Types of Oil Paint Mediums

When I first used oil paint in my intro to painting class, it took me a while to get used to the consistency and figure out how to get the paint to do what I wanted. Oil paint can be used straight from the tube. Different brands have different consistencies, as well as variations in color.

Using a medium not only makes oils easier to control, but can add more variation to how you use your paint, and allow you to achieve the quality of paint you are looking for.

Here are some different mediums:

Linseed Oil

Often what oil paints are made of. Linseed oil is commonly combined with either a solvent for a traditional oil painting medium, or other medium for a range of effects. It’s slow drying and has a low viscosity. Expect your paint to take three to five days to dry with just linseed. Linseed oil comes from flax seeds.

Stand Oil

A thicker version of linseed oil. Made ticker by more processing. This medium adds more gloss than regular linseed. It still slows dry time, I feel like for slightly longer, and makes the paint more fluid. It can also be mixed with Gamsol for a traditional, but glossier medium.

Poppy Oil: this is the slowest drying oil that Gamblin offers. Use if you paint wet-on-wet and want your paint wet for the longest amount of time possible. Again, you can mix with Gamsol for a traditional medium. You have to use this very sparingly or else it'll never dry.

(idk why this picture is so low quality)

Safflower Oil: Another oil that increases flow and slower drying time. By quite a lot. However, safflower oil's primary role is as a solvent free brush cleaning alternative. I tried it out in college cause Willem De Kooning used it. It takes a very long time for paint to dry when using this, and I feel like it doesn't add much, if any gloss. I wouldn't recommend it for most painters. For more info on how to use safflower oil for solvent free brush cleaning, go to my other blog post: https://www.haleyindoratostudio.com/post/quick-guide-to-solvent-free-brush-cleaning

I'd also avoid using those solvent free mediums they hand out for free sometimes. I'm pretty sure they're just a combo of safflower oil with other things. They don't offer the best control and more importantly, don't bring out the best paint quality.

Neo Magilp and Liquin are the two most common mediums when begging to use oils.

They are easy to work with. Tend to hold there shape, are less fluid, and dry faster as well.

I think Liquin dries faster than Neo Magilp. To me, they are very similar products from two different brands. Most of the mediums I buy are Gamblin, but I do buy Winsor & Newton’s Liquin over other things. 

I'm pretty sure Liquin adds slightly more gloss than Neo magilp does. I primarily use it mixed with other mediums.

Liquin has a very strong smell that some people who are sensitive to strong smells might find annoying. The main fumes you need to worry about are from Gamsol or odorless mineral spirits. Those are the ones that are toxic. The rest of the smells are just strong and can be annoying.

Galkyd: This is a Gamblin medium. It increases gloss and will level brush strokes. It is Gamblin’s fastest drying medium. Because I prefer my paint to stay wet a little longer, I haven’t used this medium in a while. I find it's too sticky and has too much drag.

There is also Galkyd Lite and Galkyd Slow Dry. Lite is another beginner medium. It dries slightly slower than Galkyd, and is less glossy and a little more fluid; your brush wont drag as much.

As the name suggests, Slow Dry dries slower than regular Galkyd, allowing a longer working time. However, it is also more fluid and less glossy than regular Galkyd. I honestly never use any of these mediums because I just don’t think they are fluid enough and dry too fast for me. 

Galkyd Gel and Impasto Mediums:

Galkyd Gel is Gamblin’s version of an Impasto Medium. Many other brands sell their own version of impasto mediums. They all make the paint thicker for retaining brushstrokes or applying paint thickly with a pallet knife. It also helps extend how much paint comes from the tube; using a lot of paint can be expensive.

This version also keeps the paint glossy and makes the paint dry quicker. You have to be careful when painting thicker because oil paint will dry on the outside before it is dry on the inside and bottom. Really thick paintings can take a year or more to dry completely. 

You can also use impasto mediums for small detail work. Especially when building up thicker highlights for maximum contrast.

Cold Wax Medium:

I’ve only experimented with Cold Wax medium once. It makes your paint thicker , but also matte and I prefer glossier paint. Here you can see different brands. Like all mediums, different brands will look and behave in distinct ways. I ended up using too much wax to paint, and the texture was too noticeable; grainy instead of smooth. If you've ever collaged with modge podge, cold wax medium is like the modge podge that works with oil paints.

Solvents:

Products like Gamsol, Sansodor, or Lavender Spike Oil are all used to primarily clean oil paint off of brushes. However, they can also be mixed with mediums to create more traditional mediums. 50% Linseed-Gamsol is a common one. However, you have to be careful when adding solvents to your paints because they break down the paint; making it look dull. It can also remove previous layers of paint if you use it in later stages of painting. I've started using Lavender Spike Oil because it's non-toxic (allegedly, they use it in soaps) and smells like lavender.

My Medium of Choice:

I currently use a combination of linseed, stand, and lavender spike oil in mostly equal parts. I desire gloss, but also a nice flow and liquidness to the paint. To me, this combination has the least amount of stickiness and dry time that’s a little longer than other mediums, but still can be touch dry within a reasonable time. Sometimes in later stages of a painting, I'll mix more oils than solvents. When layering painting it's important to remember the rule "fat over lean." This is to prevent any cracking, and to make sure the paint dries correctly. It confused me for a while as a student, but basically save layers with more oil in them for the top. For example, starting a painting with Gamsol (negative oil), then using a little linseed oil, then more linseed on the top for layering on wet paint. I only use one medium on a painting to avoid this problem.

I used to use a combination of linseed, stand, and Liquin: the combination my painting professor Clifford Wun uses. It dries faster and since there’s no solvent in it (spike oil or Gamsol) it retains its very glossy finish. This is good if you’re like me and don’t varnish paintings. I know I should for longevity, but it's an unnecessary task that’s become preferential. Like framing my paintings.

Overall, the best way to decide what medium works for you is to try a bunch out. Over time, you’ll decide what type of paint quality is important to you, and what mediums can give you that look and control. 

Originally published in the April 2024 edition of my Newsletter, "From the Artist's Studio"