatives :
- Gelatos
- all Faber-Castell coloured pencils (including Albrecht Dürer and Polychromos)
- all graphite pencils
- watersoluble graphite aquarelle pencils
- Art Grip aquarelle pencils
- Pitt Pastel pencils
- Pitt Graphite Crayons e.g. art.nr. 129902, 129905
- Graphite Pure pencil art.nr. 1173…
- all mechanical pencils
- all mechanical pencil refills; coloured and lead ones
- jumbo lead pencils
- graphite and polymer lead
- indelible pencils (Kopierstifte)
- Albrecht Dürer watercolour marker
- regular erasers, kneadable erasers, pencil erasers
- all Pitt Artist products
- Pastel crayon Polychromos
- Polychromos pastels (art. nr. 128 …)
- tortillion / blending stump/ estompe/ Papierwischer
- soft pastels
- oil pastel crayons
- foldable watercup
- charcoal, natural Pitt/ Zeichenkohle
- charcoal (zeichenkohle)
- graphite chalk/crayon (Graphitkreide)
- natural charcoal art.nr. 129114, 129116, 129118, 129122
- compressed charcoal (Reißkohle) art.nr. 129906, 129903, 129900, 129913, 129916
- sanguine crayon (Rötelkreide)
- Creative Studio pastels
- Creative Studio oil pastels
- sharpener
- ruler
- Pitt Monochrome
- Ecco Pigment
- Grip lead pencils and mechanical pencils
- Art & Graphic Water Brush
- Goldfaber Coloured Pencils
- Goldfaber Aqua Watercolour Pencils
- Oil Colours (Creative Studio)
- oil paint (tempera)
- Creative Studio – watercolour paint in pans
- watercolour starter set in tubes
- Synthetic brushes (art. nr. 481600)
- Broadpen
- all ink
- Graf von Faber-Castell inks
- Faber-Castell ink
- (ink) converter
- Grip fountain pen
- pastel textmarker
- metallic textmarker
- textliner 48
- metallic textliner
- notebooks DinA5 and DinA6
- biros
- biro lead
- Fineschreiber 1511
- Grip marker (flipchart, whiteboard, textmarker pens, permanent marker)
- Grip Textmarker & Textliner
- Multimark marker
- all Uni-Ball products (attention: Faber-Castell is the distributor not the manufacturer; so regard the information as ingredients based only)
- felt pen and double-sided felt pens (Faserschreiber)
- T-Shirt marker
- Jumbo Grip neon
- all chalk (alle Kreiden)
- Connector Deckfarben (opaque paint in pans)
- wax crayons art.nr. 122540, 120010, 120024
- thermoplastic wax crayons art. nr. 122540, 120404, 120405
Source: mail contact
Source: Mail contact
Fabriano status: March 2017
All paper products, except three, are free of animal derivatives. The exceptions are Roma, Esportazione and Secolo XIII
Source: Mail Contact
Finetec Perlcolors/ Perlglanzfarben status: March 2017
- Finetec Perlcolors/ Perlglanzfarben are free of animal derivatives
Gelli Plates by Gelli Arts status: March 2017
- gel printing plates
Source: Mail contact
Gerstaecker
declined to reply
Ghiant
declined to reply
Giotto
(and Lyra belong to Fila group)
declined to reply
Golden Paints
- All acrylic products including mediums and varnishes
with the exception of:
Bone Black, Jenkins Green, Neutral Gray 2, Neutral Gray 3, Neutral Gray 4, Neutral Gray 5, Neutral Gray 6, Neutral Gray 7, Neutral Gray 8, Prussian Blue Hue, Terre Verte Hue, FLUID Bone Black, FLUID Jenkins Green, FLUID Prussian Blue Hue, MATTE FLUID Jenkins Green, MATTE Bone Black, MATTE Jenkins Green, HLA Bone Black, OPEN Bone Black, OPEN Jenkins Green
http://www.goldenpaints.com/animalingredientsanimaltesting
Vegetarian-friendly:
Williamsburg Oil Paints with the exception of Ivory Black, Cold Black, and Payne’s Grey
See Q for Qor watercolours
http://www.williamsburgoils.com
Hahnemühle status : 2017
All Hahnemühle FineArt paper products, technical papers and canvases are vegan friendly, with the exception of Photo Silk Baryta and PastellFix.
