Painters Online Logo

Login/register

Studio

Painting in Oils without any solvent

Welcome to the forum.

Here you can discuss all things art with like-minded artists, join regular painting challenges, ask questions, buy and sell art materials and much more.

Make sure you sign in or register to join the discussions.

Hang on Studio Wall
Showing page 2 of 2
Author
Message

Alan Owen

  • Forum Member +
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 255
Posted
going back in time I think I recall turpentine was made from compressed wood ,I have a little trouble with my memory so my mind plays tricks
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 20479
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 7181
Posted
Should be pine-resin, tapped from various species of pine tree - I hope it still is; probably pays, as with most things, to read the label. Presumably the compressed wood would be pine, but that's not the traditional way of getting at it - however, I think you're right to suspect that many processes have been used over time, some probably more satisfactory than others. I like the smell of Turps, as it happens, but while I believe it's safe enough if you have adequate ventilation, it isn't if you haven't.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 20479
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 7181
Posted
More or less finished my painting without solvents. Do we ever really finish a painting? But I think I've reached the point at which someone should drag me forcibly from the canvas and clean my palette before I can go on and muck it up... I can certainly tell you that using a minimum of Linseed Oil, and nothing else, and a limited palette in this case, the painting process was, if anything, more straightforward and even somewhat easier, that I have no turpentine fumes or white spirit lurking in the atmosphere, because I just wiped the brushes and knife off with kitchen roll and then washed the former with plain soap. That I do not have the headache I sometimes get when painting with solvents. OK, cleaning up the palette is going to be the usual fag, but brush cleaning was quite easy, because the oil itself helps to clean them and all I needed was that bit of soap. So - leaving the work aside, which I shall post in due course - I would call this experiment a resounding success: I used my regular oils, mostly artist's/professional quality; I finished it rather more quickly than I normally do, although the subject matter (only my third snow scene in 52 years of painting!) probably helped; and I didn't miss the solvents in any way at all. Why, I ask myself plaintively, have I not always painted this way? Because, I reply, I just assumed you HAD to use solvents - but you don't. Now - this does not undermine the case for water miscible oils; it's hardly even relevant to it. But - it does confirm me in my belief that I don't need them.

Michael Robinson

  • New Member
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2904
Posted
Robert, using the minimum of linseed oil, did you just use it for the top layer (if you were layering your painting)? And just the paint with no additives for the lower layers? What do you use for underpainting - acrylic? Oil? (Apologies if you've covered this in a previous thread, I really can't remember). Looking forward to seeing that painting!

Edited
by SandraKennedy

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 20479
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 7181
Posted
I used Linseed oil throughout, without letting the first layers dry out: that way, the whole painting experience is integrated - you just add more pigment to the oil as you go though the process. No, I wouldn't use acrylic for the underpainting - just thin oil paint. There's no particular reason NOT to use turps in the early stages - but I didn't. Provided the proportion of pigment to oil is greater as you go along, there's no real reason to fear cracking or early destruction of the paint film. There's oil in the paint as squeezed from the tube - sometimes you'll need to add more oil, sometimes, depending on the paint, you won't. But fat over lean is only a real worry if you're painting in glazes, which on this occasion I didn't. If you want to use the traditional glazing method, use umbers and terre verte in the underpainting, and glaze on top; but anyway, keep the added mediums to a minimum - and the underpainting very thin. If using the glazing technique, it always helps to use a lead white underneath but - it's very hard to obtain it, sadly, thanks to stupid regulations: but if you want lead white, send me a personal message, and I'll lead you to it.

Michael Robinson

  • New Member
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2904
Posted
Thank-you Robert, very helpful as always.

Alan Owen

  • Forum Member +
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 255
Posted
I don't know if I am doing the right thing . I use Jacksons fast drying oil painting medium and I mix a bit with some refined linseed oil in a small jar ,I dip in that as I paint , lovely to generate a bit of interest,,,, this thread ,,,
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 20479
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 7181
Posted
Nothing wrong with that - as always, keep the medium to a minimum, and don't feel you have to add any if the paint is working for you. I've never minded oils taking a long time to dry, so don't use dryers. I don't know what's in Jackson's fast drying medium, but would guess a mix of oil and turps. The only thing I'd avoid in painting mediums is dammar (or other) varnish.
Showing page 2 of 2