As the owner of an art supplies store, Amy M Lavine is often asked to explain the differences between the various mediums used by oil painters. Her shop, SKETCH, stocks a selection of oil mediums and solvents and she says that customers often don’t realize that mediums can be used to extend paints and get more value out of them, as well as modifying characteristics such as drying time, consistency, and finish.
Linseed oil, Lavine explained, is the binder used in most oil paints and also one of the most common mediums used by artists. Several types of linseed oil are available, including refined linseed oil, which acts as a paint thinner and increases gloss and leveling, and stand oil, which is thicker and increases paint flow and transparency. Aside from linseed oil, other oils that can be used as painting mediums include poppy oil, walnut oil, and safflower oil. Wax mediums can also be used to increase body and achieve impasto effects, and drying agents such as cobalt and Japan driers can be used to speed drying time. A variety of proprietary mediums are also made by different manufacturers.
Solvents, Lavine explained, are frequently added to oil colors in conjunction with oil-based additives. Synthetic turpenoid and mineral spirits can both be mixed with paints, but Lavine cautions that artists should follow the principle of “fat over lean,” because layers with high solvent contents can become brittle and crack if painted over more oily layers underneath.
As Amy M Lavine often remarks to her customers, there are so many options when it comes to oil mediums that artists may sometimes need to experiment with different “recipes” before finding just the right fit.
Linseed oil, Lavine explained, is the binder used in most oil paints and also one of the most common mediums used by artists. Several types of linseed oil are available, including refined linseed oil, which acts as a paint thinner and increases gloss and leveling, and stand oil, which is thicker and increases paint flow and transparency. Aside from linseed oil, other oils that can be used as painting mediums include poppy oil, walnut oil, and safflower oil. Wax mediums can also be used to increase body and achieve impasto effects, and drying agents such as cobalt and Japan driers can be used to speed drying time. A variety of proprietary mediums are also made by different manufacturers.
Solvents, Lavine explained, are frequently added to oil colors in conjunction with oil-based additives. Synthetic turpenoid and mineral spirits can both be mixed with paints, but Lavine cautions that artists should follow the principle of “fat over lean,” because layers with high solvent contents can become brittle and crack if painted over more oily layers underneath.
As Amy M Lavine often remarks to her customers, there are so many options when it comes to oil mediums that artists may sometimes need to experiment with different “recipes” before finding just the right fit.