DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

Making Oil Painting Mediums The most important thing to understand about painting mediums, are the characteristics, that each component of a medium possesses, so that the artist can create a desired paint film. For example, if one wanted to create a glossy surface, one would use a Dammar . Dammar, though a fine varnish on its own, is too viscous in its manufactured state and therefore needs to be thinned with . Dammar also dries into a very brittle film and therefore should be made more flexible by the addition of an oil. This is only an example of how to ascertain a desired finish and knowing how to compensate for its shortcomings. In order to help ascertain other qualities for a desired paint film, here is a list of available oils, and driers and their characteristics.

OILS Linseed Oil A drying oil that dries to a semi-gloss to matte finish, depending on the pigment it contains. It dries relatively slow.

Walnut Oil Also a drying oil that dries to semi-gloss to matte finish as well. It is usually used in oil-egg tempera emulsions.

Poppy Oil A very slow drying oil, that is very clear and dries to a brittle film and therefore recommended to be used in combination with a more flexible oil such as linseed oil.

Sunflower Oil A non-drying oil that is very clear.

Lavender Oil A slow drying oil, which retards the drying time of other oils.

Clove Oil Also a very slow drying oil, which can be added to other oils to retard their drying time. Use only drops.

BALSAM Larch, Venetian and Strasbourg Very viscous turpentines, which are left in their post extraction state or made more viscous by the addition of colophony . They make a beautiful thickener for oil painting mediums. Especially suited for mediums that are used in fine detail or glazing work. They must be used in combination with an oil to prevent cracking.

Canada & Copaiva Balsam Also gained by extraction from trees, that contain a mixture of resins and oils. These two are hailed as the best because of their workability and the ability to use them as a sole medium.

Rectified Turpentine The product of the distillation of the viscous pine tree sap. In the distillation process such resins as colophony are removed to create a clear liquid which makes a great thinner and drier for all oil painting mediums. Turpentine has no binding power on its own and can therefore not be used alone in combination with pigment.

VARNISHES Dammar Varnish A combination of rectified turpentine and the crystalline Dammar . As mentioned earlier it creates a glossy film that needs to be stabilized with an oil and can be thinned with turpentine for easier brushability. By the addition of beeswax the glossiness of the film can be reduced from a semi-gloss all the way to matte finish.

Mastic Varnish Manufactured in a similar fashion as Dammar Varnish. It also dries to a glossy finish, but remains more flexible in film than the Dammar and is therefore preferred as a picture varnish.

DRIERS Cobalt Drier A very potent drier that should be used in very small (drops) quantities. Too much drier causes paint films to crack. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

Turpentine Also acts as drier and can be added generously as drier to oil paints.

All of the above ingredients can be intermixed to create any sort of paint medium (slow drying, glossy, matte, viscous, etc.). However, it is important to consider whether the painting medium will dry in a reasonable amount of time and whether the dry paint film will be flexible enough to keep from cracking.

MEDIUMS Oil Painting Mediums: rembrant mediums, old masters mediums, old master's secret recipies, Sun Thickened Linseed Oil This is probably the greatest secret a painter can learn; it can be made easily by artists with minimal cost and effort. Before I tell you how, I must extol it virtues, since when appreciated for it true potential it will change all paintings hugely, please really think about what I have just said! It will allow you to form a glaze to stretch out colour out without it breaking or failing so thinly it reduces to a point where your eye can no longer be sure its actually there. Or stated another way imagine creating a shadow on the side of a face with burnt umber, you want it to fade softly at its edge, where it meets normal light. This will allow you to fade it in a controlled way without it smudging to nothing on the ground or in this case the dried paint of the cheek below.

You need: One cooking pan about 10 inches by sat 7 or 8 inches and about 4” deep One glass sheet slightly bigger than the pan 4 pieces of wood matchsticks are ideal Linseed oil, about half a litre or half a pint.

Take a litre or so of refined linseed oil, pour it in a metal tray, enamel cooking ones are ideal. Pour it so that its about half an inch (12mm) deep you will need a glass sheet slightly bigger than the pan to cover it over, place 4 small pieces of wood (discarded matches are ideal) to act as spacers so the glass sheet is slightly lifted off the cooking pan. This allows the passage of air and keeps most airborne rubbish out; flies will have to be removed by the butler.

