new updated 2022 information sheet

I have updated my 2021 information sheet on the guidelines of cruelty-free and vegan-friendly (free of animal derivatives) art supplies.

Here it is:2022 Guidelines: cruelty-free and vegan-friendly art supplies, which I will be sending out to companies as of August 2022;  (and for comparison, my 2021 version here.)

My 2022 guidelines for cruelty-free and vegan-friendly art supplies:

‘vegan-friendly’ products / products free of animal derivatives:

the product does not contain any kind of ingredients of an animal
based source; no animal derivatives, – byproducts or raw materials
no animal derived material is used during the manufacturing process;
examples of animal derived material used in production:
– animal derived fats and oils in surfactants for the  dispersion of pigments
– fats and oils of an animal source used to shape the tip on brushes
all integral parts of the finished product are free of animal derivatives;
examples:
– not just the ink in a pen, but the nib/ tip and the body of the pen
– not only the lead of a pen, but the wooden body/ casing as well as the treatment /lacquer/ varnish on the wooden casing
– the laquer or foil on a wood-free pencil
– the tube, jar or pan that contains the paints
– not only the paper of a paper pad or sketchbook, but also back and cover
– adhesive/ glue used to bind paper pads and books; glue used in brushes
– canvas sizing
– dye used to colour the bristles of brushes

 

being a cruelty-free company

concerning animal testing:

• the company does not test on animals nor commissions any other parties to do so
• raw- material suppliers do not test on animals nor commission other parties to do so
• no material data collected through animal testing*, done or commissioned by other parties such as parent- / sister – and affiliate
companies, other partners or raw material suppliers, is used for the
MSDS (material safety data sheets)
• no MSDS (material safety data sheets) provided by other parties, including raw material suppliers – for which material information was
obtained through animal testing*- are used
• no animal testing done/commissioned abroad in order for products to be sold abroad; this applies to the company and company’s
distributors.

* animal testing in recent time; not data collected through animal testing of
the past; meaning over thirty years ago

concerning the use of mica :

if mica is used by the company, it is either of synthetic origin or was
ethically sourced, meaning no child labour and no inhumane working conditions

Note: a company that sells goods, for which animals are kept in inhumane living conditions and are solely bred for being harvested /slaughter**, can only be
classified as- if they are so – being free of animal testing, concerning products
and raw materials not being tested on animals.
** examples: leather/fur goods or brushes

everything of animal origin /
everything that is part of the animal and its anatomy,
everything what the animal produces,
is not considered ‘vegan-friendly’ / free of animal derivatives

definition of the term “animal”:
• all vertebrates:
› fish
› amphibians
› reptiles
› birds
› mammals
• all invertebrates:
e.g. insects, spiders, mollusc
(e.g. snail, sepia, mussel),
corals, sponges, crustaceans

examples of animal derived material:
• beeswax, honey
• charred bones, bone ash, bone flour, pigment PBk9
• bone charcoal
• casein / milk derivatives
• gelatin
• squalene
• sepia
• silk
• tallow
• animal derived oils/ fats/ wax
• lanolin / wool fat
• ox gall/ox bile
• cochineal
• leather / skin of animals
• rabbit skin (as in rabbit skin glue)
• animal fur, hair ***
• animal teeth
• feathers
• shellac
• sponge
• pearl
• mother of pearl
• rennet • egg
• anything derived from the animal anatomy, e.g. organs or body parts

***natural hair and bristles examples : sable, marten, ermine, weasel, polecat, squirrel,
mongoose, wolf, badger, goat, horse, bear, pig, wild boar, ox, cattle

 

The German version of the 2022 guidelines will follow in the next days;

Pitt Artist Pen problems?

Hi there,

I just wanted to reply here as well to a reader’s mail and their disappointing experience with their Pitt Artist pens.

Should the colour apply plotchy /stripey/ bleed on the paper, the chances are very high that you might be using the wrong paper.

From my experience they work e.g. on Hahnemühle Nostalgia Sketch paper, Hahnemühle Bristol (I preferred a more cicular application here or wiping over the surface right after to smooth the application),and the most beautifully – I love to put them on watercolour (or mixed media paper): of course, you have to look out that the paper does not have such a texture that it will be like sandpaper to your pens (e.g. like canvas, which will 100 per cent grind your pens down) and they might “drink” /absorb more of your pen. What I love to do with them is also to apply them to paper and immediately go over the application with e.g. a waterreservoir brush. It moves and dilutes the colour and when it dries down it goes to its waterproof state.

Don’t forget, you can also mix your Pitt Artist pens, like you would do your watercolours. You can apply them onto a white porcelain plate,  dilute and mix them. I also put the brush tip of my watertank brush onto the pen for colour application (I am not telling you, you should do that, it is just what I do).

