Taubes Copal Medium

[Denise Hall]

Hello everyone,

I was reading the article about Kirk Richards, which is in the June 2003 issue of American Artist, and found that he uses Taubes copal medium in his upper layers of paint.

I have never used this, am still ever searching for that perfect medium, as many of us are, and would like to hear more first hand experiences with the copal.

Kirk? Anyone else??

Sincerely interested,
Denise

[Kirk Richards]

Denise,

Taubes Copal is a medium that is no longer available. In the late 70's and early 80's I used it, and it was the medium of choice for most of the students where I studied. Somewhere around 1980 Taubes quit making it. I had quite a large supply, but ran out a few years ago. Then two summers ago, my teacher Richard Lack gave me two quarts, and I am using it once again. In my opinion, it has the finest working properties of any commercial medium I ever used.

Where it seems to be superior to copal you can buy today is in its clarity and its hardness. When dry it would withstand retouch varnish without lifting. Both of the copals I have tried from current makers, Garrett and Cennini had nice working properties, but apparently have a much softer resin which would lift immediately upon retouching, weeks, even months after drying. The Grumbacher and Winsor & Newton use a synthetic, not genuine copal. For that reason I experiment with different alkyd mediums, and occasionally use other natural mediums, such as a poppy/stand oil mixture which is the preferred medium of painter friends of mine. I have used M. Graham walnut alkyd and Liquin, and I like them both.

I wish I could tell you about the Taubes and tell you where to get it, but I can't help there. If anyone finds some on the back of the shelf at an old hobby house or supply store, snatch it up. If you don't like it, there are plenty of us who used it long ago who would buy it from you!

Kirk

BTW, Taubes is the name of the man who formulated it, Frederic Taubes

[Denise Hall]

Thank you Kirk,

By the way, your article in the magazine was very informative and the paintings are beautiful. They have such a fine finish - I'm sure it is the copal medium giving it that look I really like in a finished painting.

Because I can't get the authentic Taubes, which I think I knew was nonexistent anymore, I won't try to get into the copals. I almost got totally into the Gamblin Megilp but it still drags a little too much for me and I feel like I use too much of it when I use it also. I stopped using Liquin after reading lots of bad press on it. I really did like the feel of Liquin the best.

I have never mixed just plain linseed oil or walnut oil and turps for my medium and that is my next project for the summer - to see how I like that.

Maybe what I am looking for is actually the aged painting with a great varnishing. Varnishing seems to be an art in itself. I feel very shaky when I varnish also, and read and read the forum notes before I do it each time. I also never varnish unless the painting is 6 months old or older, asking my clients to bring their paintings back to me or I visit them.

Thank you so much,
Denise