Leave it in a window in direct sun light, stir or wisk it every other day for a minute or so just as you would eggs; this will aerate it, you will find after 10-15 days it is becoming thicker and more goopy. The thicker you prefer, the longer you continue the process. The thicker the viscosity, the greater the handling, you will have to explore this for your own preference. It will also speed up the drying of all paint and mediums that it's used in. The best general all around purpose glaze:

Glaze: Damar Varnish - 1 part (15%) Stand Oil - 1 part (15%) or sun thickened (sunthickened oil will do even better) Pure Gum Turpentine - 5 parts (70%) Or Damar Varnish - 1 part (33%) Stand Oil - 1 part (33%) (sunthickened oil will do even better) Pure Gum Turpentine - 5 parts (33%) Cobalt Drier - 12 drops (optional not recommended)

Gum Damar is very simple and much more economical to make oneself. Damar resin is tapped from the damar fur tree mainly in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It comes in lump form and dissolves in gum turpentine. You simply wrap the resin lumps in a white cotton cloth (tie with string) and soak in turpentine for about 24 hours, the resin desolves leaving the dirt and foreign bodies within the cloth. The medium then must be stored in containers that do not allow the passage of light, this will result in yellowing and cloudiness because of the water that is naturally present.

Pure Gum (Portuguese) Turpentine (Pinus Maritima) This is the purest form of turpentine. It is extracted from Portuguese marine pine trees. This is the least prone of all turpentine to oxide, and is the closest to the old turpentine traditionally used.

Ordinary Turpentine Hardware store grade for decorating use. Not really good enough for artistic works. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

Cold Pressed Linseed Oil A slightly yellow / brown oil which is extracted without the use of heat but in this unrefined form will exaggerate yellowing. Used to reduce the consistency of oil colours, increase gloss, flow, and transparency whilst reducing brush marks. The further refinement creates refined linseed oil, which is what we use in the making of Michael Harding artist oil paint.

Recipes for fast-drying painting mediums 3 egg yolks 1 part stand oil 1 part damar Or 1 egg yolk 1 part stand oil

Egg yolk is one of the most ancient and permanent materials.

Directions: Wash hands before starting. Separate the yolk from the white by gently passing the yolk from one hand to the other - discard the white. Place the yolk in a clean small jar. Puncture the yolk; mix stand oil in drop by drop stirring into emulsion vigorously.Recipes for slow-drying painting mediums

Poppy Oil Will keep pale colours from yellowing but does not have the physical strength of linseed oil and should only be used in moderation as a finishing off paint. It will keep pale colours bright and clear.

Copal concentrate and Canada Balsam Copal concentrate and Canada Balsam produce a fast drying gloss painting and glazing medium. It dries in four hours.

Ingredients: 1 part canada balsam 1 part copal concentrate Rich Copal Medium

1. Mix the Copal concentrate into the Canada Balsam, stirring them until they are blended. 2. For painting and glazing, use straight. 3. For picture varnishing, add with an equal volume of turpentine.

How to use: The excellent handling characteristics of Copal concentrate makes this varnish suitable for glazes using either dry pigments or tube oil. As a picture varnish, apply the diluted mixture in thin coats over the dry painting. It can be used over all mediums except waxes and synthetic resins. You can dip your brush in oil to facilitate smooth handling. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

BEESWAX AND TEARS Use this to seal the canvas against atmospheric destruction of oil paintings from the back, where dampness can come through the ground.

Ingredients : 3 parts beeswax 1 part mastic tears

1. Heat the two ingredients until the resin melts into the wax. 2. Strain through cheesecloth to remove any foreign matter.

How to use : Place the painting face down and apply the hot mixture to it with a palette knife or wide putty knife. Scrape the coating over the entire surface to create a thin coat. Over this, lay strips of thin raw linen canvas (old bedsheets are excellent). Apply another coat of the hot mixture over the linen strips and press them firmly onto the original canvas back. Heat the knife or spatula in order to insure perfect bonding. A hair dryer can help soften the mixture and make it more pliable.

CANADA BALSAM AND COPAL Copal concentrate and Canada Balsam produce a fast drying gloss painting and glazing medium. It dries in four hours.

Ingredients: 1 part canada balsam 1 part copal concentrate Rich Copal Medium

1. Mix the Copal concentrate into the Canada Balsam, stirring them until they are blended. 2. For painting and glazing, use straight. 3. For picture varnishing, add with an equal volume of turpentine.

How to use: The excellent handling characteristics of Copal concentrate makes this varnish suitable for glazes using either dry pigments or tube oil. As a picture varnish, apply the diluted mixture in thin coats over the dry painting. It can be used over all mediums except waxes and synthetic resins. You can dip your brush in oil to facilitate smooth handling.

