Hints, Tips & Techniques for Oil - Solvents
Find out here about how to use artists’ solvents and how to avoid overthinning.
Thinners are used to dilute the colour and clean brushes and palettes after painting. The same solvents can be used with all types of oil colour, with one exception. Water mixable oils are intended for use with water to avoid the need for traditional solvents.
Distilled Turpentine is the traditional solvent, with a characteristic smell. It maintains the oiliness of the colour in use. Artists' White spirit and Sansodor are petroleum distillates. The first petroleum distillates were thought only to be good enough to clean brushes. This is no longer true of solvents supplied as artists’ quality.
Artists' White spirit makes a watery mixture with the colour and evaporates more quickly. Sansodor performs like Distilled Turpentine but has a low odour and is the least hazardous of the solvents. All solvents should be used in a well ventilated room.
Using artists’ solvents
Make sure you use artists’ quality solvents. Solvents sold in hardware stores are not expected to be used in fine art and yellowing or non - drying can result.
Avoiding overthinning
Solvents thin the oil colour by diluting the linseed oil. If too much is used, there will be insufficient oil remaining to bind the pigment. A matt or uneven finish will appear on the painting and the work will be susceptible to scuffing and damage. Overthinning is avoided by the use of mediums in addition to solvents.
Artists' White spirit makes a watery mixture with the colour and evaporates more quickly. Sansodor performs like turpentine but has a low odour and is the least hazardous of the solvents. All solvents should be used in a well ventilated room.
Artists Picture Cleaner
Artists' Picture Cleaner is a non-acid emulsion of natural resins and essential oils designed for the cleaning of varnished oil paintings. It is perfectly safe and harmless if used according to the directions and is an excellent product for its limited purpose.
A picture which needs to have the old varnish removed should be entrusted to a competent picture restorer. Artists' Picture Cleaner will remove surface dirt and the products of oxidation in the old varnish. It effects a wonderful improvement in most cases, but it must be clearly understood that it acts only as a cleaner. Any attempt to remove the old varnish by copious application of the cleaner and by hard rubbing will damage the painting and we cannot accept any responsibility for this outcome.
Unvarnished oil paintings may also be treated with the cleaner but great care is necessary and the process should be stopped immediately if the colour of the painting is removed. Heavily varnished tempera paintings may also be cleaned but you should never use it to clean an unvarnished tempera painting. Artists' Picture Cleaner is also unsuitable for water colour paintings.
Artists' Picture Cleaner is a highly recommended product. Users have said that it does amazingly well if you have an oil painting which is dirty but otherwise in good condition. It allows you to improve paintings simply and inexpensively, however, if you are in any doubt about the condition of the painting or if the varnish is cracked, let the necessary work be done by an expert.
Directions for Use
- Remove the oil painting from its frame and lay it flat on a table.
- Shake the bottle of Artists' Picture Cleaner vigorously to mix the contents thoroughly. The emulsion must be uniformly white and creamy before it can be used. Shake the bottle every time you want to apply cleaner to your pad of cotton wool.
- Moisten a wad of cotton wool with the cleaning emulsion.
- Apply to the surface of the painting by means of a gentle, circular motion. Never allow liquid to remain on one part of the surface. Keep the cleaner evenly distributed over the whole area.
- Take a fresh wad of cotton-wool as soon as the old piece becomes dirty. Repeat the process as long as necessary to achieve the desired result. Remember that some time will be required for the essential oils to penetrate the hardened varnish, and that the exercise of patience will be well rewarded. Never rub hard and be sparing with the amount of cleaner used.
- Stop the cleaning immediately if colour is observed on the cotton wool.
- When no more dirt is brought off on the cotton wool, the painting should be wiped over with fresh cotton wool moistened with Distilled Turpentine. Do this a second time with fresh cotton wool and turpentine.
- The surface will now be slightly tacky. Put the picture aside in a warm dust-free atmosphere until the surface has re-hardened. This may take a few hours.
- If considered desirable the picture can be re-varnished with the Winsor & Newton range of varnishes depending on the effect required.