Article: Explore more possibilities with Oil Mediums

Stuck in a rut with oil mediums? Try something different......

Painting in oils remains the most challenging but at the same time, the most rewarding of media.  It is, however, all too easy to get stuck in a rut, sticking to what has worked before and avoiding experimenting in case it doesn't come off. This month Emma Pearce, former technical expert for Winsor & Newton, looks at conventional oils and mediums and their best use, to give you some ideas to mull over and a little extra confidence to try something different.

Oils
Oils are the base ingredient (binder) of oil colour; different types of oil can be used as mediums and different methods of processing the oils give varying characteristics when mixed with the colour. Winsor & Newton provide Linseed oil processed in six different ways and one Poppy oil product. They can be used on their own but are usually combined with solvents by the artist. They can be intermixed to combine characteristics.

	Cold Pressed Linseed Oil Cold Pressed Linseed Oil comes directly from the seed being squeezed without heat or chemicals. This is the best oil for grinding your own colour because its high acid value helps to wet out difficult colours. Some artists prefer to use it as it is the nearest oil to that used in the tube colour. It improves flow due to  good wetting - try it when  you want to blend more or spread the colour further across the canvas.
	Refined Linseed Oil Refined Linseed Oil is the most commonly used oil by artists. It is drawn from the seed by alkali refining. It is paler than cold pressed oil which many artists prefer, and is perfect for reducing the consistency of paint. It is the most economical oil as it can be bought in larger sizesIt is the slowest drying oil (except Stand), so if this is a challenge,  try Bleached Linseed Oil instead.
	Linseed Stand Oil Linseed Stand Oil is the most technically perfect of all linseed oils, a real jewel. It is beautifully pale in the bottle and stays that way. If a pale palette is being used or to avoid your painting yellowing, this is the one for you. Stand oil is made by heating the oil in the absence of oxygen, making it thick but slow drying.  It is the most elastic of all oils making it the ideal medium as it counteracts the tendency of oils to embrittle.It also levels more than the other oils, good for situations when brushmarks are not wanted. I  Its down side might be perceived as its slow drying time; if this is the case try Thickened Linseed Oil.
	Thickened Linseed Oil Thickened Linseed Oil is made by heating the oil with oxygen which causes it to thicken and speed drying. It is darker than Stand Oil but increases the durability of your painting. Use it when Stand Oil is too slow drying. It is also excellent for ‘oiling out'. If there are any dull patches across the canvas, mix Thickened Linseed Oil with 50% Artists' White Spirit and rub it sparingly over the sunken area(s). Wipe off any excess and allow to dry. Repeat if necessary until the painting has an even sheen across the whole surface.
	Drying Linseed Oil This is the fastest drying oil. This is for those artists who prefer the consistency which oil gives but want it to dry as quickly as possible.  It is darker than Refined Linseed Oil and is made by combining driers with the oil. This is a much safer way to speed the drying time of the colours than by using driers yourself, e.g. cobalt driers.
	Drying Poppy Oil Poppy oil is a naturally pale oil which is great for using with the palest colours but it is very slow drying. Our Drying Poppy Oil has had traditional driers combined with the oil to bring the drying time up to an acceptable level. The tried and tested formulation avoids any stability problems that may be caused by adding driers yourself. It is more fluid than Stand Oil and if your palette is very pale and you want faster drying then this is an ideal oil. Drying Poppy Oil is paler than Bleached Linseed Oil.

Mediums

Mediums are a mixture of binder and solvent, giving a more fluid additive which is quicker to use than oil and solvent separately. There are oil and alkyd mediums. Winsor & Newton provide one oil based medium and five alkyd based products. They can be used on their own but would also usually be used in conjunction with solvents by the artist. They can be intermixed to combine characteristics.

Artists' Painting Medium Artists' Painting Medium is made from a combination of a thinner linseed stand oil  and Sansodor. As it is based on stand oil it is technically the ideal medium. To start with this one and adapt as and when needed, would be good advice. It remains pale, elastic and reduces the risk of wrinkling compared to higher percentages of oil in the paint film. It is slow drying. It can be used for oiling out (see Thickened Linseed Oil) if a ready mixed medium is wanted but it will be slower drying.

Liquin Original 

Liquin is the most popular medium used worldwide and this is primarily down to the fact that it speeds the drying time of oil paint. Drying time is reduced to 1 - 6 days as opposed to 2 - 12 days for colour straight from the tube. Liquin has a much wetter feel under the brush than oil or oil mediums. It is resistant to yellowing which gives it advantages over oils (except for stand oil). As it is fast drying it is not suitable for use over layers which have employed oil mediums as this will break the ‘fast drying under slow drying' rule.

Liquin Fine Detail

With the popularity of Liquin Original, additional Liquin products have been created for specific uses. Liquin Fine Detail is a more fluid medium and has a higher gloss. These characteristics are useful for glazing, the colour spreads more easily, in a thinner layer and the increase in gloss gives greater colour depth to the surface of the painting. It also speeds drying by 50%. Liquin Fine Detail levels beautifully and will not leave brushmarks. It is less opaque than Liquin Original.

Liquin Light Gel

Liquin Light Gel is on the other side of Liquin Original. A soft gel on the palette which breaks down and flows when mixed with colour, it provides a ‘non-drip' effect , giving a little more control if Liquin Original or oil mediums have been perceived as a little too fluid. It also speeds drying by 50%. Liquin Light Gel is less opaque than Liquin Original.

Liquin Oleopasto

Liquin Oleopasto was the original impasto medium, introduced in the 1960's. It is safer to use than wax to thicken colour because it is not resoluble once dry and it  is great for extending colour. It firms up the texture of tube colour and allows you to paint thickly with less risk of cracking as the colours dry quicker and are more flexible. If you like the feel of Oleopasto but want more flow, reduce it with Sansodor. It speeds the drying of colour by 50%.

Liquin Impasto

Liquin Impasto is an alternative to Oleopasto - it is glossier and holds crisper brushmarks when you want texture as well as extra body in your work. It speeds the drying of colour by 50%.

Liquin Original effects	Liquin Fine Detail effects
Liquin Light Gel effects	Liquin Impasto effects

And if I had to pick just three?

As you can see the sheer volume of information on oils and mediums is probably the root cause for apprehension regarding their use. Don't take it all on board at once - I would buy Artists' Painting Medium, Liquin Original and Linseed Stand Oil as my mainstay mediums. Keep an open mind as you paint and you will naturally realise when you need something to work differently.