CANANDA BALSAM AND SUN THICKENED OIL Canada Balsam both heightens the gloss of linseed oil allows a soft, controlled fusion of color glazes. Produces brilliant colors in the glazes. Fragrant, viscous, water clear and expensive, Canada balsam is worth every penny as it is unequaled in clarity and drying time.

Ingredients: 1 part canada balsam 1 part sun-thickened linseed oil or Stand Oil

1. The heavy-bodied oil and balsam produces a clear, straw colored painting and glazing medium which can be safely diluted with turpentine although we prefer to use Lavender Oil of Spike. 2. Stand oil should be substituted for sun thickened linseed oil. It is to be preferred as more permanent.

How to use: Mix the glaze with tube oil paints or with dry pigments. Apply it in thin coats. Rub it onto the painting with your fingers or with a rag (this is the best way to model smooth transitions in tone. Canada balsam with oil may be used for glazing or for painting the last thin coats over oil. A thin coat of this medium dries within 30 minutes. Venice turpentine, although much darker, performs somewhat like Canada balsam. It dries much slower and costs considerably less. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

CANADA BALSAM, DOUBLE MASTIC, COPAL CONCENTRATE & OIL. The brilliance of Canada Balsam combined with the rapid drying rate of a soft resin and the hardness of the Copal concentrate produce a marvelous painting medium.

Ingredients: 2 parts canada balsam 2 parts double mastic 1 part copal concentrate 1 part stand oil

1. Stir all the ingredients together in a double boiler over heat until the balsam combines with the other ingredients. 2. This produces a fairly heavy medium which can be diluted with turpentine or, better yet, Lavender Oil of Spike.

How to use: This medium can be thinned with turpentine and used as a final picture varnish. A. P. Laurie suggests that this painting medium very closely resembles the characteristics of the medium used by Jan Van Eyck. This formula dries in 1 1/2 hours.

CANADA BALSAM MEDIUM (BASIC) When you want to retouch and achieve a very thin, high gloss finish, the sweet smelling balsams are made to order.

Ingredients: 1 part canada balsam 2 parts lavender oil of spike or turpentine

1. Combine the two ingredients and stir into solution; warming the mixture in sunshine will help the dispersion.

How to use: For use in retouching, apply this varnish very thinly and paint into the coat while it is still wet. A thin coat dries within 30 minutes to a very high gloss. A final coat of picture varnish will equalize any differences in the surface sheen.

COPAL CONCENTRATE AND STAND OIL Copal mediums have the quality of making oil paint stay put, preventing the tendency to sag or run. This medium is ideal for painting detailed paintings. The hardness and high finish of copal made it a favorite material for use in exterior varnishes to resist weathering.

Ingredients: 2 parts copal varnish concentrate 1 part stand oil 2 parts turpentine or lavender oil of spike

1. Stir all the ingredients together until they have combined. 2. This formula produces an average consistency which can be varied by the amount of turpentine or Lavender Oil of Spike you to add.

How to use: Because of its high percentage of copal resin, this medium works best used with tube oil colors, glazing or painting final layers of oil on the picture. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

COPAL VARNISH BASIC Highly insoluble copal resin, if first combined with oil, will mix easily with solvents and other resins to make varnishes and mediums. This is a formula we use with hard copal resin to make a wonderful painting varnish. For most painters, we do not recommend making it but it is presented here for its academic value.

Ingredients: 2 parts copal resin (crushed, dried chunks) 3 parts Special Aged linseed oil

1. Be sure to have excellent ventilation because this can be smelly and smoky. Heat the oil to a high temperature in one pan while you melt the copal resin in another. If the oil is cooked for about 45 minutes it will thicken and darken, causing it to dry much more rapidly. 2. After the resin melts pour the hot oil into it, stirring until all is combined. 3. Let the mixture cool and pour it into a clean container. This solution is very thick.

How to use: This solution is a staple ingredient for mixing with many resins, balsams, and oils to make paint mediums and varnishes. It imparts a slippery thixotropic character to oil paints and if diluted with turpentine, it can be used as an isolating varnish. A thin coat dries hard in two days. A thick coat requires up to nine days.

While this is interesting to do, the smell and dangers outweigh its usefulness to the painter. We offer our copal concentrate already made, without the fuss.

DAMAR AND DOUBLE MASTIC AND WAX Proved over many centuries for its permanence and impermeability, beeswax combines well with resins and oils, and reduces some of the high gloss while it thickens the paint. A great aid to paint handling.