Hahnemühle certificate of conformity
Kaia Natural Watercolor status: August 2019
100% natural, plastic-free, all vegan watercolour in artist quality.
source: mail contact, website
Kuretake status: 2017 / 2018
Kuretake does not test on animals, but cannot confirm whether its raw material suppliers do or don’t test on animals to guarantee material safety (mail contact August 2018)
products free of animal ingredients (status: 2017)
Kuretake Fude Pens, except the Fountain pen Shikatsuno series, the Fountain Brush pens have a brush tip made of animal hairZIG Cartoonist Ink, exceptthe Sumi InkZIG KurecolorZIG Clean Color Real BrushZIG Waterbrush H20AcrylistaGansai Tambi including the Pearlescent and Starry Colours
Lana Beaux Arts status: 2017
All Lana Beaux Arts products distributed by Hahnemühle are suitable for vegans as well. The gelatine used in the watercolour paper is not from an animal source.
Hahnemühle certificate of conformity
https://www.hahnemuehle.com/en/hahnemuehle.html
Source: Mail contact
Lascaux status: March 2017
All Products, e.g.: Acrylic paints, Gouache, painting mediums, varnish, fixative, ink, synthetic brushes
with the exception of the acrylic colour Resonance Black
Source: Mail Contact
Liquitex status March2017 / addition April 2018
All Paints, with the exception of the colour Ivory Black, mediums, varnish, synthetic brushes and knives are vegan friendly
Source: Mail Contact
Lukas
declined to reply
Lyra
(and Giotto belong to Fila group)
declined to reply
M
Maimeri declined to reply
Marabu
declined to reply
Mead
status: February 25th, 2021
waiting for a reply; contacted via Acco (they are an Acco brand)
Molotow
declined to reply
Mon Marte
status: March 4th, 2021
they will look into my inquiry at a later date, when time opens up
Motip Dupli
declined to reply
Natural Earth Paint
status: March 4th, 2021
all their natural pigments, earth paints and art supplies are free of animal derivatives, except their face paints, which contain beeswax.
cruelty-free status : undisclosed
Source: mail contact
Nevskaya Palitra
status: February 15th, 2021
waiting for a reply
O
Old Holland
declined to reply
Oozeq status: Aug 2018
Oozeq is a vegan-friendly never dry putty/ plasticine by the cruelty-free company Oobleq.
It has a wide variety of application possibilities. More information in this post or on Oozeq’s website.
Source: Mail contact
Pébéo
declined to reply
Pelikan
declined to reply
Pan Pastels by Colorfin status: Sep 2017
- soft pastels are free of animal derivatives
Source: Mail contact
Q
Qor Watercolor
last updated: April, 2018
Manufacturer: Golden Paints
products free of animal derivatives:
- all Qor Watercolors, except Bone Black
- Synthetic Ox Gall
- Lift Aid
- all Watercolor Mediums
- all Watercolor Grounds
All of Golden Paints’ Gels, Mediums and Pastes are free of animal derivatives.
source: mail contact
Rotring
Waiting for a reply. Should be considered NOT vegan-friendly.
Royal & Langnickel
Waiting for a reply. Should be considered NOT vegan-friendly.
Royal Talens
CAVE: Products are NOT vegan-friendly!
Ecoline Brush PenEcoline ink in jars
https://www.royaltalens.com/en-gb/
Sennelier
Waiting for a reply. Should be considered NOT vegan-friendly.
Schmincke
CAVE: Products are NOT vegan-friendly!
All Akademie and College products:Akademie Aquarell watercoloursAkademie GouacheAkademie Acryl ColorAkademie Oil ColorCollege OilCollege AcrylicCollege LinolAero Color Professional
Vegan friendly products with exceptions:
PRIMAcryl with the exception of Ivory BlackPastels with the exception of D Black (D Schwarz)Pigments with the exception of Ivory BlackAqua Linoprint colours with the exception of Ivory Black
Source: Mail contact
Schoellershammer
Waiting for a reply. Should be considered NOT vegan-friendly.