In case, the paper isn’t your problem but the pen itself: if it has gotten drier due to age / or what you have put it through, don’t throw them away! You now can shape them /be rough on them and use them for texturing; e.g. leaf cluster, flower buds, grass … ; if they truely have nothing left in them, keep a couple of spare caps/lids, so you have one in your hour of need, when they miraculously disappear and you’ll find them weeks or months later. This goes of course for all your pens and markers.

Anja (Ansho)

Here is my latest Faber-Castell entry.

 

2017 information on varnish

I have yet to make an update on varnish and more,

but in the meantime, here is my 2017 information about varnish:

 

Hahnemühle offers a protection spray for digital fine art prints; here is my blog enty from February 2022; Here you find my compendium entry.

source: mail contact ; websites

Hahnemühle

All paper and canvases by  Hahnemühle are free of animal derivatives and additives.

This of course means all Hahnemühle paper products are free of animals – including the Digital FineArt products as well. The only exception are books with a leather cover.

Photo Silk Baryta was taken off the market for the moment, because of a change in the supply chain – to make it vegan.

Caution: old Photo Silk Baryta stock from retailers won’t be vegan

PastellFix was taken off the market for good; unfortunately changes to make it conform could not be achieved;

Old PastellFix stock from retailers is not vegan.

The Hahnemühle Signing Duo and Protective Spray are free of animal derivatives.

cruelty-free status of 2017 : no animal testing, no commissioning of such (again, information of 2017); 

Certificates of Conformity: English; Deutsch

source: mail contact

Hahnemühle compendium entry

Hahnemühle website

 

Faber-Castell

Following new Faber-Castell products are free of animal derivatives – including the manufacturing process:

  •  115210 Pitt Graphite Matt
  •  160701 Creative Marker – white as snow, Creative Marker blackout
  •  160806 Neon Marker
  •  2818.. brush line
  •  2828.. brush line
  •  all brushes that are part of drawing/painting sets

The material used for all brush hair is nylon.

Faber-Castell is a cruelty-free company on all levels; they do not test on animals, neither commission other parties to do so; the raw material chain is free of animal testing

They would like you to know, that animal testing for art-, writing- and drawing materials/ supplies is banned in Europe.

No animal based raw materials are ever used as auxiliary supplies/ additives in Faber-Castell’s entire production.

source: mail contact

compendium entry

Faber-Castell website

Moleskine

Moleskine would like you to know that at this moment in time, during the paper binding process, traces of gelatin may be  present.

Moleskine is working to find new sollutions concerning this topic.

Moleskine’s cruelty-free status: they do not test on animals and neither commission it from other parties

source: mail contact

new enquiries sent out: paper edition

Hello everyone,

in the last two days I looked into four companies concerning paper products;

I wrote to:

  • 31st of January 2022, Strathmore – for an update (compendium status: March 2017)
  • 1st of February 2022, Hahnemühle – for an update (compendium status: March 2017)
  • 1st of February 2022, Fabriano – for un update (compendium status; March 2017)
  • 1st of February 2022, Moleskine – first enquiry

You will find the 2017 information in this post or in the compendium.

 

Unfortunately, I have nothing new to report from my Mid-November enquiries, I have yet to receive replies from Faber-Castell (concerning new products), Etchr, Léonard and da Vinci/ Defet.

 

 

 

you might not be able to reach me for a short while

I am overhauling my computer systems, which means I might not be able (very probably) to reply to mail@veganartstuff mails from you. I hope mails coming in the process of it all won’t get lost, everything until now (Dec 3rd, 2021) has been replied to. In case something should have happened to new mails (after Dec 3rd), I will let you know, when everything is up and running.

All my best,

Coliro Finetec Pearlcolors

Hi there,

Coliro (Finetec Pearlcolors) sent their reply today. And it is good news.

Coliro/Finetec is cruelty-free : they don’t test on animals and neither commission other parties to do so.

Not only are – as they have been in the past- the Finetec Pearlcolors completely free of animal derivatives, as well as  the manufacturing process being free of any animal derivatives (and of course cruelty-free), there is something even better.

The mica raw material supplier for Finetec is member of the Responsible Mica Initiative.

This is a quote of the Initiative that Coliro/Finetec provided me with :

“ENGAGE MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS UNDER A COALITION FOR ACTION TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FAIR, RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE MICA SUPPLY CHAIN IN BIHAR & JHARKHAND THAT IS FREE OF CHILD LABOR AND PROVIDES RESPONSIBLE WORKING CONDITIONS”

I found the Quote source here.

Source: mail contact; websites Coliro and Finetec