The use or non use of mediums

Anthony Emmolo · 10-20-2005, 09:21 PM

Hello all,

I've recently been working in a new way than ever before. I've been putting my complete color sceme on the wood panel ith acrylics, then going into the refinements with oil. My final layers are fairly dry brush scumbling using no medium and no turp. In some cases the layers become rather thick as I go back the following days to scumble again over dried areas. It seems like a fine enough way to work. Are there any thoughts out there about the dangers to the painting in the future if I don't use medium or turp? My biggest fear is that my galleries will one day tell me something horrible like:

"Anthony, we've been getting phone calls over the past few months from people who bought your work within the last three years and they all say green creepies are growing in the thickly painted areas. They all want there money back. Get your check book out!!!"
Anthony

Michele Rushworth · 10-21-2005, 10:59 PM

I don't use any medium when I paint either but then most of my paintings are done with only one to four layers, and painted thinly. The key is that old rule of fat over lean: just be sure you don't use medium in lower layers and then put something with no medium over it. And of course, thin paint always holds up over time better than thick layers. It's less likely to crack.

Sharon Knettell · 10-25-2005, 11:03 AM

Anthony,

I had a long talk with Micheal Harding, the paint maker. He is particularly persnickety about procedures, mediums and paint quality.

He said quite emphatically NOT to paint oil over acrylics, including acrylic sized canvas.

Oil primed canvasses are the best, and if you can get one properly made and cured, lead primed canvas.

He also suggested that the MOST archival surface in his opinion was MDF board, cradeled and simply sized with two coats of rabbit skin glue.

The best medium is simply the best refined turpentine you can find.

He was aghast that I would buy an oil primed canvas and tone it with a Liquin or Gaklyd wash.

Michele Rushworth · 10-25-2005, 01:31 PM

[quote]He said quite emphatically NOT to paint oil over acrylics, including acrylic sized canvas.[quote]What did he say would happen? I have a bunch of inexpensive acrylic primed canvases lying around that I use for landscapes, etc. (For portrait commissions I use the oil priimed Claessen's that you recommended a few years back.)

Lacey Lewis · 10-25-2005, 03:42 PM

I am more and more interested in painting sans mediums. If I may, here's what my journey has been thus far:

Somehow, I learned in college to use Turpenoid Natural as a medium. I know better now! But that's what I did up until a little over a year ago. Luckily, those paintings aren't important and are all stuffed away.

After that, I painted with no medium. I honestly can't remember exactly what that felt like, but I do remember wishing that I could get certain paints more 'slippery'.

I got some mediums and have experimented with a couple, and have regularly begun to use Liquin because it dries underlayers well and makes it 'slippery'.

So, I've now been thinking about going back to using no medium, or to start using either Turp or OMS/Gamsol (I have some of both... would prefer to use OMS/Gamsol) and/or and an oil like linseed.

Can you please tell me, how do you deal with stiffer pigments when you aren't using a medium? Do you use Turp or OMS to help? What kind of a drying time to you have under these conditions?

Anthony, I don't mean to steal your thread and if I am please feel free to have this moved to a new thread! I hope this will give both of us some good info.

Michele Rushworth · 10-25-2005, 04:14 PM

I usually paint with no medium but to soften stiffer paints I'll use a little bit of a 50/50 OMS/Linseed oil mixture. I don't really trust anything else.

Anthony Emmolo · 10-26-2005, 06:45 AM

Thank you all,

I've been away from the computer for a couple of days and it was nice to see the responses.

Sharon, did Michael Harding give you any reason why painting over acrylic with oil would be problem? You've got me a little worried now.
Anthony

Sharon Knettell · 10-26-2005, 09:34 AM

Anthony,

I was on the phone with him for over 2 hours. We talked about everything from how to grow the right flax for canvas the best kind of oils used for paint making, cold-pressed, refined, you name it.

I took notes but the amount of information he has was overwhelming. He has a site and you can email him. It is better it comes directly from him than second hand from me.

After scouring the universe for the right kind of oil paint for my use, I came across his paint and won't use anything else.

http://www.michaelharding.co.uk

Anthony Emmolo · 10-26-2005, 11:51 PM

Thank you, I appreciate your help.

Good luck,
Anthony

Anthony Emmolo · 10-27-2005, 12:15 AM

Hello Lacey,

You asked me about my drying time not using a medium. Basically I've been just softly dry brushing whites over colored surfaces much the way a lady may build up foundation when applying make-up. Gradually, the paint gets thicker in some areas where I want more white, and is left slightly thinner in other areas where I want the background color to show through more. Done this way, my drying time is about two or three days in the thicker areas. I loosen things with a bit of turp when needed.

By the way, I'm not familiar with OMS. What is it? Do you know any corner shops in Shanghai, China that supply it?

Anthony