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  • #989939
    DennisF73
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        Does anyone know if 100%, cold pressed sunflower oil is an acceptable medium to use with oils? I purchased a 16 oz bottle that is produced by Cherokee Bison Farms. It is all natural, with no added chemicals. Just wondered if anyone had any knowledge about this.

        #1168315
        SvetlanaVS
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            I’m not completely sure, and i can’t seem to find a reference to it in one of my books. But i’m pretty sure sunflower oil yellows faster than some of the other oils

            #1168314
            AndyR
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                I hope this helps.
                Poppyseed oil is a very pale oil, more transparent and less likely to yellow than linseed oil, so it is often used for whites, pale colours, and blues. It gives oil paint a consistency similar to soft butter. Poppyseed oil takes longer to dry than linseed oil, from five to seven days, making it ideal for working wet on wet. Because it dries slowly and less thoroughly, avoid using poppyseed oil in lower layers of a painting when working wet on dry and when applying paint thickly, as the paint will be liable to crack when it finally dries completely. Poppy seeds naturally contain about 50 per cent oil.
                Sunflower oil has the same characteristics.
                Andy.

                #1168307
                Ron Francis
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                    Can’t really help you here except refer you to this thread:
                    https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-468413.html

                    Ron
                    www.RonaldFrancis.com

                    #1168300
                    Anonymous

                        Dcorc’s advice in that thread that Ron referenced is very good. The thing about oils like this is that you don’t know exactly what you have got. Sunflower oil varies in the fatty acid makeup. The fatty acid profile is the key to how well it will dry. Some varieties are very high in oleic acid and will be very slow or non drying, some varieties are very low in oleic acid which is what you want (this is the linolenic type of oil). In addition, sunflower oil naturally contains vitamin E and tocopherols which are both anti-oxidants and will inhibit drying. Look at the label for all listed nutritional information and if possible post it here and I may well be able to tell you if it is standard sunflower, high oleic, or mid oleic type of oil, you only want to use the standard type for any painting usage. But again, the anti-oxidants may present an additional problem for drying.
                        Upon reading the writeup about this product here. I am inclined to believe that this may be the linoleic variant (low oleic) because of the dietary, taste, and cooking attributes that they attribute to this particular oil.
                        It is kind of not worth it to me but if you are really wanting to use this material for oil painting, at the very least I would do some preliminary testing. What I would do is get some artist grade linseed oil, walnut, and poppy oil (hopefully without any driers added) and paint out swatches on a non absorbent surface like wax paper. Place the same type of swatch of your sunflower oil there also and just wait for them to dry to the touch. If the sunflower oil is very markedly slower drying than even the poppy oil then I personally would not bother with using it for painting. It if is similar or faster drying than the poppy oil then you are probably good to go. I would still then test it out again with similar comparative paint mix swatches.

                        #1168305
                        frazzled
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                            Look at the label, check the Nutrition Facts. What is the poly/mono ratio?

                            For a drying oil, you want high poly, low mono –

                            Polyunsaturated Fat 10g
                            Monounsaturated Fat 2g

                            You dont want to get too far away from that ratio ^ (walnut and grapeseed oil that you find at the grocery store often have this exact ratio)

                            I’ve used oil that was –
                            Polyunsaturated Fat 8g
                            Monounsaturated Fat 4g
                            … and it did dry.

                            I store my brushes in a super low poly sunflower oil –

                            Polyunsaturated Fat .5g
                            Monounsaturated Fat 12g

                            I can keep the brushes in that oil indefinitely without worry, it will never dry.

                            'The written word is a powerful medium, dare I say, rivaling that of the Visual Arts; though, I will not say that, as I am making absolute magic in that realm, and the visual component, when done right – is the more effective weapon' - frazzled

                            'Creating art feels like jumping off a cliff; you're plummeting to a sure death at first - full of terror and anxiety.... until things begin to take form.. and a parachute of wonder opens up, allowing you to glide into something grand' - frazzled

                            #1168306
                            frazzled
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                                I found the nutrition info online - http://www.cherokeebisonfarms.com/page.sunfloweroil_facts.html

                                Nutrition Chart for Cherokee Sun Sunflower Oil
                                Total Fat 14g
                                Saturated fat 1g
                                Trans fat 0g
                                Polyunsaturated fat 4g
                                Monounsaturated fat 9g
                                Cholesterol 0mg
                                Sodium 0mg
                                Total Carbohydrates 0g
                                Protein 0g

                                Not good.

