There are two simple ways to increase the proportion of oil/resin: either use the same amount of medium but make it with less solvent, or (in the case of undiluted mediums) use more medium.įor more information on "fat over lean" you can refer to Ralph Mayer's book "The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques" which gives an easy-to-understand explanation of the materials science involved. This is called the "fat over lean" rule and is one of painting rules that you must follow if you want your work to endure. It has been proven that increasing the proportion of oil/resin in each new paint layer extends the longevity of the paint film and helps it resist cracking. Where the amount of solvent could be anything from zero to double the amount of oil, or more. make it more flexible What is Medium Made From?Ī medium can be made from anything that both dries and mixes with oil.That something is called a medium and it has one or more of the following effects on the paint: In fact, some of the more expensive paints are so concentrated that they must be mixed with something to make them easier to use. Paints with a greater proportion of pigment are more concentrated and are usually more desirable since an artist can only dilute them, not increase their concentration. Some oil paints also contain other ingredients in small quantities (for example, chemicals which may retard or speed up drying times), but these are almost never listed on the tubes.ĭepending on the brand and the type of pigment, oil paints have different proportions of pigment and oil. The particles of pigment are bound together by the oil which subsequently turns to a hard film by reacting with oxygen in the air. In the mixing process, the pigment is ground down to an exceptionally fine level. What is Oil Paint?Īrtist's oil paint consists of a pigment (usually a powder) mixed with drying oil. Since I wanted this article to be understandable by beginners, I'm going to start at the very beginning.īut before I go any further-for those looking to find out how to make your own Liquin or other type of alkyd resin: to the best of my knowledge, it's made using a manufacturing process that requires access to industrial-grade chemicals and equipment-not the kind of thing you can mix up in a bucket in the shed. I originally had a simple article in mind but the more I wrote, the more I realized that everyone reading this might have various levels of experience. I want to help new artists make that first step and prevent some easy-to-make mistakes. Nowadays there's tons of information available online, but I think there's always room for a different viewpoint, especially when it comes from first-hand experience. When I started oil painting, I was intrigued by the collection of different oil painting mediums on the art store shelves-I had no idea what they were for and, in 2003, there wasn't much literature available online. It took a few years before I decided to try some out and even longer for me to learn to use them properly.įor this article I wanted to focus on using the most popular medium, Liquin, in your own oil paintings. Summary: Excellent medium suitable for all artists working in oil.
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