Oil painting is one of the most popular types of fine art. This is due to the brightness and durability of the work. In addition, working with this material is extremely easy and pleasant. In this regard, it is important to know how to dilute oil paints.
Do I need to dilute oil paints
It is quite possible to use oil paints for painting without thinners. If the texture is soft enough and you like relief works, then boldly draw them in their pure form. However, the paint may be too dense and thicken over time. In this case, you will certainly be faced with the question of how to dilute oil paints. The main thing here 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, such products should be kept in their arsenal in order to be able to wash their brushes and palette.
Ready thinner
In art stores you can find thinners of oil paints, which differ in numbers. They include turpentine, pinene and white spirit. The number means the ratio of these substances. Thinners are used not only for drawing, but also for washing brushes and cleaning the palette.
Oil as a diluent
The first thing that comes to mind when asked about how to dilute oil paints is, of course, vegetable oils. Most often used linseed or hemp. But it is best to carefully read the composition of the paint and choose a similar oil in an art store. Such an additive will make the material softer and more pliable. In addition, the work will have a characteristic brilliance. After drying, the picture is covered with an invisible elastic film, which will protect it from the destructive effects of external factors. If we talk about the shortcomings of such a diluent, it is worth noting an unpleasant suffocating smell.
Terpentine and White Spirit
Purified turpentine is a good option for large-scale paintings. Oil paints for drawing 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. However, in no case do not use household terpentine, only from an art store. This substance can make the paint yellow.
As for mineral white spirit, it dries much faster than the previous substance. In addition, it is less picky in storage and safer in terms of chemical composition. And the price of such a diluent is lower. However, if the substance is of poor quality, a white coating may appear on the finished work after drying.
Art varnish
If you do not know how to dilute oil paints, then try painting varnishes. But in no case do not confuse them with coverslips, which are applied about a year after painting. The varnish should contain wood resin and solvent.
Oil paints for painting, diluted in this way, become more malleable and at the same time more dense, which provides a good overlap. In addition, the finished picture becomes bright and shiny, which is difficult to achieve using only oil or thinner. After drying, the paint becomes more durable and resistant to external influences.
To make the structure of oil paint more soft, often use the so-called double. It consists of one part of varnish and two parts of linseed or hemp oil.
Tee Recipe
Experienced artists prefer to independently prepare a thinner for oil paints , taking into account their needs. The most common “tee” recipe includes the following components:
- pictorial varnish (it is better to choose dammar or mastic);
- hemp, linseed or poppy seed oil (the latter is considered one of the most transparent and purest);
- turpentine or a solvent for art oil paints (most often use white spirit).
All components are mixed in a clean glass container in equal proportions. The vessel must be tightly closed, otherwise the solvent will begin to evaporate and lose its properties.
Useful information
Beginners and experienced artists will certainly appreciate the following tips.
Never use solvents from construction stores, because they not only have an unpleasant odor, but also give the colors a shade of yellowness after drying.
Some thinners make the color of the paint pale, but as they evaporate, the shade may become brighter again.
Before using this or that solvent in work on a picture, experiment on a trial piece of canvas.
Do not use too much thinner, because oil paint can become loose and will stay worse on the surface.
For quick drying, use turpentine or art varnish, and if you have a long work to do, 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 cedar or fir varnish as a solvent.
Can diluent be reused?
Quite often, artists dip brushes stained in paint into a container with a solvent. As a result, it becomes cloudy and, at first glance, completely unusable. A dirty diluent may well be reused if a filtration procedure is carried out. To begin, let the liquid stand to precipitate, then pass it through a paper filter. The procedure must be repeated until the precipitate ceases to precipitate. Pour the filtered thinner into a clean glass container and tighten the cap tightly.
The right diluent for oil paints will make your work brighter and speed up the drying process.