Aqua oil painting by Barry Freeman

Discover Jackson's Aqua Oil Colour as artist Barry Freeman uses them to paint scenes of the South Downs.

What are water-mixable oil paints?

Water-mixable oil paint can be diluted or cleaned using water, instead of solvents, which is used with traditional oils. These paints are perfect for painters who enjoy the buttery feel of oil paint, but are either allergic to it or can't use the solvents, such as white spirit or turpentine, needed to thin the paints. You can use water-mixable oils just as you would traditional oil paints.

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So how is it possible that oils can be diluted in water?

Water-mixable oil paints are genuine oil paints, that have been modified to allow it to be water-soluble. The paint dries through dehydration and how long the paint takes to dry will depend on the thickness of the paint film. Although water-mixable, they can't be mixed with acrylics or ordinary oil paint, but you can mix different brands of water-mixable oils.

The colours

All the illustrations in this article were painted from sketches made on site, and I used oil sketching paper and heavy weight cartridge paper.

My palette consisted of I used Jackson’s Aqua Oil Colours:

  • French ultramarine
  • Cerulean blue
  • Cadmium yellow
  • Naples yellow
  • Lemon yellow
  • Magenta
  • Cadmium red
  • Yellow ochre
  • Raw umber
  • Titanium buff
  • Titanium white

The pigmentation of Jackson’s Aqua Oil Colours is extremely good and a little goes a long way, with the added bonus that the paint comes in a large tube size of 56ml.

To view Jackson's range of 48 Aqua Oil Colours, visit their website.

Painting with Jackson’s Aqua Oil Colours

Cocking Down, Jackson’s Aqua Oil Colour, (40.5x51cm)

The majority of the Downs are on chalk, which can be clearly seen in the path that runs from the bottom to the tree in the middle of the picture.

This is the only illustration that wasn't painted on oil sketching paper – I used cartridge paper instead. Normally, I would've primed the paper first, but with water-mixable oils it wasn't necessary, as the oil doesn't leach through to the back.

Chanctobury Ring, Jackson’s Aqua Oil Colour, (30.5x30.5cm)
 
Chanctobury Ring is a famous landmark of the Downs. I used the brush to describe its unique roundness and gave it more prominence by placing it near the top of the picture. The paint film was quite thin, which helped the flow.
 
At the bottom of the picture, almost dry paint was dragged across to leave the underlying ground showing through in places.
 
Four of the six works shown here were painted over a pale sienna base, which contrasts well with the greens, blues and greys that make up the majority of the colour scheme.
 

Applying and cleaning water-mixable oils

Water-mixable oils are applied in exactly the same way as normal oils, and even though they cannot be mixed with acrylics, they can certainly be painted on top of them.


When water-mixable oils first came on to the market they had a treacly feel to them and they became slightly thick if left unused for a couple of days, but there has been a vast improvement in consistency. You can paint on exactly the same grounds and supports as you would normal oil paint, and preparation of surfaces is also the same.

In the studio, I use a large sheet of white plastic as a palette and at the end of a painting session, I clean the mixing area with a sponge and household soap. If left for a couple of days, it is best to use water, wire wool and soap.

To clean my brushes, I rinse them in water then rub them over soap, working out excess paint between my fingers, and finally rinse again in water.

Top tip - It's very important to clean with soap as paint residue left on the brush will eventually damage the bristles.

Using Jackson's Aqua Oil Colours

 
Amberley Wild Brooks from Rackham, Jackson’s Aqua Oil Colour, (29x38cm)
 
This is a view of the Wild Brooks looking down from Rackham - it's a wonderful painting area with an abundance of subject matter. The painting shows the meadows and plains of the Brooks with the ditch in the foreground, taking the eye through the picture and up to the trees at the foot of the Downs.
 
The image is a very simple mix of rectangles and curves, varying greens, ochres and blue-greys. Note the sky is not blue, but a pale grey, made up from titanium buff, Naples yellow and ultramarine blue and this mixture is, to some extent, reflected in the mixtures of land colours.
 

River Ouse at Southease, Jackson’s Aqua Oil Colour, (28x38cm)

At the eastern edge of the Downs near the village of Rodmell, this is the area of the Downs that I visited most when l lived in London. The view from Southease sees the escarpment of the Downs rising above Iford and Rodmell. I tried to keep the illustration sketch-like with the aim of achieving atmosphere rather than exactness.

Downs at Itchenor, Jackson’s Aqua Oil Colour, (28x38cm)

Here the Downs are viewed from Itchenor, at Chichester Harbour, looking across the warm colouring of the foreshore to the turquoise green of the water (it really was this colour), past the mid-distance and finally to the sweep of the Downs themselves. Although they do not look quite as majestic when seen from this aspect, their intrinsic beauty is clearly evident.

It was a mixed weather day when I sketched, with both cloud and sun. I was surprised when I saw the colour of the water but it contrasted so well with the foreshore and the grey-greens and buffs of the Downs. Just as I was finishing the sketch a swathe of cloud passed over, which gave it the final touch.

Final thoughts

For me, water-mixable oils are one of the best developments in the field of art materials. Because these paints have so much going for them, I strongly suggest that anyone who has not yet used them should give them a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Try Jackson's Aqua Oil Colours for yourself - view the full range on their website here.

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Want to discover more with water-mixable oils? Follow this step-by-step tutorial by Paulette Farrell of how to paint sports figures using water-mixable oils.

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