PRODUCT INFORMATION SHEET

matting agent

Product Description

Natural drying oil used as a traditional binder for grinding oil colours. Has increased wetting power and imparts flexibility to paint films.

Product Code: 001

Constituents: Linseed Oil. Extracted from Flax seed (Linum Usitatissimum) using cold pressing method.

Product Application

Made by crushing the flax seed under great pressure, it is considered to be the purest and most desirable form of linseed oil for making oil paints. Low yield of oil from the seed using this extraction method. Linseed oil is the most widely used oil because when dry it forms the toughest, most resilient paint films. Linseed, like all artists’ drying oils, harden by absorbing oxygen. As it oxidises, it also polymerizes at a molecular level being changed into a non-reversable film.

Cold Pressed Linseed Oil has greater wetting power than refined linseed oils and is often recommended for hand milling of oil paints for this reason*. In theory, a higher level of pigment can be mixed with cold pressed linseed oil than other oils although factors such as the limited amount of pressure applied in the hand milling process should be taken into consideration. The pressure applied using commercial triple-roll machine mills allows for far greater amounts of pigment to be introduced by an oil paint manufacturer if they so desire.

Used even in small quantities, adds a loose, slippery quality when added to oil colours. The paint film will stay open and is easily moved or reworked for up to 24 hours. Cold Pressed Linseed Oil when used to mill oil colours or even when mixed with prepared oil colours removes the pronounced stroke to the brushmark, so that strokes of different directions and application do not show a marked ‘suede’ effect as often seen with Refined Linseed Oils.

Cold pressed linseed oils create a flexible paint film longer than any other artists’ drying oil. A disadvantage of oils in comparison to acrylic emulsions is that oils embrittle with age. A second disadvantage of oils is that they yellow or darken with time, some more dramatically than others. For this reason it is recommended that the use of linseed oil, whether cold pressed or refined, should be kept to a minimum as a medium to aid fluidity or transparency. If multiple layers of linseed oil are introduced, in the mediums added to oil colours, so the effects of future yellowing will be exaggerated.

Dries to a gloss finish.

ADDITIONAL PRODUCT INFORMATION

Apparent darkening of oil paintings kept in dark storage.

When a painting has been stored for a period of time in darkness the artwork will darken. This can be reversed by re-exposure to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight will not reverse the long term effects of oil paint films darkening. Any reversal of darkening will occur within 48 hours of light exposure. Do not over expose artwork to excessive light for long periods of time, The pigments used in the oil paints, especially non-lightfast colours may fade.

WORKING PROPERTIES

Thinning
For best results thin with Distilled Gum Turpentine. However, Artists White Spirit or Langridge Low Toxic Solvent may be substituted. The use of the latter solvents will tend to reduce the fatness of stroke and the oil film will dry with less richness due to the partial destruction of the paint film.

Appearance
Langridge Cold Pressed Linseed Oil is a golden colour liquid with characteristic linseed odour.
The colour of the oil will slightly effect the oil colours with which it is mixed.

Clean Up
Clean brushes with any artists’ solvent (eg Gum Turpentine, Low Toxic Solvent, etc.). For further washing apply a small quantity of Marseille or other pure olive oil soap and massage the bristles of the brush to release any remaining colour. Wash thoroughly in warm water. Leave to fully dry before using for oil colours.

Drying Times
12-24 hours to touch dry.
Full film drying 3-6 months

Available in:
100ml (0011), 500ml (0015), Litre (001L), 4 Litre (0014), 20 Litre (0012)