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Oils Used in Painting

Traditionally, oils are used by painters to hold pigments together and produce a consistency that can be effectively used on canvass. Some painters use commercial paints from tubes and these also produce satisfactory results, even though the artist cannot be sure of the paints’ composition. There is a possibility that the paint would fade and the painting’s overall effect would not be as powerful as when it was newly-created.
Traditionally, oils are used by painters to hold pigments together and produce a consistency that can be effectively used on canvass. Some painters use commercial paints from tubes and these also produce satisfactory results, even though the artist cannot be sure of the paints’ composition. There is a possibility that the paint would fade and the painting’s overall effect would not be as powerful as when it was newly-created.

There are three types of oils: fixed oils, essential oils, and oils that make a composition glossier. Fixed or drying oils dry and bind a pigment or pigments on a surface. As this happens, they undergo a slow chemical change that may last up to six months. This is the reason why artists sometimes wait that long before finishing their composition with varnish.

Essential oils easily evaporate and these oils are used as thinners. Artists use essential oils to disperse paint that has been too thickly applied. Oils that make a painting glossier are balsams, resins, and varnishes. These oils make a composition more lustrous by making the oil layers reflect more light.

And here are some fixed and drying oils popularly used by many fellow artists.

Linseed oil is the usually the one used in the production of oil paints. It dries within one day and, if properly prepared, does not crack as it dries. The only disadvantage with linseed oil is that it turns yellow with the passage of time.

The refined linseed oils can be mixed with siccatives (drying agents) to produce another kind of oil which is more durable and glossier. This oil is called Boiled oil. Another oil produced from linseed oil is called Stand oil, which is used in glazes. This oil is thick, does not yellow and gives a glossy finish. But it takes up to eight days to dry.

Poppy oil can be a substitute for linseed oil and it does not yellow. But it does crack when applied too thickly. It also takes a longer amount of time to dry, about four to five days.

The Safflower oil is similar to poppy oil and it dries faster.
If the painting involves fluid brush strokes, the Nut oil is considered ideal for holding the pigments. It takes three to four days to dry but it does not yellow as obviously as linseed oil.
Among essential oils, the most often used are Distilled turpentine, Oil of lavender and spike, and White spirit.

Distilled turpentine is excellent as solvent for resins and at the same time, blends smoothly with many fixed oils. The Oil of lavender and spike is ideal for thinning oil varnishes. And the White spirit is often used for cleaning brushes.