Why I use Water Soluble Oils (text and images)

I just completed a new post on my website including lots of images, which you can access here:
http://www.artforthesoulofit.com/2011/02/03/why-i-use-water-soluble-oils

But the text part I'll add here as I love reading about supplies other painters use, and figure I'd share my process of the moment.

One of my goals as an artist is to be a SOLVENT-FREE (watersoluble oils), TOXIC-FREE(no cadmiums or cobalts) and CRUELTY-FREE (synthetic brushes) oil painter.
So far that translates to:

PAINTS
no solvents needed
water-soluble oils
i use royal talens cobra and grumbacher max i love,
also have some artisan (ok) and holbein (expensive, and oily stiff)

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COLORS I USE

this changes frequently, but for now i'm experimenting with
RED - warm -Napthol Red (Grumbacher) - to replace cadmium red
RED - cool - Thalo Red Rose (Grumbacher), or Aliz Crimson, or Permanent Rose

YELLOW - cool - Primary Yellow Light (Cobra) - to replace cadmium yellow
YELLOW - warm - I'm thinking about adding Indian Yellow (Cobra)

BLUE - warm - Ultramarine (Holbein is what i have on hand)
BLUE - cool - Phthalo Blue red shade which is still Greenish (Cobra) * potent

GREEN - just love Sap Green - i prefer mixing my ORANGE and PURPLE for now, keeping it simple.

EARTH - raw umber, sometimes others

BLACK - I have Spinel Black (Holbein), I really love black, so shoot me! : )
WHITE - Titanium

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ORGANIZING MY PAINTS
On the palette, i use the same layout each time.
Though I don't always lay out every color i use, just the 3-4 I pick for a particular painting.
i'm somewhat of an organization freak, so here's what i do with my oils:
Buy votive candle holders, i love the square ones - heavy and thick, from the Dollar Store.
Place all my paint tubes by color in their own container.
Talk about easy to reach over and grab my paint! place a dab of oil paint on top of each cap for easy identification.
No more hunting through drawers or shoeboxes for the paint i want!

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MEDIUMS
(haven't found a watersoluble medium i like too much so far)
m graham walnut alkyd medium
dorland's wax medium

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Text first, and pictures below. - synthetic therefore no innocent animal was hurt, or worse, to make them
DaVinci Top Acryl Brushes, LOVE them! Nice and stiff.
TriedRobert Simmons Titanium, and though a nice brush, not stiff enough for my style of painting, recommended by quite a few WS Oil painters.

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PALETTE
glass
have a gray scale i painted on canvas paper that is under my glass for handy reference
tried the Masterson palettes but i got tired of wrestling with the lids AND like to see my paints underneath the lid.
use a sheet pan for baking with a great lid. Perfection!

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CLEANING PALETTE
all i do is scrape off the old dried paint, give a quick spray of alcohol and wipe it clean.

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CLEAN UP
Rinse with water and wipe with paper towel throughout painting
Take to sink and rinse, rub brush on sponge love Masters Brush Cleaner.
I can take a brush that looks clean, give it a swirl in this magical stuff, and whoosh, pigment comes out of it. Nice conditioning too.

Wow thank you! Some really great tips!

Hi!!!

Love your post!!!!!!!!!

I have many palettes, a few glass ones are among them, I definitely want to try your gray scale under the palette idea!!! Great idea!!

I'd love to share what I use but it isn't really relevant at the moment as I have just moved into a new bedroom/studio and am setting up, as well as changing how I'll work with everything entirely as switching to oils, or w/s oils, (trying to decide). So thanks for the great tips on your way of working with oils!!