Medium Quest

[Carol Norton]

Is there a medium that does what Gamblin's Neo Megilip does that doesn't dry as quickly or doesn't give off the fumes that Maroger Medium does? I am finding that the paints and Neo Megilip dry after 3 hours and it is hard to get paints and medium off of my wooden palette. I loved the Maroger until I equated the headaches that I got from it with the Marogee product. I don't have ventilation in my studio that others who use it must, so I have forgone its benefits. All advice is gratefully appreciated.
Carol Norton

[Linda Brandon]

Carol, I'm working on a painting right now where I'm using the oiling out technique (Michele Rushworth has gone on record here for using it). You rub a very thin film of linseed oil on your (dry) canvas and then blot it off with a paper towel; enough remains to give your paints some fluidity. I wanted to try this because I have big dark areas of the painting which I wanted to stay flat and ridge-free without texture. My paint usually dries by the next day, but I'm not using colors that dry slowly (such as the cads). So far I really like this technique.

[Carol Norton]

Thank you, Linda, for the suggestion. I will start my next painting with that process. Should I assume that the linseed should not be used on a painting that has Neo Megilp already on it?

[Michele Rushworth]

Should I assume that the linseed should not be used on a painting that has Neo Megilp already on it?

Email Gamblin at www.gamblincolors.com -- they are great at responding quickly to questions like this.

[Carol Norton]

Thank you, Michelle. I will do that.

[Leslie Bohoss]

@Linda

It means you do paint without any other medium? Similar to Virgil Elliott's advice? What about stiff paints e.g Old Hollandtse, your thin oil film is pretty good to paint ridge-free?
Thanks.

[Linda Brandon]

Hi Leslie,

I still use Maroger but I wanted to try something new on a big stretched linen canvas that I had. I find that a lot ot things contribute to paint ridges:
- a panel makes strokes more distinct than a stretched canvas;
- different mediums can make strokes more distinct;
- various paint brands can make strokes more distinct;
- brush type makes strokes more distinct (I am phasing out some of my bristle brushes for this reason).

I'm starting to fan down that first layer of paint a little more than I used to and save the more painterly touches and hard edges for later on.

I'm not a smooth-as-glass painter but I usually don't like ridges in skin or dark backgrounds.

[Leslie Bohoss]

many thanks , I like maroger too, but recently I've tested only linseed oil ( only some drops) It works!
Liquin light gel works well too, but speedy.

Can we see your new big stretched canvas?
(but please, the painted one... LOL )

@Carol
Have you ever tested sunthickened oil mixed with linseed oil?
what about balsams or beeswax in oil? I guess they havent fumes or even toxic ingredients. Balsams (like Canada or Venetian Turp) produces an enamel-like satin surface and drying not so rapidly as Maroger or Liquin does. It prevents sinking in too. And you can control it better by mixing ratio.