Thank you for your report!
We have received your report and it is currently under investigation by a forum moderator.
I AM CRAVING MY OIL PAINTS 😭
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
This is a Studio member-only feature!
Join our Studio membership and save your favourite Painters Online content, from gallery artwork to step-by-step guides, to your own online mood boards. Create your go-to place for inspiration and learning. Plus, members can also enjoy a range of exciting features including monthly art videos and a digital magazine library.
If you are already a Studio member, simply login to your account.
Not a Studio member? Why not try our free 30-day trial - no commitment, no credit card required
Showing page 1 of 2
- 1
- 2
Message
Posted
A lot of you will know that I haven't used traditional oil paints for years due to the length of time taken to dry, smell of low-odour spirit, which my "Beloved" claimed he could smell a mile away and, lastly, very dry hands. I tried the water-mixable oils but couldn't get on with them - sorry Syd. I changed to Open Acrylics which stay wet a little longer than ordinary acrylics - great. They are more translucent than oils and so need more layers to achieve the thicker succulent effect of trad. oils.
I wanted to paint some flowers again - something I haven't done in some time. I don't feel that my fibre-art is suitable for that subject and so decided to try my Open Acrylics on stretched canvas. That way I wouldn't have to frame my paintings like I have been doing for the past 6 years. The coverage is not good on this surface and I would have to put on about 5 to 6 layers to achieve the effect I used to get.
My oils are actually calling to me from my cupboard. So I am going to get them out (under cover of darkness). But first I will try the water-mixable ones again to see if I can get on with them. Failing that I will just have to get a peg for Beloved's nose and shut my door. Can't do anything about the drying time but I have had some advice about the dry hands. So watch this space - unless you have anything better to do!
Posted
You don't really need to use solvents with oil paint, if that helps - obviously they're useful for clearing up afterwards, but you could do that in the garden!
Most if not all that can be achieved with solvents can be achieved with plain Linseed oil, and a little 'bodied' oil - ie, thicker Linseed, available in several forms: I make my own sun-thickened Linseed oil, but you can buy it ready-made; it takes a while to thicken the oil at home.
You could then clean up with a little odourless mineral spirit, or Zest-it, or just scrape the paint of the palette with a knife, wipe the brushes in kitchen roll, and use soap and water to clean them out - again, there are other products available to help - the important thing is to ensure that you've washed any product out of the brush with cold water and dried it.
Result - happy hubby, no more dry hands, and you've got your oils back. Another way is to use a painting knife instead of brushes - much easier to clean, but of course you do get a characteristic appearance.
Posted
I think too many of us use mediums and solvents as a matter of course, because everyone told us we should - but so long as you don't add extra oil to your initial layers (the paint is nearly always workable from the tube, and if it isn't a tiny bit of oil will help) you won't be offending against the fat over lean rule: just add more oil - though only when you need to - in subsequent layers.
Posted
Adele, you can speed up the drying rate of conventional oil paints by mixing it with a gel called Liquin. A small amount will make the oils dry in a day or two. Another option is to buy alkyds, a quick drying oil paint. W & N sell alkyds called Artisan . Usually they are touch dry in 8 hours, and even shorter if it's warm weather.
Posted
Correction needed here - Artisan oil paints are not alkyds: the brand you're referring to is Griffin Alkyds (yes, made by W & N). The Artisan range is water-miscible oil paint. and it certainly isn't quick-drying (rather the reverse). Alkyd paints on the other hand can be used in their own right as a complete painting medium, or underneath (never on top of) conventional oils.
Liquin is an alkyd resin and it will indeed speed up drying, though - well, entirely up to you, but I'd be just as wary of adding it to every mix as I would be of adding ANY medium to achieve any result other than to make the paint workable. Unless you really need to add medium, don't - Adele's original problem wasn't slow-drying, but the pong of solvents: and Liquin isn't without its own not entirely refreshing odour, either - personally, I find it less attractive a whiff than Turpentine, the smell of which I quite like in moderation; though I don't use it any more.
The downside to not adding a little medium in the final layers - if you actually paint in layers, the alla prima approach is an alternative of course - is that the paint can dry to a matte finish. If you don't care for that, add just a little Linseed and/or stand oil/bodied oil/sun-thickened oil (all Linseed) to enrich the paint, or 'oil out' when it's dry - bearing in mind that oiling-out can yellow the paint over time!
However you paint with oils, there are certain issues to be dealt with - it's an organic, living entity; and that's half of its appeal; more than half for some of us. As you might gather, I don't believe in chivvying it to behave as we want it to - having applied it, as directly as possible from the tube, with as few additives as possible, I advocate leaving it to get on with drying as it chooses - those in a hurry might be happier with another medium.
Posted
I've just stuck my nose in my bottle of Liquin and you are right Robert, there is a definite smell. However, I quite enjoyed using it, although I am quite reserved with it. I will get Zest-it for cleaning the brushes. As I will be keeping my paintings (fat chance of selling them), I will put them on the wall when dry to touch and there they can dry out in their own time. I'm not worried about the longevity of the paintings because I change them around all the time.
Posted
Looking forward to seeing the results of your going back to oils Adele, and do hope it works out for you. I've just checked your gallery again and love your fibre art, I remember Fierce Ollie and how stunning he looks. I love oils and do use a very little Liquin sometimes, but we are having such cold weather here that I have had to go back to acrylics over the winter until it warms up. My oil paints were just never drying. I've found this thread very useful, and really appreciate Robert's expert knowledge - would be very happy to use oils without mediums, but would be interested to know Robert's opinion of varnish for oil paintings - I have a spray-on but if it has the name of the manufacturer on the can I can't see it. Daler Rowney have a brush cleaning product that you can use to clean oil paint brushes in water, it seems to work.
Edited
by SandraKennedy
Showing page 1 of 2
- 1
- 2