Oil Painting Materials and Auxiliaries
Oils and Solvents
Drying oils act as agglomerating binders for artists' oil paint and provide body to the brushstroke as the colours are spread out. Selection of the appropriate oil can alter the working quality of the paint. Performance differences include paste consistency, texture, effect on paint shades, desired drying time and mechanical strength of the paint film.
Oils dry by absorbing oxygen, turning into a solid, non-reversible film. Full film drying takes up to six months.
Solvents dissolve and mix with oils and resins to reduce the viscosity of paints and varnish. They are also used for the removal of oils, paint and varnishes. Solvents for artists materials must not react chemically with the materials with which they are mixed, must not have a destructive action on the underpainting and should evaporate completely, leaving no residue.
Cold Pressed Linseed Oil
Pale golden oil used as a traditional binder for grinding oil colours. When used the paint produces a pronounced ‘suede' brushmark. Cold Pressed Linseed Oil has increased wetting power and imparts flexibility to paint films. Use sparingly as a medium as linseed has a tendency to yellow with age.
related recipe Alkalai Refined Linseed Oil
Highest quality Dutch linseed oil used as a medium for oil colours. Increases gloss and transparency.
Adds a soft, ‘slippery' quality when added to oil paints.
Use sparingly as a medium as linseed has a tendency to yellow with age.
related recipe Stand Oil
Non-yellowing oil for use in all oil mediums. Thick and honey-like oil, it will give enamel-like qualities to paint.
Too thick to use straight, it should be diluted with solvent.
Slow drying to allow al la prima painting.
Reduces brush marks. Dries to a tough flexible film.
Distilled Gum Turpentine
Natural diluent and solvent for oil colours and varnishes.
Distilled from the resin of tapped Gum Thus Pine.
Greater wetting power than other solvents.
Has a pleasant pine odour.
Odourless Solvent
A safer alternative to traditional solvents with less toxicity. Completely odourless.
Ideal turpentine replacement for artists concerned about exposure to harmful solvents.
Artists White Spirit
Economical all purpose solvent. Ideal for cleaning brushes as it has a strong detergent action.
If used heavily it will matt oil paint. Has a distinctive petroleum smell.
Methylated Spirits (100%)
Used as a solvent for Shellac and other alcohol soluble resins. 100% grade has no water content thus reduces blooming in films. Also loosens dried oil and acrylic films.
Primers
Primers are coats applied to the support to provide a desirable surface on which to paint. Most grounds are white to offer the brightest reflecting surface for light to act upon. Acrylic primers can be painted directly onto raw canvas. Do not apply over glue sizing. Oil primers need to have a coat of glue size applied first to protect the raw canvas underneath.
Acrylic Primer
A superior high resin, low chalk content primer with excellent hiding power due to high Titanium White loading. Suitable for oils and acrylics. Can be applied to a wide range of surfaces including raw canvas, wood and paper.
No prior sizing needed.
Oil Primer
A traditional linseed oil based oil primer. Produces a high quality white surface with good tooth and flexibility for oil painting. Reduces sinking in of colours and imparts good luminosity.
Must be used on a pre-sized support (ie. rabbit skin glue or archival PVA on canvas or panel).
Oil Painting Mediums and Varnishes
Oil mediums are used for changing the consistency of the paint, rendering it more convenient for brushing or applying, or more suitable for the artists' particular technique, which may require paint that is thicker or thinner, faster or slower drying, more transparent or opaque.
Glazes are added to paint to create thin, but permanent, veils of paint. The resin content creates optical depth similar to a colour varnish.A varnish is used to protect the finished artwork. Picture varnishes perform the following functions:
. Be fully removable without disturbing the the oil paint film underneath.
. Be resistant to moisture and general pollutants.
. Create a complete film of even reflective quality.
It is the varnishes' function to prevent dirt reaching the paint surface. It is much easier to remove a dirty varnish and replace that than to remove dirt from the oil painting itself, potentially damaging the paint-film.
Underpainting Medium
Lean medium to be used for the ‘first-sketch' in painting.
Low oil content for rapid drying, minimising chances of cracking when overpainting with full strength colours. Stand Oil base ensures non-yellowing of artwork.
(Stand Oil, Linseed Oil, Gum Turpentine, Cobalt Driers)
Painting Medium
Free-flowing medium for oils that improves paint handling. Quickly dries to a tack but remains fresh so that it may still be painted into. Perfect for wet on wet technique.
Stand Oil base ensures non-yellowing of artwork.
Pale colours stay bright while deep tones are enriched.
(Stand Oil, Linseed Oil, Gum Turpentine, Cobalt Driers)
Glaze Medium
A resin rich oil medium that gives oil colours increased translucency. Perfect for the creation of optical depth and soft suffusions of colour.
Used for traditional thin glazes and fine detail work.
Stand Oil base ensures non-yellowing.
(Stand Oil, Damar Resin, Gum Turpentine, Cobalt Driers)
Wax Painting Paste
Wax medium with a thick, smooth, buttery consistency.
Highly stable impasto medium that keeps colours bright. The correct medium for use in thick impasto painting.
(Stand Oil, Refined Beeswax, Gum Turpentine, Damar Resin, Cobalt Driers)
Oil Glazing Gel
A fast drying medium that gives a lasting brilliance to oils.
Soft gel consistency designed for more robust glazing and as such is not designed as an impasto medium. Extends colours whilst holding brush marks.
(Linseed Oil, Odourless Solvent, Silica, Driers)
Cobalt Driers
Siccative made with cobalt naphthenate. Acts as a drier for all oil colours and mediums. To be used sparingly as its overuse will destroy paint films.
Safe-gel
A solvent free, non-toxic solvent free, thick gel medium.
Extends Oil colours while maintaining structure and soft buttery consistency. Slow drying.
Safe Clean-up
A solvent free, non-toxic hand and brush cleaner.
Safely removes Oil and Acrylic paint.
By placing brushes in Safe-Clean-up overnight it will even remove dried paint.
Retouch Varnish
Temporary varnish for paintings six months or younger. Revives dull areas caused by sinking in of paint. Helps adhesion of subsequent paint layers.
Dries to a satin finish. Remove with Gum Turpentine.
(Damar Resin, Gum Turpentine)
Damar Varnish
Used both as a final varnish and as a constituent of artists' oil and egg tempera mediums. Dries hard and clear. Highest quality resin clarified before filtration.
Dries to a satin-gloss finish. Remove with Gum Turpentine.
(Damar Resin, Gum Turpentine)
Picture Varnish
Final varnish for the protection of oil and acrylic paintings.
Unifies painting with an even optical reflection.
Highest quality resin clarified before filtration.
Dries to a gloss finish. Remove with Gum Turpentine.
(Damar Resin, Stand Oil, Gum Turpentine)
Wax Varnish
For oil and acrylic painting.
Apply with a clean cloth and polish to desired finish.
Dries naturally to a matt reflection but may be buffed to a satin finish if required.
Remove with Gum Turpentine.
(Refined Beeswax, Gum Turpentine)