What is the most crucial thing to know about oil painting mediums?

The secret about oil painting mediums that no one is telling you is this.

You don't need them. Art schools will typically teach students how to paint with oil painting mediums.

What is an oil painting medium?

Why are there so many types of oil paint mediums?

Because each type affects paint in different ways. There are fast-drying mediums that speed up drying time. Slow-drying mediums offer more time to manipulate paint. Some mediums preserve the sheen once the paint dries. Some include a varnish while others do not. Some make the paint hold brushstrokes while others are leveling, making brushstrokes almost invisible to the eye.

Why are students taught to paint with paint mediums?

In my opinion, it's because students buy cheap paint. It's also become a standard practice and many artists don't know that you can paint without them. Oil paints are available in student-grade and artist-grade. Student-grade paints are cheaper to buy and are lower quality. Student-grade paint is typically of a thicker consistency, probably because of the additives that make it cheaper. This thick paint has to be thinned before manipulating it with a paintbrush. While the first layer of paint is thinned with a solvent like mineral spirits or turpentine, the upper layers of an oil painting are typically thinned with paint medium. Thinning the paint with paint medium improves the flow of the paint.

Why should I paint without an oil paint medium?

Many oil paint mediums contain a solvent. Solvents evaporate faster than oil, so these paint mediums can accelerate the paint drying time. This can be a plus for some artists. However, solvents are typically toxic and create fumes. These fumes can build up in your studio, home, or working space. This is especially concerning if you have children. The toxic nature of oil painting can be reduced when you learn to paint without solvent-based paint mediums.

How do I paint without an oil paint medium?

Luckily, it's really easy to paint without an oil paint medium. Simply replace your painting medium with linseed oil. Use pure refined linseed oil available at any art supply store. If you can't find refined linseed oil, that's fine. Consider using walnut oil instead. A variety of oils will work, each with its properties. Linseed oil is the oldest and likely most trusted and reliable.

What happens when I use linseed oil instead of painting medium?

There are a couple of things that you can expect when using linseed oil in place of painting medium. Some paint mediums contain a varnish. The varnish preserves the sheen on a painting. When painting with linseed oil, some paint colors may dry to a matte finish. Easily oil out a dry oil painting before applying the next paint layer by coating the painting in a very thin layer of linseed oil. This will restore the sheen and the darkness and depth of colors so you can proceed with painting. A final coat of varnish on the finished oil painting will permanently restore the sheen. The second thing is that oil may build up on the surface of your painting. This may eventually cause your paint to resist or lack adherence. Don't worry. This minor paint defect is easy to fix. Simply brush a thin layer of turpentine across your dry oil painting. They let the turpentine evaporate. This will allow the next layer of paint to stop resisting and let the paint adhere properly.

Conclusion:

The best type of oil paint medium may be no oil paint medium. Fact-check everything that you learned in Art School. Simply paint with linseed oil and paint for a safer painting experience. Of course, I'm an artist, not a scientist. This is my opinion, based on a great deal of research. So please, take from this what you want, and leave the rest.

Author: Sonia Reeder-Jones