Ingredients: 2 parts damar varnish Or 1 part double mastic 1 part beeswax 3 parts turpentine

1. With the exception of the turpentine, combine and warm the ingredients over an electric unit, stirring them until they combine completely. 2. Once the ingredients are combined, remove from the heat and slowly stir in the turpentine. 3. Cool the mixture and pour into a bottle.

How to use: This combination of resin and wax is excellent for final paint layers. This medium serves to thicken tube oil paints and help produce pleasing impasto effects. It reduces gloss and dries in one half hour. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

DAMAR-OIL CANADA BALSAM Balsams provide protection where incompatible pigments are used in the same painting. Canada Balsam is the most highly prized of the balsams, very expensive and worth every penny.

Ingredients: 4 parts damar varnish 2 parts sun-thickened linseed oil 1 part canada balsam

1. Combine all the ingredients at room temperature and stir until thoroughly mixed. This produces a thick medium.

How to use: Combine this medium on the palette with tube oil paints. Use it for painting over layers of tube oil paint. Because of the amount of Damar and Canada Balsam, this medium should not be used in undercoats. Ground with dry pigments, this medium makes an excellent glazing medium and can be thinned considerably with turpentine or Lavender Oil of Spike. This medium dries in three days.

DISTEMPER PAINT

Hide glue and gelatine both provide a low cost, easily formulated paint which the British call distemper. Diluted with water, it is good for color sketching, as well as for painting. Distemper paintings have lasted for centuries without change.

Ingredients: 1 part hide glue (dry) 10 parts water

1. Leave the glue in water overnight or for a full day. 2. Let the glue absorb as much water as it can, then pour off the excess water. 3. Warm this swollen glue buy surrounding the container with hot tap water. This will cause it to melt. 4. All hide glues should never be heated past 140F. Hence, do not use a double boiler as the glue will be weakened.

How to use: Work the dry pigments with water into a heavy paste with a pallete knife. Then grind the pigment into the warm solution of glue. Keep the paints warm enough to remain in solution while painting with them, and use the warm water to dilute them. Use a bristle or synthetic brush for painting, applying the paint in thin layers to glue-sized paper, cardboard, panel, or canvas. This method is excellent for alla prima painting and for thin underpainting. To harden and preserve, spray the dried painting with a 10% solution of water and alum. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

DOUBLE MASTIC Superior to damar for use in final varnishes, Double Mastic is indispensible for making Maroger medium.

Ingredients: 16 parts mastic tears 24 parts turpentine

Caution: The melting point of mastic tears is well past the flash point of turpentine. Do not smoke or expose to a spark.

1. Mastic will not completely dissolve in turpentine unless the two are combined and heated. Warm them with no exposed flame until the mastic melts, and stir thoroughly to achieve a complete solution. 2. Allow the varnish to cool overnight. 3. The waxes and organic material will settle out, allowing you to carefully decant the clear varnish to another container.

How to use: Mixed with equal parts of Black Oil to produce Maroger medium. For a final picture varnish, dilute 1 part Double Mastic with four parts turpentine.

EGG AND DAMAR EMULSION The egg, emulsified with fast drying damar varnish, can be used in making paint, making isolating varnish, and for laying in minute detail in wet oil paint.

Ingredients: equal parts of egg yolk and damar varnish

1. Discard the egg white and dry the yolk membrane by passing it gently from one palm to the other. 2. Puncture and drain the pure yolk into a small jar and stir in the varnish, adding only a few drops at a time. 3. When all the varnish has been incorporated, you may add water to thin the mixture.

How to use: This medium can be added to pigment pastes ground in water for use in egg tempera painting or before an overpainting with oils. To add fine detail, you can apply it wet-in-wet to oil paint. Very much diluted with water, this medium serves as an isolating varnish. This medium dries very quickly. . . 15 minutes or less.

EGG AND BEESWAX EMULSION When you want to get a thick impasto from tube oil paint, an emulsion is often the easiest way to get the results. Egg yolk is a natural oil-in-water emulsion.

Ingredients: equal parts of egg yolk and Wax paste (basic)

1. Discard the egg white and dry the yolk membrane by passing it gently from one palm to the other. 2. Puncture and drain the pure yolk into a small jar and stir it, drop by drop, into the beeswax varnish. 3. Stir vigorously to insure complete emulsification. 4. This emulsion can then be diluted with turpentine.

