Liquitex will launch a new range of Cadmium-Free colors in 2017, giving artists a wider range of choice when selecting safe art materials. Since their foundation in 1955 Liquitex have partnered with artists to ensure that they continually evolve and innovate. As there is no universal view on the potential harm of cadmium pigments, Liquitex has chosen to acknowledge this and offer both alternatives side by side so that artists can make a choice based on their personal preference. ColArt is proud to be the first in the market to introduce a parity performance Cadmium-Free alternative for health and safety conscious artists. As a company they are committed to developing safe and sustainable alternatives without compromising on the performance of the paint.
The new Cadmium-Free range carries an AP (Approved Product) Seal from the The Art and Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI). The ACMI is an international association of about 200 art, craft, and creative material manufacturers which seeks to promote safety in art and creative products through its certification program. ColArt is a member of ACMI. ACMI-certified product seals (AP Approved Product and CL Cautionary Labeling) indicate that these products have been evaluated by a qualified toxicologist and are labeled in accordance with federal and state laws. The AP Seal identifies art materials that are safe and that are certified in a toxicological evaluation by a medical expert to contain no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic or injurious to humans, including children, or to cause acute or chronic health problems.
The development of the new Cadmium-Free colors was the work of several ColArt chemists over a three year period, evaluating a huge range of pigments available internationally to discover the very best in terms of performance and match to existing Liquitex cadmium colors. The ColArt Innovation & Development laboratory applied several tests to demonstrate that the Cadmium-Free range is technically on par with the equivalent cadmium colors, for example:
- Lightfastness to assess longevity
- Color mass tone for brightness and overall match
- Color reduction 10:1 with Titanium White to compare color strength and shade when mixed
- Viscosity and rheology for handling properties
- Specific gravity to test weight
- Opacity check over black and white test card to assess coverage
Prior to the launch the range was rigorously tested not just in the ColArt Innovation & Development laboratory but also with the end user: artists. Liquitex identified regular users of acrylic paint and in particular cadmium colors for a series of tests. Each artist was given two identical sets of color, one set containing genuine cadmium paint and the other containing Cadmium-Free. The testing was conducted blind, without the artists’ knowledge of the difference between each set. They were allowed one month to work with and compare both sets. They were given a journal to keep during the assessment plus too a thorough a questionnaire at the end. None identified the fact that one set was Cadmium-Free.
Liquitex wants artists to experience first-hand that this is a true parity performance replacement for cadmium colors. Therefore the brand plans to invest in a robust communications campaign which will include digital advertising and a global social media campaign. The brand will also organize a number of demonstrations in-store as well as in the educational sector to make sure as many artists as possible get the opportunity to see the new range first-hand. Alongside this, Liquitex will provide informative point of sale materials for stores.
The 59ml range consists of 7 colors: Cadmium-Free Red Light, Red Medium, Red Deep, Orange, Yellow Light, Yellow Medium, Yellow Deep and will be available in stores July 2017. The 138ml range consists of 4 colors: Cadmium-Free Red Medium, Orange, Yellow Light, Yellow Medium and will be available in stores August 2017. The range of Hues will be discontinued and the Cadmium-Free SKUs will take the place of the Hues in the Heavy Body color range.
