(no subject)

[olivermoss]

Happy holidays to me. I just bought myself my holiday present. I dropped twenty bucks on getting heavy metals completely off of my watercolor palette.

Watercolor companies are all like 'we use local honey, hand grinding and ~pure pigments~' etc. But those pure pigments are often cadmium, nickel, cobalt, etc. It's particularly hard to do light blues without heavy metals. I bought a Daniel Smith Primatek light blue which is heavy metal free, but will also be granulating as hell. I will still have my cobalt pan if I really feel I need it, but at least I am not spreading cobalt around my desk and supplies every time I wet my palette. I also like not rinsing any heavy metals down the drain.

The amount of heavy metal a watercolorist uses in a lifetime is pretty trivial, but I like having it gone. Da Vinci makes an fully coordinated palette with no heavy metals. It's good if you have cats or other fuzzies that might try to drink your paint water. It's not tested a safe, but at least it's not toxic. I want that set. Making a non-toxic, heavy metal free light blue was the biggest challenge of making the palette.

I also bought a few odds and ends. I bought a Rhodia journal that I was going to use as a project tracker, but I also bought an Ooly craft paper journal I've wanted for a while. I think I am going to use the Ooly for project tracking as it's pages are perforated and meant to be torn out.

Then I walked around SE and then home. About 4 miles I think.

Comments

[sperrywink]

That's wonderful! I appreciate your stance on watercolors and heavy metals, and I totally believe in buying holiday presents for yourself, regardless of circumstances. {{{hug}}}

It's funny (in that ironic way), but I made a public Amazon wishlist just so I could send it to my brothers and they would know what kind of things I like. I put on some inexpensive things like nice-smelling soaps and sticky flags that I use for school, both of which I am out of, so really wanted. I also had some programming manuals on there that I was keeping track of for myself. So I emailed it to them and made a point of saying "You can ignore the manuals they are there for my reference."

So I'm all ready to get soap and office supplies, and instead get programming manuals because my brothers care enough to want to spend more than $10 on me. Which is heartwarming, but I really wanted soaps and sticky flags. *g*

So those will be my presents to myself.

[nonniemous]

I didn't realize that about watercolors, but it seems obvious now that you bring it up, since I know that oil paints have heavy metals.

Cool journals and paper, and Merry Christmas to you!

[olivermoss]

Oil paints and watercolors often use the same pigments in different bases. I associate things like Cadmium Red with Boss Ross's soothing voice and didn't think of it at first.

Thanks! And Merry Christmas to you!

[olivermoss]

A lot of watercolorists make an except for Cobalt Teal, but I decided that it does not spark joy and should go. I want my palette to be heavy metal free and top lightfastness ratings only. Even if that means granulation like woah.

Ah, they got you cool stuff you wanted even if it was the other cool stuff you wanted.

[sperrywink]

That is so cool of you. I never even thought about the different paint qualities. And I checked out the websites for Ooly and Rhodia, and those are excellent office supplies. I particularly loved the fun sticky flags from Ooly. Right up my alley. Those might be the ones I buy for myself.

Oh, definitely! I just was amused at my idea of "subtlety."

But I do appreciate my brothers thinking of me and using the wishlist. They didn't have to, obviously, and didn't even have to get me gifts, to be honest. Money is tight for various family members, so I appreciate every gesture.

[olivermoss]

Yeah, watercolor companies push this natural vibe. All local honey and recipes from the 1800s. Yeah, you are taking the wildflower honey and putting cadmium in it, tho. Pure and natural ... toxins....

This is the palette I want at a point. Da Vinci just expanded the line. My 3-brand franken-palette has good stuff on it so I can't complain. I need to use up a good amount of my current paint before buying more, but when I do I'll likely go with that palette.

I use a Rhodia square notebook for my daily planner. I love it. This is my first Ooly product, but their sketchbooks are very popular with artists I follow on the youtubes.

[st_aurafina]

Ooh, I sense that new journal smell! (It's so good! Everything is so crisp!!)

[olivermoss]

I am so happy to finally have the Ooly. I feel like it should belong to someone way cooler than me :)

[sperrywink]

That is a fascinating video of the palette. I liked how she combined the background to her using the palette for a related artwork.

The sketchbook you picked is a good one. And I love journals, so any good one is right up my alley. The Rhodia ones look like they would be perfect if they had a pocket in the back.