OMS (odorless Mineral Spirits)

[Marksmomagain]

Hello Mr. Martin... would you be so kind as to direct me to your recipie for your painting medium? I cannot find it in my notebook.. Thank you!

 

[Enyaw]

musket said:
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

 

[RobinZ]

I agree, Bill. I just wanted to say something that jumped out at me is "precisely as I want it to flow". It's amazing when you are settled in on that and know how your materials will behave and can just not even think about it anymore! Whatever it is.

 

[Marksmomagain]

Thank you

 

[Artyczar]

Using a very small amount of Turpenoid in a Silicoil jar really does the trick to get the color of the brush, in fact, you can change colors after getting the color off this way/rubbing it all off on the coil. You close the jar up, and there is no smell in the air. Very very little and it is nontoxic. Then I use soap and water. First a little LAVA, then the real brush cleaner to condition the brush. I've had my brushes for 30 years and they have all survived this method very well. I change the Turpenoid in the jar maybe once a year, if that. I've had the same quart for years! You hardly need any.

I should say you need to give your brush a good wipe with a paper towel before putting it in the jar. But that's it. I actually use a lot of disinfectant wipes because it also removes oil paint off the surface of the painting where I want to erase some areas. Those wipes are magical.

 

[Bongo]

Ian Roberts of "Mastering Composition" fame uses the silicoil jar - but that's it - no soap and water. He only uses filbert hogshair brushes so that might be why he gets away with it. The hogshair are good at holding and releasing paint - probably couldn't do that with synthetics.

I've gone the route of - wiping the brush, then dipping in safflower oil and laying flat still coated with oil. This learned from Mark Carder of "Draw Mix Paint" notoriety. Has to be the ultimate lazy man's way of brush care but it works.

 

[Artyczar]

Very interesting!

 

[Bongo]

Is there any laboratory testing or data to support that Gamsol OMS is any different/better than hardware store OMS. There are no claims on the Gamsol label other than it being oderless and made of 100% naptha. They are both classified - aspiration toxicant - 1 ,

Well there is no need for laboratory testing -I ran out of Gamsol and bought a gallon of Kleen Strip OMS. I used my nose and eyes for testing there was no comparison - the Gamsol is virtually orderless and the Kleen Strip still has a lot of fumes. Too much for my small poorly ventilated studio. Under different conditions - could work(I guess).

There are some other hardware store oms brands -- but once bitten twice shy.