PRODUCT INFORMATION SHEET

MATTE MEDIUM

Product Description

Matte free-flowing medium added to oil and alkyd paints to improve paint handling and promote the brushing out of colours.

Product Code: 005

Constituents: Stand Oil (40 Poise), Distilled Gum Turpentine, Alkali Refined Linseed Oil, Matting Silica, Cobalt Drier.

Product Application

Langridge Matte Medium can be added to oil colours to aid flow whilst reducing the reflective finish. It operates identically to Langridge Underpainting Medium

Matting silica is a physical material and when the medium is left to stand for a period of time, will settle out. Ensure full dispersion of the matting agent throughout the medium prior to application by gently shaking the bottle.

After 20-30 minutes of applying Langridge Matte Medium the surface will set-up to a tack that grabs any succeeding brush strokes. The wet, but tacky, paint surface can be readily painted into, even quiteaggresively, without moving or disturbing the areas of fresh paint underneath. This allows for a wet-in-wet technique with very controlled manipulation of paint including soft blending. 
The Stand Oil base ensures pale colours stay bright whilst deep tones are enriched.

Stand oil used in Matte Medium has pronounced levelling qualities. If more than 50% is added, the resulting paint film will exhibit little or no physically raised brushmarks.

Langridge Matte Medium has a medium Stand Oil content. It should not to be used for underpainting if oil colours with no additional medium are to be applied on top.

Dries to a matte finish.

ADDITIONAL PRODUCT INFORMATION

Matte surfaces and tonal depth

Matting agents will naturally raise the tonal value of colours with which it is mixed. This is especially evident with dark colours.

Matte surfaces and optical depth

Matte surfaces reduce the optical depth of the picture space. Surfaces with higher reflective surfaces appear to recede more than matte surfaces.

Adhesion problems

When very fluid glazes are applied on top of a layer of glossy paint in which there is a high proportion of Langridge Matte Medium there may be issues regarding adhesion. The application of a very thin layer of Retouch Varnish to the touch dry paint surface will help with the adhesion of succeeding paint layers.

To even out the final reflective quality of the painting

Due to differences in the gloss or matteness of individual paints a finished picture generally has a range of reflective finishes within it. If these are very pronounced, a picture varnish cannot even these differences out. 
Take 1 part Painting Medium and mix with 2 parts Artists White Spirit and apply as a very thin layer with a varnish brush. Leave for 4 days till fully touch dry. 
This process is not providing a removable artists’ varnish, so the application of Retouch Varnish is still recommended. After 3-6 months a final picture varnish of the desired matte or gloss quality can be applied.

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 Matte Medium is a pale amber colour liquid with characteristic Gum Turpentine odour. If left to stand, the matting agent will settle out.
Very fresh medium may exhibit a green cast. The colour of the medium will not 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
24-48 hours to touch dry.
Full film drying 3-6 months

Available in:
100ml (0051), 500ml (0055), Litre (005L), 4 Litre (0054)