How to get a fat mixture with Artisan?

[Fabulous]

Hi all.

I have been painting watercolorsfor some years and now I am trying out WM oils (W&N Artisan).
The experience of oils (compared with watercolors, trat I still love, anyway) is just fantastic!

One thing I realized, also talking with other artists, is that with water you just make mixtures leaner and leaner.

Can you thin the W&N Artisan with any type of oil?
if so, is there any limit?
When you do it, can you still wash your brushes just with soap and water?

Thanks a lot in advance.
I'll post my first paintings in this forum soon.

Fab

[dspinks]

You would use water or (for Artisans only) WN WM Thinner to make it leaner, and WM medium and/or WM oil to make it fatter. All of these are soap/water washable.

Debra

[couturej]

Hi fab! Looking forward to seeing your first paintings!

If you use oil that is not made especially for the Water Mixable Oils you will lose the water solubility of the paint. Cleaning your brushes will require the same process as traditional oils.

[sidbledsoe]

Here is what I am using with my artisans:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Aug-2009/112587-IMGP2002.JPG

[dbclemons]

...Can you thin the W&N Artisan with any type of oil?
if so, is there any limit?
When you do it, can you still wash your brushes just with soap and water?...

You don't thin paint by adding oil. The pigment becomes more dispersed when more oil is added, but also "fatter" than how it was in the tube. The exact amount of oil you should ever add varies since the amount in each tube varies and not everyone paints in a standard way. The general advice is to keep any additives low, roughly 10% or so by volume. For a "dab" of paint, that's only about a drop of oil. If the paint is made properly you really shouldn't have to add anything. The mediums allow you to make adjustments if you want them (dry faster-slower-leveling-etc.) Thinning should also be kept to a minimum since it weakens the binding strength of the paint.

[Fabulous]

Thanks to all.

Finally, I found a shop which had the Artisan Stand-oil, and I bought it.

I started to use it. It's quite thick, indeed, but it is very good when you want a fatter mix (for the final layers, and(or if the palette has been too long in the sun and the paints have got drier.

Fab