Than to dilute oil paints? Oil Paints for Painting

Oil painting is one of the most popular types of fine art. This is due to the brightness and longevity of the work. In addition, working with this material is extremely easy and enjoyable. In this regard, it is important to know what to dilute oil paints.

Do I need to dilute oil paints?

Oil paints for painting can be used without diluents. If the texture is soft enough and you like relief works, then boldly draw them in pure form. Nevertheless, the paint can have a too dense consistency and eventually thicken. In this case, you will certainly have a question than dilute the oil paints. Here the main thing is to understand that any solvent makes the work less bright. And if you use natural oils, then keep in mind that the drying time of the finished painting will increase significantly. In any case, you need to keep such means in your arsenal in order to be able to wash your brushes and palette.

Ready thinner

In art stores, you can find thinners of oil paints, which differ by numbers. They include turpentine, pinene and white spirit. Number means the ratio of these substances. Diluents use not only for drawing, but also for washing brushes and cleaning the palette.

Oil as diluent

The first thing that comes to mind in the question of what to dilute oil paints, is, of course, vegetable oils. Most often use linseed or hemp. But the best way is to carefully read the composition of the paint and choose in the art store a similar oil. Such an additive will make the material softer and supple. In addition, the work will have a characteristic luster. After drying, the picture will be covered with an imperceptible elastic film, which will protect it from the damaging effects of external factors. If we talk about the drawbacks of such a diluent, it is worth noting an unpleasant suffocating smell.

Terpentine and white spirit

Purified terpentine is a good option for large-scale paintings. Oil paints for painting become viscous enough and do not dry for a long time, and therefore you will always have the opportunity to make adjustments to the work. Nevertheless, in any case, do not use household turpentine, only from an art store. This substance can give yellowness to the paint.

As for mineral white spirit, it dries much faster than the previous substance. In addition, it is less fastidious in storage and safer in terms of chemical composition. And the price of such a diluent is lower. Nevertheless, if the substance is of poor quality, a white coating may appear on the finished work after drying.

Artistic lacquer

If you do not know how to dilute oil paints, then try painting paints. But in any case, do not confuse them with the covers, which are applied about a year after writing the picture. The varnish must contain wood resin and a solvent.

Oil paints for painting, diluted in this way, become more pliable and at the same time more dense, which provides a good overlap. In addition, the finished picture becomes bright and shiny, which is quite difficult to achieve, using only oil or thinner. The paint after drying becomes more durable and resistant to external influences.

To ensure that the structure of the oil paint is softer, a so-called double is often used. It consists of one part of the varnish and two parts of flax or hemp oil.

The recipe for the "tee"

Experienced artists prefer to independently prepare a thinner for oil paints to suit their needs. The most common recipe for the "tee" includes the following components:

• Painting varnish (it is better to choose dammarous or mastic);
• Hemp, linseed or poppy oil (the latter is considered one of the most transparent and pure);
• Turpentine or solvent for artistic oil paints (most often white spirit).

All components are mixed in a clean glass container in equal proportions. The vessel must be tightly closed, otherwise the solvent will evaporate and lose its properties.

Helpful information

Beginners and experienced artists will certainly appreciate the following tips.

Never use solvents from building stores, because they not only have an unpleasant odor, but also give the colors a hint of yellow after drying.

Some diluents make the color of the paint pale, but as they evaporate, the shade may again become brighter.

Before using this or that solvent in the work on the picture, experiment on a test piece of the canvas.

Do not use too much thinner, because oil paint can become loose and it will be worse to stick to the surface.

For rapid drying, use turpentine or artistic varnish, and if you have a long work, it is better to give preference to vegetable oil.

When working with solvents (especially chemical ones), wear gloves and gauze dressings, and do not forget to ventilate the room.

Always dilute a small amount of paint, because in this form it is not subject to storage.

If you want to give your picture a pleasant aroma, then use as a solvent cedar or fir varnish.

Can I reuse thinner?

Quite often, artists dunk in a container with a solvent brushes stained in paint. As a result, it becomes cloudy and, at first glance, absolutely unsuitable for use. A dirty diluent can be re-used if a filtration procedure is carried out. First, allow the liquid to stand up to precipitate, then pass it through a paper filter. The procedure should be repeated until the sediment ceases to fall out. The filtered diluent is poured into a clean glass container and tightly closed with a lid.

Properly selected diluent for oil paints will make your work more vivid, and also will speed up the drying process.