Damar Varnish and Paint Thinners

[Marvin Mattelson]

Hey Virgil,

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoyed meeting you too and seeing your original painting was a real treat. Maybe next time we can have a full conversation.

I'm grateful an expert such as yourself is willing to share your knowledge to dispel some of the commonly accepted misinformation that seems to abound. Although I certainly want my pictures to stand the test of time I am far more concerned about the health issues that artists face today.

I

[Michael Georges]

I certainly respect Virgil's opinion and knowledge - not to mention his respected position in this community.

However, I am still standing by my positions and beliefs expressed here. Sadly, none of us will be alive when this discussion is resolved by our paintings and their reactions to time.

I will close with a couple of final things to think about - things that concern me as I read your posts.

Gamblin's Neo-Meglip is brand new on the market.

1. What are its exact ingredients - do you really know?

2. Do you feel comfortable painting with a completely new medium if you don't know exactly what is in it?

Doubtless, this product is some sort of alkyd mixture, but beyond that what are its exact ingredients? What are those ingredients going to do to your paintings over time - not to mention your concerns about health?

Not to offend anyone here, but to me it is 6 of one, half-dozen of another. The difference I see is that I know exactly what I am painting with and the risks associated with it.

Forewarned is forearmed as you said...

[Marvin Mattelson]

Michael

In Gamblin I trust.

[Michele Rushworth]

With all the controversy about mediums and solvents I've decided to follow the advice from Virgil in one of his other posts on this forum (Hi, Virgil!) and that is to paint with paint and not with medium.

I've started using only the absolute minimum of odorless mineral spirits to thin my paint and then only when really necessary -- and I've been using no medium whatsoever. I work alla prima so I don't have more than three layers in any part of my paintings. (I try to get what I paint done right the first time so I don't have to make layers and layers of corrections.) I also try to make my lowest layers physically thin and let them dry thoroughly before putting another layer on top of them. I hope the ingredients in my top-brand paints are more or less free of impurities (!) and I don't put anything else in my paint at all.

I hope this will turn out to be a good strategy, but most of all I hope that at least some of my work will be good enough for anyone to care about how well it holds up in a hundred years. That's what I'm really concentrating on!

[Marvin Mattelson]

Michele

I have tried painting without oil and don't like consistancy of the paint and the sinking in of the dark colors. If you are looking to Virgil for advice here is a quote from him in a recent thread:

"I recently tried Gamblin's Neo Megilp, and like it very much. I concur with those who would like to see it dry a bit faster, but I appreciate its not drying before I've had time to develop my forms fully. I have great confidence in Gamblin's products, as I know he works closely with the top conservation scientists in developing them before he puts them on the market."

I think it would be an interesting thread to have each artist state their thinner and medium choices.

[Michele Rushworth]

Thanks, Marvin. I think I'll try the Neo-Meglip. I have also heard great things about Gamblin products.

P.S. Congratulations on your award at the ASOPA conference. I enjoyed seeing your painting in person -- such exquisite paint handling!

[Michele Rushworth]

I've been going to all my usual online sources for art supplies (Jerry's, Dick Blick, Daniel Smith, etc) and I can't find neo-Meglip. Any ideas where I can order this online? Gamblin doesn't sell direct.

[Virgil Elliott]

Michele,

I found it in a local art supply store (northern California). I would think any art store that carries Gamblin products would have it by now. I'd call around and find out, like we all did before there were computers. Well, like those of us who lived most of our lives in the pre-computer age did, anyway. I reckon you younger folks wouldn't know nothin' about that.

Virgil

[Stanka Kordic]

Michelle,

Neo-maglip is in the Jerry's and Dick Blick catalogs. I believe Jerry's has it for 6.99 for an 8 oz.