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Banish Solvents with New Medium W

Date: 26-01-2017
News, Tips & Info

 
This exciting new oilpainting medium from Schmincke expands painting possibilities with no harmful fumes: mixing 1 part Medium W into 2 parts oilcolour makes the paint water?miscible… you can now thin it with water! You can rinse your brushes out with water!
 
Medium W is therefore perfect for artists who currently use turpentine or other solvents in their underpainting, or to achieve thin passages of paint or dribble effects in layered painting. It can be used in place of linseed oil to loosen the paint for blending, and instead of other alkyd resins such as Medium L, as Medium W dries quickly too. Oilcolour diluted with Medium W and water can also be used over standard, straight oilpaint.
 
 
Medium W allows oilpaint to be thinned with water for very dilute “washes” of colour in both the underpainting and subsequent layers.
 
 
 
Medium W keeps the vibrancy of oilcolour (left), unlike the chalking effect of solvent. If the oilpaint congeals (right), it means you haven’t added enough Medium W – just put some more in the mix. It’s better to add a little more rather than a little less.
 
 
Using Medium W for underpainting (left) offers easy dilution of colour to any degree and fast drying: overnight for the thin areas, and 2 days for thicker paint (in February). Layering the paint (right) with various amounts of water added to the mixture is easy and quick (2 day drying in February), and
results in a rich, slightly glossy look.
 
Advantages over using solvents:
  • No harmful fumes
  • Does not “chalk” the paint
  • Does not destroy the oilpaint’s binder
  • Can be added in any proportion

Advantages over off?the?shelf water?soluble oilcolours:
  • no need to buy a separate range of paint and mediums
  • harmonised and quick drying (2 – 4 days)
  • maintain colour strength and handling qualities of your existing choice of colours
  • Compatible with all oilpaint
 

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