Oil Painting Mediums: Taking the psychic guesswork out of mixing the perfect linseed oil medium
I think this blog title just got me that “Dark and Stormy Night Award”…
Storm Over Antigua, W.I., oil on canvas
Joking aside, oil painting mediums are used to thin oil paint, make blending oil paint easier, make them more spreadable on the canvas, slow or speed up the drying time, create a nice liquid like consistency for painting your signature, glaze a canvas and more. “Medium” is really just the vehicle that holds the color or pigment.
Here’s my favorite recipe for mixing a linseed oil medium that will meet your most basic needs with a couple variations: Mix together in a glass jar and keep sealed with an air tight lid when not in use.
Basic traditional formula: 1 part linseed oil to 1 part turpenine.
To dry faster: 1 part linseed to 2 parts turpentine. (Tip: Use in high humidity situations).
To dry slower: 2 parts linseed oil to 1 part turpentine. (Tip: Use in extremely dry climate).
Substitutions:
If you don’t like the smell of turpentine –an extract from an oily, exotic hardwood tree and extremely traditional in the oil painting medium formula, you can use odorless turpenoid or mineral spirits both of which are petroleum distillates. White spirits are not highly recommended since it can degrade the product over time.
Linseed oil medium tends to have a very slight yellowing effect over time. If you do not wish for this to occur use Poppy oil but keep in mind that it is even slower to dry than linseed oil medium. Walnut Oil is a fine substitute but may tinge your whites a bit yellow over time.
Stand oil can be used as a substitute for linseed and it will be slower to mix and slower to dry, too. Consider mixing twice as much turpentine to it and let it sit for 24-48 hours so that the turpentine can dissolve the stand oil properly before using it. Stand oil medium will help your paint dry without cracking, your paint will be stronger but it can take forever to dry. The reward of patience is patience…
Up Next… “My Opinion on Oil Painting Varnishes”
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