Anybody know what's in Gamblin's Neo-megilp? I love the gel quality of it but I'm not sure what it actually is. Is it an alkyd?

Yes
 

It's an alkyd based medium. Robert Gamblin won't reveal whats in it. Big secret.

I know many people take Gamblin products completely on trust but I wonder what they've done as far as accelerated aging tests with it. It's a fun medium to work with but I'm not excited about using something so new and unknown.

The magic medium
 

Recently I've been doing some reading about the 17th century old masters techniques. We now have very sophisticated measuring devices that can analyze the make-up of the paint layers during restoration. So far the overwhelming evidence points to walnut oil and linseed oil. No varnish in the paint layers. All those theorists such as Maroger were apparently writing fiction. Less is more.

Welcome to the Club. :thumbsup:

Re: Blockx
 

Sharon wrote: "A few years ago [Blockx] discontinued their gorgeous Alizarin, probably because of questions of permanence. I could not see any problems with it as the pigment used was on Mayer's approved list, so I bought a box of ten. It is now no longer available."


Sharon,

Alizarin Crimson has been discovered to be less lightfast than was believed in Ralph Mayer's time. Mayer's book was first published in 1940, and he died in 1979. There have been many discoveries made since then, so Mayer's book cannot be regarded as the last word.

My own lightfastness testing shows very convincingly that alizarin crimson (dihydroxyanthraquinone) loses its redness with time, and becomes a purplish brown. There are several alizarin substitutes on the market now that are much more reliable. Archival Oils' Permanent Alizarine, and Gamblin's Alizarin Permanent are the ones I use. Both are made with pigments of significantly better lightfastness than real alizarin crimson.

Virgil Elliott