Do you use a medium with your glazes, Bill?
Yes, I surely do, and it is one that I have engineered myself, after many years of tolerating commercial painting mediums that were more of a hinderance to my work than a help.
It all began a long time ago, when I became frustrated with my medium not behaving the way I wanted it to, and in my frustration, I literally "threw" some Walnut Oil into the mix in my medium cup that was attached to my palette, while I was painting . This desperate move so improved the characteristics of my medium that I decided to be a great deal more scientific about my recipe, and to measure, and to proportion out my ingredients in a very accurate manner..
I selected Walnut Oil as my slow-drying, slippery-feeling, less-yellowing, drying oil.
Then I chose Linseed Oil as my oil for providing a strong paint film, and a bit faster drying.
Because the application of plain medium directly to the surface of my dried underpainting often caused beading (trickling/pulling back) of my medium, I included a natural resin, and though I began with Venice Turpentine (Larch tree resin), I have now been using the much better, Canada Balsam.
I once tried Oil of Spike Lavender as the solvent, and was very impressed with it the first time I used it. It is more aggressive in its solvent action than Gum Spirits of Turpentine and MUCH more aggressive than Odorless Mineral Spirits. Oil of Spike "bites into" the surface of the dried underpainting, causing a more durable bond with the fresh paint, and also aiding the natural resin in preventing beading.
To use the medium, I apply a bit of it with a brush, and then I spread it out evenly, and very thinly, using either my fingertip, or a cosmetic sponge. There is barely enough to detect , once I have spread it out, but that is enough to use as a "lubricant" for the paint that I apply into it. I only condition a small area at a time with medium, and I apply paint into that application immediately, before it has an opportunity to tack up. The process of glazing is NOT the diluting of paint with huge volumes of clear painting medium, as some suggest. It is the use of a very small amount of painting medium, used more as a "lubricant" for the paint, than a s a "thinner", or "diluent" for the paint.
I do not use alkyd mediums, nor do I recommend them to anyone whom I consider to be a friend. Alkyds tack up much too fast, on the palette while being used, and they really don't actually dry much faster than more traditional mediums once they have been applied to the canvas. One should not have to "put up with", or "tolerate", or invent ways to "deal with" their painting medium. A painting medium should be one's right hand man, so to speak, and it should behave precisely as you want it to, for the work you are trying to accomplish.
This is the recipe for the best painting medium I've ever used. It took me a long time to settle on this recipe. The glazing, and layering process are an absolute dream when using this medium. It also smells quite wonderful, because of the Canada Balsam, and the Oil of Spike Lavender, although its smell turns some people away from it, I must admit.
2 portions Water-Washed Linseed Oil
2 portions Water-Washed Walnut Oil
1 portion Canada Balsam
2 portions Oil of Spike Lavender
I purchase all these ingredients from "The Art Treehouse" operated by Robert Maynord. I also buy many of his paints that are ground in Walnut Oil. I just like the way they behave. His prices for medium ingredients are so reasonable, I am able to purchase a bit better version of drying oils, that are water-washed, than I would be otherwise.
Hope that answers your questions. Sorry, I got a little long-winded, but I am absolutely SOLD on my "private painting medium".
