Home › Forums › Explore Media › Oil Painting › The Best OilMedium for Painting
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March 29, 2013 at 5:20 pm #990771
After over 40yrs of drawing and painting, earnest study of and practice with materials and techniques, both commercial and handmade, I have come to a conclusion:
While I may still use commercially-produced mediums for lesser work, (as I have accumulated various materials over the years),
my important pieces will be completed from start to finish using ONLY:
***Hand-washed/cleaned organic oils that I purify and thicken myself, along with the use of glair, (egg white), and chalk.***
I am convinced I can get EVERYTHING I need from these 3 simple materials.
Safety.
Permanence
Technique
AppearanceI believe these simple materials, PROPERLY handled, can produce paintings equal to those of the Old Masters in every respect.
I wish to send my deepest thanks to LOUIS VELASQUEZ, the “CALCITE SUN-OIL” author and artist, for the knowledge and information he has shared for the benefit of painters everywhere.
I am in no way affiliated with his website, books, DVDs, etc.,
I am just passing along my opinion of what I think is the best oil medium.There once was a note, pure and easy, Playing so free, like a breath rippling by...There once was a note, listen...There once was a note, listen...
There once was a note, listen...March 29, 2013 at 6:44 pm #1185057I was sorting through old bookmarks a couple of days ago and found this that you might be interested in- link
I would like to try processing oil myself like that sometime, but right now my own paint making interest is focused on watercolor because I’m not looking forward to the cleanup of oil after the paint is made.
March 29, 2013 at 9:27 pm #1185059And where does Liquin fall into this mix? Is it a good as a medium as many famous painters claim it to be? Also, I asked in another thread, what is in Liquin anyway?
Nate
March 29, 2013 at 10:11 pm #1185019AnonymousLiquin is an alkyd medium. It is probably the most popular one, but Galkyd, made by Gamblin, is also receives widespread usage. The most attractive qualities of alkyd mediums are that they speed drying, thus allowing layered completion in a timely fashion, the paint handling/application is improved, and alkyds form a more durable paint film than traditional binding oils.
Like any other material that artists use, some love it, some do not like it.March 29, 2013 at 10:34 pm #1185010if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. There should be no “lesser” work.
My medium, for everything I paint in oils, is one part Venice turpentine, one part linseed stand oil, and one part Oil of Spike, Lavender.
I was thumbing through “50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship” at the Dali Museum in St. Petersberg, FL a week ago last Thursday, and read that Dali used Venice Turpentine.
(I really should pick up a copy of that book, soon.)
Forcing the waveform to collapse for two decades...
http://www.syntheticskystudios.com
Hilliard Gallery, Kansas City, "Small Works", December 2019March 29, 2013 at 10:58 pm #1184970Hello to those who have responded.
As my initial post hopefully indicated, I have used basically all the various types of commercial mediums available, as well as making my own from scratch.
For several important reasons, to me at least, I no longer will PURCHASE those things. I no longer want them, or need them.
I am also about to purchase a small oil press, so I can make my virgin, cold-pressed oils, (from flax seed, walnut, and poppy seed), for myself.
It is easy to do, fun and inexpensive. I could go on about the many reasons why, but that is unneeded.
I want the best medium, and as I said before, the 3 simple materials mentioned above, are it for me.
There once was a note, pure and easy, Playing so free, like a breath rippling by...There once was a note, listen...There once was a note, listen...
There once was a note, listen...March 30, 2013 at 3:03 am #1185044Just chopper needs to make Walnut oil from nuts. I tried it and this selfmade oil was whiter and has drying speed better then regular linseed oil, while artists who use shop-grade walnut oil are talking it is slow drying. I guess, properly hand-made oil is just another thing than regular industrial made oil.
March 30, 2013 at 5:11 am #1185020AnonymousAlex, get some fresh flax seeds, you must compare that walnut dry rate to chopped up, unprocessed, cold pressed linseed. Non alkali, unwashed, cold pressed oil dries substantially faster.
March 30, 2013 at 11:58 am #1185016***Hand-washed/cleaned organic oils that I purify and thicken myself, along with the use of glair, (egg white), and chalk.***
Perhaps you could give us some of the reasons and advantages to adding the egg white and chalk. Thanks.
