First WSO experience using Weber w-oils..I have questions

Millerhill · #1 04-15-2018, 03:16 PM

My wife is a great painter and usually paints acrylics. She wanted to get back into oils after a long hiatus and I suggested she try WSO's. She got a bunch of Weber paints and not long after starting, she decided it wasn't for her. I've been painting off and on for a couple of Vermont Winters. Started with gouache, then tried casein, then acrylic "gouache" and now had the hots to try WSO's. Man....what a world of difference from acrylics and for me, not in a good way. BTW, I'm painting on gessoboard which has a very slick surface.

My first issue is with thinning the paint. It's very stiff coming out of the tube and because I paint rather small paintings, I need the paint to be the consistency of cream not Greek yogurt! Yes I read a billion threads about thinning WSO's but they're all over the place and far from conclusive. It says right on the paint tube "Thin with water", but I see too many folks say using water is a no-no.

Many say water is fine as a thinner.
Many say to use Walnut oil or Alkyd Walnut oil.
Many say use other mediums like linseed oil
Many say use a drying medium.
Many say use Liquin and forget about the water all together.

I purchased the w-oil linseed oil and the drying medium, so have the ability to use them to loosen up the paint.

I just went to clean up my brush after doing an underpainting and it wouldn't clean up in water after I added some of the drying medium to the paint. I had to use turps to get it clean which kinda defeats the whole purpose of WSO's right?

I want to give this a real go and finish a painting, but not sure I can put up with this paint.

Can I get some hints about work flow using what I have? I don't want to buy anything else until I get this figured out.

Thanks!

Steve

Seaside Artist · #2 04-16-2018, 02:47 AM

Skip the turps for cleaning brushes!

Wipe the paint out with Spectrum walnut oil (grocery store and NOT for painting, just cleaning) and then wash with water and dish soap/bar soap. My method for 20+ years and my old brushes look like my new ones. I never leave my brushes to soak in any liquids.

Wishing you the best in painting

**DAK723** · #3 04-16-2018, 08:41 AM

I'm not familiar with the Weber WMOs and really haven't seen many comments about them. I would recommend the Cobra brand or Holbein - their consistency (at least to me) is not as stiff as some other brands. Each brand is somewhat different.

I would seriously stop reading comments (this thread aside) on the internet. Their is no place with more misinformation and contradictory comments than the internet! You just have to try it out for yourself to learn what works and what doesn't. I have always thinned with water with the Cobras with no issues. The one brand that I know had problems thinning with water was W&N Artisan. They eventually developed a thinner to use with their WMOs. Thinning with water is NOT the same as thinning with water when using acrylics or watercolor. You can't thin the paint to a wash consistency. I rinse my brushes while painting with water. To thin the paint, I just dip my brush into the water jar and then go to my paint pile. Most folks will use a medium with oil to thin the paint, especially after the initial layer, and as you mention, most brands will sell their own mediums. You can also use 100% oil (linseed, walnut or safflower are sold by many WMO brands as well) to thin the paint, but it must be used sparingly. Using 100% oil is the easiest way to avoid solvents.

To clean your brushes after painting, you definitely don't need any solvent - just soap and water. Over the years, I have found that Masters Brush cleaner as the best soap to use. Sometimes brushes seem dirty when they are not as some pigments will stain the brush. That stain will remain, but the brush will still be clean.

Good luck!

Don

Millerhill · #4 04-16-2018, 08:43 AM

Hi Angel. Thanks so much for your response!

So clean up with store bought walnut oil. That's good to know.

But what do you do for color changes while you're painting? Would it make sense to get a bottle of M Graham walnut oil and use that as thinner, color change medium and clean up as well?

Steve

Millerhill · #5 04-16-2018, 08:48 AM

Hi Don,

Guess we'll see if Jerry's will take back the Weber oils and go from there. We live in the boonies in VT so no art stores within a 1.5 hr drive.

I have a small test set of Holbein duo paint. Maybe I'll give that a go and see what's up, but first I'll have try the webers with just water and go from there.

Edit: I just tried the duo and it mixes beautifully with water, but still won't clean out totally with water to do a color change SO how do you manage color changes while painting?

Best,
Steve

**DAK723** · #6 04-16-2018, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millerhill

Hi Don,

Guess we'll see if Jerry's will take back the Weber oils and go from there. We live in the boonies in VT so no art stores within a 1.5 hr drive.

I have a small test set of Holbein duo paint. Maybe I'll give that a go and see what's up, but first I'll have try the webers with just water and go from there.

Edit: I just tried the duo and it mixes beautifully with water, but still won't clean out totally with water to do a color change SO how do you manage color changes while painting?

Best,
Steve

I guess each oil painter has there own level of comfort when cleaning out brushes while painting. I just swish my brush in a can of water. Is it totally clean? I guess I am not sure - nor do I care particularly. When I paint in oils, I often just wipe the brush on a paper towel to clean. So is there some paint on the brush - yes. Again, to some oil painters this isn't an issue. if a brush becomes too dirty, then a new brush is used. Often, oil painters will use one brush for lights, one for darks, and when those get dirty, get more brushes. 6 or more brushes would be the norm for me whenever I paint in oils.

Don

Gigalot · #7 04-16-2018, 03:59 PM

For underlayers you can try acrylic. Dilute this acrylic with water. Use oil paint diluted with linseed oil medium to paint over.

Millerhill · #8 04-16-2018, 04:53 PM

Using acrylics and gouache up until now, I was unaware of the work flow of a "typical" oil painter. Sounds like the key to my issues is to use a higher quality of paint like the Duo or Cobra paints and get some more brushes to use with lights and darks and don't sweat the fact that they aren't perfectly clean and shiny new when I switch colors.

On a side note Jerry's was kind enough to send me a shipping label to pay for the shipping back to them and although I purchased the paints back in September, it appears that they are going to give me a store credit for them. We'll see how that works out.

Thanks all for your input. My wife says "Would you just pick up a brush and paint! You spend too much time thinking about it!" I think she may have a point

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