The ARTIST'S BOTTLE is a chemically resistant, semi-translucent, 8 fluid ounce (236.5 ml) capacity bottle with a flip-top lid and a screw-on cap closure. The Artist's Bottle can hold and apply mediums commonly used for painting. To apply mediums, slightly squeeze the bottle or let the medium drip out on its own. The Artist's Bottle is specially manufactured to be highly resistant to oil painting chemicals such as turpentine, linseed oil, and mineral spirts - all of which will permeate through and degrade regular plastic. Click here for a photo comparison of a regular plastic bottle vs. the Artist's Bottle.

The Artist's Bottle:

1. Saves time through less mess and less brush cleanings;
2. Saves money: If before you had throw away even just half an ounce of leftover medium after each painting session, what you save in 10-15 sessions will pay for the cost of the bottle; AND
3. Is better for you and the environment: The flip-top lid reduces fumes. If the lid is open and the bottle is knocked over, only a few drops are spilled.
4. Lets you pre-mix your medium at home and bring less cans of chemicals into the field.

1. Better than regular plastic: The chemicals above permeate through regular plastic (the outside may become "greasy" to the touch). This causes the plastic to degrade (e.g. bottle and cap become foggy and brittle, warp, and/or crack). Here's a picture comparison. This link provides more information on solvents.
2. Better than glass: Glass shatters easily;
3. Better than metal cans/jars: The semi-translucent Artist Bottle allows precision measurements when mixing your medium. The metal cans also do not provide closures and are prone to spilling when used.

The old way (before the Artist's Bottle): An oil painter put paint medium into an open metal can (the reservoir). The painter would dip the brush into the medium and then on the palette mix the paint with the brush. If the painter did not add enough medium, (s)he'd have to clean the brush to dip it into the reservoir to avoid discoloring the medium ( e.g. the smallest amount of blue paint in the reservoir will make yellow paint turn green if the medium is added).

Disadvantages of the old way: Each brush cleaning costs time, money, uses more turpentine, and generated more dirty rags. Precious expensive paint is lost on the brush or palette knife during each cleaning. With the open metal can, the leftover medium is thrown out at the end of a painting session. The open can facilitates maximum evaporative loss of the medium and maximizes the inhaling of harmful fumes.

The new way: With the Artist's Bottle, you drip the medium directly from the bottle onto the paint. Added too little medium? no problem, just pour a few drops more and there is no need to clean the brush. The medium reservoir remains clean.

1. Premix your medium in the Artist's Bottle later use. Use a soft felt marker to mark the outside of the bottle with "fill up to here" points so you can get the correct medium component ratios every time (see figure). To remove the markings use a soft cloth and lightly rub with alcohol, mineral spirits or, for stubborn marks, acetone.
2. To make sure your medium components are well mixed, close the flip-top lid and shake!
3. Use the flip-top lid to drip (only gently and slighty squeeze the bottle) small amounts of medium onto the paint on your palette (see figure).
4. If there is unused medium left over, close the flip-top lid and save it for later. For long term storage, replace the flip-top lid with the regular screw on cap and clean the flip-top lid nozzle of residual medium.

We want you to be an educated customer so here's a few things you should know about the Artist's Bottle (we hope they are common sense):

1. It is not for use in extreme temperatures such as near or in open flames, or for freezing liquids.
2. It is impact and shatter resistant compared to glass, but not impact and shatter proof (i.e. anything, if hit with a high enough force, will break - so use care!)
3. It is not for containing things which are to be eaten (after all you are storing things like oil mediums in it).
4. It is resistant to common art painting chemicals such as turpentine and turpentine like chemicals, mineral spirits (aka white spirits, Stoddard Solvent) and linseed oil. It may not be resistant to other chemicals.
5. Always consider the contents and the dangers of the chemicals stored in the bottle. Observe proper care instructions for the chemicals stored in the bottle.
6. It is not for use by children under 13. Children should use only under adult supervision.

Please read the instructions, product care and precautions paper enclosed with your order. If you lose it, use the contact link above to request a new one by e-mail.

What's so bad about chemicals like turpentine and mineral spirits? Turpentine and minerals spirits are strong solvents. They are highly flammable, and volatile. Some effects through skin contact or inhalation include irritation and/or burning of the skin, eyes, and/or lungs; damage to the respiratory and/or nervous systems, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea. They are toxic to the user and to the environment.

What happens when chemical like turpentine and/or mineral spirits come in contact with regular plastic? Solvents like turpentine and mineral spirits chemically attack plastic: This can cause the plastic to dissolve, weaken, discolor, or allow the solvent to permeate through the container (thus the bottle may feel greasy and over time you'll lose the solvent you are trying to store). The plastic also may become brittle and crack.

The Artist's Bottle is plastic - won't solvents like turpentine and mineral spirits affect it too? A regular plastic bottle kept at 50° C (122 ° F) for 28 days might lose 4-10 weight percent of its contents through the walls of the bottle. The Artist's Bottle will lose less than 0.1%.