How to use: Mix this medium with tube oil colors on the palette, or grind with dry pigments made into a paste with turpentine. Suprisingly good for laying in fine detail or painting wet-in-wet into fresh oil paint. It dries almost instantly. Since eggs spoil easily, make this emulsion fresh as needed. A few drops of oil of cloves help to retard spoilage. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

GELATINE SOLUTION FOR PAPER Gelatine glue solution provides a very clear bath for sizing white papers-making them suitable for painting-and gives extra strength to fragile paper. The old masters often painted in oils on sized paper.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. technical gelatine 1 gallon water

1. Technical Gelatine in a pint of water until the gelatine swells to three times its size. 2. Then warm the gelatine and water by suspending the container in a bath of hot tap water until the gelatine dissolves. 3. All hide glues lose gram strength if heated past 140F. Do not use a double boiler as it will reduce the strength of any hide glue. 4. After the gelatine dissolves, pour the solution into the remaining water and stir well to disperse it completely.

How to use: In a tray large enough to lay the paper out flat, immerse the paper sheets in the glue solution for several hours. Remove the paper with great care, blot each sheet carefully, and hang it up on a clothesline to dry. Drawing and painting on sized paper is a delight.

GESSO FOR PANELS (TECHNICAL GELATINE FORMULA) To make the traditional brilliant white gesso for rigid panels. Because it dissolves more readily than rabbitskin glue, gelatine allows more rapid preparation and gives the smooth surface required for egg tempera and other delicate techniques.

Ingredients: 3 parts gelatine solution for panels 5 parts whiting

1. Prepare the gelatine solution and while it is still warm and liquid, sprinkle the whiting onto the surface. 2. Stir gently to prevent the formation of air bubbles (bubbles will leave pinholes in the dried gesso. 3. Once all of the whiting has been absorbed, strain the mixture through two layers of cheesecloth into a clean glass or enameled container.

How to use: While the size is warm, coat Masonite panels or well-cured plywood and let them dry (see recipe for Gelatine solution for panels). Apply the warm gesso solution by brushing each coat in one direction, changing directions with alternate coats. Sand lightly between coats with a 220 grit paper. After five or more coats have been applied, finish the surface by sanding it with a 300 grit paper (at times we use a 2000 grit finishing paper) or by rubbing the surface ivory-smooth with a ball of white cloth dampened with a mix of denatured alcohol and water. DESiGNPO NTi design, painting, illustration, writing and popular culture @ large

RABBITSKIN GLUE GEESO FOR PANELS For a smooth, brilliant white surface, nothing equals traditional Rabbitskin Glue Gesso. Acrylic "gesso" is nothing like this.

Ingredients: equal parts of whiting, zinc oxide, rabbitskin glue solution

1. Blend the dry pigments together and add a small amount of the warmed glue solution; work out the lumps before you add more glue. 2. You can avoid working in air bubbles by keeping the glue no warmer than tap water. 3. Let finished gesso stand in warm water bath for half an hour before using.

How to use: Brush denatured alcohol over the smooth side and edges of untempered Masonite panels and let them dry. Then brush the warm gesso solution onto the panels in one direction without working over with further brushstrokes. After the coat becomes dull, apply subsequent coats in opposite directions, lightly sanding between layers. You'll need as many as five coats for a brilliant surface. Allow them to dry for two days, then finish with 300 sandpaper, finishing off with as smooth as #2000 sandpaper for an ivory sheen. You can also rub the panel with a ball of dampened cloth for an ivory surface (requires practice but worth the effort).

RABBITSKIN GLUE SOLUTION Hide glues makes a very strong glue solution, which can be used not only as a size, but also as a very quick drying paint when mixed with dry pigments. For artistic purposes, Rabbitskin Glue remains the perfect blend of gel strength and adhesion although other hide glues and gelatines have different properties and are well worth investigating. Aside from providing a good surface onto which to paint, glue sizes prevent oils from penetrating into the canvas, causing it to rot.

Ingredients: 1 part rabbitskin glue (powdered) 10 parts water

1. Soak the powdered glue for half an then warm in a water bath using hot tap water. 2. To do this, submerge the container into a larger container into which hot tap water is let to run. All hide glues lose strength when subjected to excessive heat and the traditional advice of using a double boiler overheats the glue past its optimum temperature of 140F.

How to use: Keep the solution warm enough to make sure the glue remains liquid. Allow the canvas or panel to 'have a drink' by thinning the first coat) with an equal amount of water and brushing or sponging it into stretched linen or cotton canvas (or untempered Masonite panels previously brushed with alcohol). Once dry, brush on a coat of the full strength glue solution and allow to dry for a day.

2009 Will Longaphie