Oil Painting: How do I paint with oils safely? (linseed oil, thinner...)?

I want to start painting with oils, but it seems dangerous... is there a safer way to do it? I read that linseed oil soaked rags are very combustible.





1) What kind of medium and thinner do you recommend?


2) What do you use mediums for?


3) Do you need both mediums and thinners at once?


4) Are there safe mediums and thinners out there?


5) How do you dispose of the dirty rags and how do you clean the brushes and palette?





Thanks!!!Oil Painting: How do I paint with oils safely? (linseed oil, thinner...)?
Some ingredients are toxic.





Always paint where there is good ventilation.





Do not eat in your painting area. Wash your hands. Do not place your hands on your face, in your mouth or rub your eyes without washing them first.





Odorless mineral spirits is the safest option. Turpentine evaporates quicker and cuts dried paint while mineral spirits just removes wet paint. Use a quality odorless mineral spirit when mixing it with paint or mediums. A lower grade solvent is adequate for cleaning brushes.





Mediums do many things depending on their ingredients. The most common recipe and usage is to alter the way the paint handles when applying it to the surface. Usually it is to make it flow differently or thin it. You can paint without a medium. It is best to wait until you are familiar with oils and are in a position to understand the differences when making adjustments.





A medium almost always contains a solvent (thinner). You can paint without both solvents and mediums but each one serves a different purpose. Mediums can thin, thicken, increase drying time, reduce drying time, increase the flow of the paint, decrease the flow, help to flatten the strokes so the surface is smooth, help retain peaks so the brushstrokes retain all of their expressive character, etc.





Thinners can be pure oil or a solvent. Walnut oil is a safe thinning agent so long as you use it wisely. You can ingest (eat/drink) walnut oil in its clean state. But as soon as you use it with paint, the paint makes the oil toxic of course. Solvents are available without odor but they are toxic.





You can clean brushes with soap and warm water. You just wipe off the bulk with a paper towel then massage the hairs in the soap lather and rinse with warm (not hot) water. You can also use a solvent to clean brushes. You wipe the bulk off, swish the brush in solvent, wipe off the solvent then finish with soap and water or another swish in solvent. The advantage of cleaning with a solvent is that it can be done during the painting process and you do not have to remove the brush for cleaning and drying as is necessary when using water. The combination gets the brush the cleanest. You do not want paint drying in the brush. It will shorten its life and reduce its effectiveness as a brush.





I use paper towels and dispose of them in the trash. The solvent has evaporated although there is some paint residue left. I don't think this is any worse than tossing empty household cleaner bottles or cosmetics and toiletries in the trash.Oil Painting: How do I paint with oils safely? (linseed oil, thinner...)?
Thank you so much for a very thorough answer. It helps a lot!

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