ShinHanArt
- Touch Twin Markers/ Brush Markers
- All ShinHanArt products are cruelty-free and almost all are vegan friendly.
Following products contain animal derivatives- are not vegan friendly:
- PWC, Extra Fine Artist’s Watercolor-No. 683 Ivory Black, contains PBk9
- ShinHan Professional Korean Color-No. 302 Black, contains PBk9
- Sh Korean Color-No. 302 Black, contains PBk9
- ShinHan Professional Korean Color-No. 331 Snow White, contains gelatin
- Painting Glue (Medium), contains gelatin
The pigment PBk9 is made of animal bones.
Source: Mail contact
Speedball Art last update: Feb 2019
- all products of the drawing & lettering lines(Super Pigmented Acrylic Drawing and Calligraphy Ink, Nibs, Pen Cleaner, Pen Holders -they have an oblique pen nib holder and offer also calligraphy products for left-handed people and a cartooning pen set; the Speedball Textbook, Elegant Writer, Calligraphy Fountain Pens and ink cartridges) https://www.speedballart.com/uploads/Drawing%20&%20Lettering.pdf
- Following Block and Screen Printing Products:
- water-soluble block printing ink
- water-soluble block printing ink pearlescent base
- water-soluble block printing ink retarder
- water-soluble block printing ink extender
- water-soluble block printing ink transparent extender base
- fabric block printing ink
- fabric block printing ink extender
- water-soluble screen printing ink
- acrylic screen printing ink
- professional acrylic screen printing ink
- fabric screen printing ink
- opaque fabric screen printing ink
- water-soluble transparent extender base (screen printing)
- acrylic extender base (screen printing)
- fabric and acrylic transparent base (screen printing)
- fabric and acrylic screen retarder base
- Professional Relief Inks
- Glazes (Ceramics Products)
Source: Mail contact
Standardgraph
declined to reply
Strathmore status: March 2017
All Strathmore paper products are vegan friendly with the exception of Gemini Watercolour Paper.
https://www.strathmoreartist.com/ Vegan
https://www.strathmoreartist.com
Source: Website and mail contact
Stylefile (Publikat) status: Jul 2017
- the Stylefile Marker
- Marker Paper sketch-pads
- sketch-books
http://www.stylefilemarker.com
http://www.stylefile.de/stylefile-marker/
Terry Ludwig Pastels status: Nov 2018
Terry Ludwig Pastels is a cruelty-free company and all their pastels are vegan-friendly, with the exception of those containing bone black.
Source: Mail contact
Tsukineko
declined to reply
UHU status : 2017
- All glue products (examples
Patafix, double sided tapes,
Model building adhesives, double sided tapes and strips, Home & Office Tapes, Repair Tapes,
Mounting & Construction Adhesives, adhesive, wood glues, contact adhesives, paper glues,
Special adhesives, super glues, epoxy adhesives,
Source: Mail contact
Umton Barvy
last updated: February 19th, 2021
Umton Barvy – Summary:
The only animal derived ingredient to be found in Umton’s artistic oil colours, tempera gouache and watercolours is PBk9 /Amorphous Carbon/ Bone Black in several colours (see attached PDF lists and colour listings on their website for more information).
At this time, there is no further information whether this applies only to the finished products or the manufacturing cycle as well.
Company cruelty-free status : undisclosed
Composition of Colours – list received Feb 2021
Colour Index Numbers – received in Feb 2021
source: mail contact
Uniball Mitsubishi
declined to reply
Viarco
(checking the ingredients momentarily)
Waiting for a reply. Should be considered NOT vegan-friendly until cleared.
Viva Décor
Waiting for a reply. Should be considered NOT vegan-friendly.
W
Weber Art
declined to reply
Winsor Newton
Source: Mail contact
Zebra Pen
declined to reply