                                'The written word is a powerful medium, dare I say, rivaling that of the Visual Arts; though, I will not say that, as I am making absolute magic in that realm, and the visual component, when done right – is the more effective weapon' - frazzled

                                'Creating art feels like jumping off a cliff; you're plummeting to a sure death at first - full of terror and anxiety.... until things begin to take form.. and a parachute of wonder opens up, allowing you to glide into something grand' - frazzled

                                #1168301
                                Anonymous

                                    Yes, that is a high oleic type of sunflower oil which could also contain all natural anti-oxidants like tocopherols and vitamin E, I would not use it as a medium.

                                    #1168308
                                    lovin art
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                                        Yes, that is a high oleic type of sunflower oil which could also contain all natural anti-oxidants like tocopherols and vitamin E, I [B]would not use it as a medium[/B].

                                        No but you could make a nice samwhich with it yeah!!!? :D sorry could not resist that one … I’m up late being naughty lol

                                        #1168297
                                        !becca
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                                            Sandra, maybe more appropriate for a salad..:D but eatin anyway…was nice to see you stop by the oily rag…

                                            I am kind of intrigued by the idea of keeping my brushes in it though.

                                            Becca “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.” ........ “Not till we are completely lost or turned around... do we begin to find ourselves.” ........ “All good things are wild and free.” ........ “This world is but a canvas for our imagination.” ...... "Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.” Henry David Thoreau
                                            Becca's Fine Art

                                            #1168313
                                            DennisF73
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                                                Thanks to Ron, Sid, and Frazzled. Sounds like this bottle of sunflower oil will be sent to the pantry and used on salads, etc.

                                                But, I was just wondering how Frazzled keeps his brushes in sunflower oil. Do you just soak the bristles in it and then wrap the brushes in cloth, or do you lay them flat in a container with sunflower oil.

                                                #1168312
                                                crafor
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                                                    I think one canvas that I toned im MAY 2012 had Spectrum’s safflower oil on it. It’s STILL wet (July 25)–not just tacky. If it’s wet when my handyman returns, I’ll have him clean it off for me. I got the safflower oil to use for painting, but won’t now. That’s good to know.
                                                    Ella

                                                    #1168302
                                                    Anonymous

                                                        Dennis, you can either lay them flat in a tray, get one of those brush washer holders with a spring up top and a can down below that holds the bristles off the bottom, or you can take an old can, put a strip of wood across the top that has clothes pins or paper clamps that hold your brushes up.

                                                        #1168311
                                                        Kautelyh
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                                                            One time I experimented with sunflower oil as a medium, the painting smelled like food – kinda like home made french fries? And yeah it didnt dry. :D

                                                            On the brush soaking + rinsing topic, I use high mono safflower oil. If the brushes are wiped and then kept dipped in it I can wait 2-3 weeks easy before I get around to washing them.

                                                            Walnut oil works well for me as a medium.

                                                            #1168298
                                                            !becca
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                                                                Dennis, you can either [URL=https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1068122]lay them flat [/URL]in a tray, get one of those brush washer holders with a spring up top and a can down below that holds the bristles off the bottom, or you can take an old can, put a strip of wood across the top that has clothes pins or paper clamps that hold your brushes up.

                                                                Thanks for the tips, I think I have a brushwasher gismo, from a recent (well kind of) I may give the process a try, but will be sure to wash the oil out before I paint.:D Thanks for the alternative options too.

                                                                Becca “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.” ........ “Not till we are completely lost or turned around... do we begin to find ourselves.” ........ “All good things are wild and free.” ........ “This world is but a canvas for our imagination.” ...... "Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.” Henry David Thoreau
                                                                Becca's Fine Art

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