Don
March 30, 2013 at 1:21 pm #1185045Alex, get some fresh flax seeds, you must compare that walnut dry rate to chopped up, unprocessed, cold pressed linseed. Non alkali, unwashed, cold pressed oil dries substantially faster.
March 30, 2013 at 3:04 pm #1184971Perhaps you could give us some of the reasons and advantages to adding the egg white and chalk. Thanks.
Don
Hi, with the 3 oils, (flax, walnut, and poppy), which I properly purify and thicken as needed, (I first started “washing” organic raw oils for my painting in the mid-80s), I can have drying oils that give me the full range of viscosity from very thick to very thin, with the full range of drying time, and full range of brush “drag”, in conjunction with the glair and chalk.
So if I want a very fast drying time with short “open time”, or a very slow drying time, all my bases are covered.The viscosity and behavior of the oils, glair, and chalk, is a long and interesting topic, but suffice it to say, the full viscosity range allows for every technique and appearance I could want, in proper conjunction with the egg white glair and chalk.
NO resins, balsams, natural or synthetic, are needed or desirous.
I can paint with these materials, as quickly or slowly as I desire, in every manner, from extremely fine, (Durer, Van Eyck, etc.), to very boldly and loosely, (Rembrandt, de Kooning, etc.).
Everything is given to me with these materials, from extremely fine lines, to broad areas and impastos, sharp edges to soft blends, to alla prima to indirect painting with veils and glazes, from opacity to transparency.
This is a time-honored tradition, in the very best sense of the word.
These materials work the best, with no bad after effects in terms of permanence.My materials are inexpensive compared to commercial products.
Why should I throw away my money on lesser materials?
By choosing safely hand-cleaned oil, along with glair and chalk, (which is easy and fun to me), I KNOW what is in my paint, how it was made, and that it will last. I become very close to understanding the nature of my materials, in a far greater way, than buying a bottle of who really knows what, for an outrageous price, and having to “settle”.
I could go on, as there are even more reasons, but you get the idea I hope.
There once was a note, pure and easy, Playing so free, like a breath rippling by...There once was a note, listen...There once was a note, listen...
There once was a note, listen...March 30, 2013 at 3:54 pm #1185049Hi alva – aka LOUIS VELASQUEZ !!!
• i have your book & paint (sometimes) with your “CSO”-‘Medium’ …
-> and thanks for your new youtube-vids !!!Thxs again for the newer version of the book & recipes / formulas
EXPRESSIVER REALISMUS
• DECiNERGY -> http://www.decinergy.at & YouTUBE - [ ]
[FONT="Courier New"][ ExplanationVideo about ExpressiverRealismus ] - Painting from André KRIGARMarch 30, 2013 at 4:02 pm #1184972Hi alva – aka LOUIS VELASQUEZ !!!
• i have your book & paint (sometimes) with your “CSO”-‘Medium’ …
-> and thanks for your new youtube-vids !!!Thxs again for the newer version of the book & recipes / formulas
Hi. I am NOT Louis Velasquez. I do USE some of the materials and methods he espouses though.
There once was a note, pure and easy, Playing so free, like a breath rippling by...There once was a note, listen...There once was a note, listen...
There once was a note, listen...March 30, 2013 at 5:13 pm #1185013Perhaps you could give us some of the reasons and advantages to adding the egg white and chalk. Thanks.
Don
Hi Don,
Click on the link oxide gave in post 2. Tad Spurgeon and Louis Velasquez have similar data. Tad’s site is loaded with info and examples which show the nature of how to both make everything and how everything interacts to create vastly different paint characteristics.
edited to add: click o putty mediums to see how those work. also you can see from this link burnt plate oil mixed with oils and calcite chasing rembrants textural qualities. http://www.northernlightstudio.com/burnoil.phpComments and critiques are welcome, thoughts allow me a way to consider things, from a different viewpoint, or catch something I missed.
Thanks
DavidMarch 30, 2013 at 5:32 pm #1185021AnonymousIt always is interesting to hear people promote their medium with a cult like religious fervor.
Have you ever tried Bill Martin’s glazing medium?
most people here say that it is the very best medium ever.
I can get all the qualities I need with just paint and sometimes add a little oil/oms for thinning.
no washing of oil
no gair
no chalk
no muss
no fuss
cheap
time proven, no cracking, yellowing, or permanence issues in my paintings for a half century now.
simple
I could go on -
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