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(Excerpts from ART HARDWARE: The Definitive Guide to Artists’ Materials, by Steven Saitzyk © 1987) Simple MediaThe following diagram describes two distinctly different media. The drying oil turpentine medium is for thinning paint mixtures and the wax-turpentine medium is for thickening paint mixtures.
DIAGRAM OF SIMPLE MEDIA
Drying Oil or Wax (A few drops of drier may be added to speed the drying time if wax is not used.) Drying Oil-Turpentine Medium.A drying oil-turpentine medium is the most common type of medium used. It is the simplest to make and many paint manufacturers sell it premixed. It consists of 60 percent drying oil, usually linseed oil or stand oil, and 40 percent turpentine. The percentage of turpentine should be reduced as layers of paint are built up over one another. The disadvantage of this method is the increased drying time as the thinner is reduced and the oil is increased in the fat over lean process. Turpentine-drying oil media also have no body and tend to run down the canvas, especially in glazes. (A glaze is a paint that has been thinned greatly with a medium to disperse the pigments in the paint. This makes the paint transparent and allows the application of a thin veil of color over another.) The drying time of this type of medium is slow, from two to five days, unless mixed with driers or a fast drying color like manganese blue. Wax Turpentine Medium.A wax-turpentine medium may be heated and used with oil paint or mixed with dry pigment. It is ideal for impasto technique. The wax should be warmed in a double boiler reserved for just this purpose and dry pigment may be added directly. (Keep in mind that dry pigment is difficult to handle safely and can be extremely dangerous.) WAX-TURPENTINE MEDIUM
1 part wax 3 parts rectified turpentine Warm in a double boiler and stir until the wax is dissolved. Pour into a wide-mouth container. May be worked over in 30 minutes. (Excerpts from ART HARDWARE: The Definitive Guide to Artists’ Materials, by Steven Saitzyk © 1987)
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