The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide

Oh my goodness! So much information about pigments in different mediums (fabric dyes, watercolor, oil paints, etc.). I bought it strictly for watercolor pigment safety information, and found myself avidly reading a lot more than just about watercolor pigments. (But then, I am a bit of a science nerd.)If you're interested in the safety of your pigments, whatever medium you use, I highly recommend this book. You may already know of the problematic nature of the cadmium pigments, but you may find other pigments are also toxic that you might have thought were safe.An excellent companion piece to this book is the handprint dot com site, where you can find a ton of information on the lightfastness of pretty much all the watercolor pigments.I bought this used from ThriftBooks-Chicago. The book was in like-new condition. Score!

Based on my experience of being first an art student, then a professional working artist and an art teacher at university level, I can say with certainty that we are compromising our health and longevity.If artists actually knew more what solvents and chemicals they were using on a daily basis, they would immediately begin to implement safer studio practices.There is no requirement to die young or experience long lasting health consequences for being an artist. We are handling the same materials as scientists yet handling them with lack of care or understanding. Many art schools would be shut down if the standards of science labs were in place.Monona Rossol's book gives in depth understanding of the materials used in artist studios and schools, as well as practical advice and solutions for how to work in a safer environment. We as artists must learn to read MSDS sheets and have an understanding of ventilation and other safety equipment.There's no need to eat the cadmium and inhale too many toxic chemicals!Thank you Monona Rossol!

Artists get into a lot of scary stuff. This explains how to keep oneself safe.Pro.Very simpleExplains how/what to doGoes through every situation possibleGreat as a read, and a quick reference guide.ConsDid not have any in my opinion.

This book really lays down how to understand labels like "Non-Toxic" and "adequate ventilation". It also gives tips for safety in all different artistic endevors (paint, metal, glass, fire, dust, etc.).If you're contemplating creating art or getting into crafting with paint/metal/clay/glues/sealants/etc., this is a handy safety guide.

A good reference guide when applied to a Health and Safety Program.

Bought this book so I could understand the chemical makeup of pigments and determine which were safe to work with and which were not. Great book! Lots of valuable information!

Every artist should know this hard to find info... a terrific book!

Monona Rossol is an expert on this subject and her book serves as a terrific reference for the safety of art materials. This book is a "must have".

I have been laughed at from college onward for wearing overalls, using gloves and following basic health and safety procedures when "real" artists seemed to glory in wearing their paints and having a very cavalier attitude to toxicity of materials. (I have always suspected that the strangeness of many famous painters was attributable to poisoning rather than personality. ) Also, having allergies, I never thought that rashes ,bloodshot eyes and spots did much to enhance my credibility. Having just bought some new fixative that had half the can taken up with health warnings I decided to update myself on information on the safety of art materials and good practice.This is a fascinating book,written clearly and with enough humanity and humour to make it an easy read. Although it is written for the USA and Canadian market - where different and possibly more lax laws apply - there is a lot of useful (and terrifying) information for all amateur and professional artists. It's certainly changed my ideas, as the author wryly points out "illness and death restrict one's creativity." Any creative who cares about the health of themselves and their families will profit from reading this book.

Great!