Mixing Paint w/ Medium

CharleyBoy

I've reviewed all the former posts about making medium and mixing it with the oil color. Gary's advice about achieving the proper viscosity clearly explains how to proceed and how to know when it's just right. However, just to have a rough idea before starting, what is the approximate ratio of oil color to medium? 50/50? 60/40? 70/30? 80/20?

Mark_Carder

It varies GREATLY from one color to another. Get some Heinz Tomato Ketchup, mix your paint to match viscosity. But start by mixing them thick, let the paint sit in the the closed jar over night. Then add more medium the next day if necessary. Some of the colors thicken over night, others get thinner. The yellow is the worst, mix that one extra thick to start, overnight it will become far more runny. This has nothing to do with the paint actually drying, just a thinning or thickening effect that stops after a few hours.

greendl

glad I did a search on this. I missed it before. thanks

Gary

Hi Charley! I put a teaspoon of sdm into my small, wide-mouth canning jar....roll it around inside the jar to coat the bottom and about half way up the jar walls. This helps to keep the paint from sticking to the sides of the wall when stirring. Then I empty the entire small tube of paint into the jar and mix it with one of those little wooden sticks you use to get on a ice cream bar or you can buy these days in a hobby shop (e.g., Hobby Lobby, Michael's). Let it sit overnight. The next day, following Mark's example, I stirred it again and check for the proper consistency. Using a small wooden match stick I scraped off any paint sticking to the wooden ice cream stick back into the jar when I was through mixing. If the paint was still too thick, I'd add a bit more sdm (something less than a teaspoon), the amount will depend on how thick the paint was...if it was still real thick, I'd add almost another teaspoon....if it was thinner and getting close to the right thickness, then I'd add very little. Let it sit over night and repeat the process until I got each color to the right viscosity. After you do this a few times, it really goes much faster as you know about how much sdm you have to add for each color...taking a few notes the first time or two helps. Don't worry if you add a little too much sdm and find your paint on the thin side the next morning...you can always add a little paint straight from the tube to thicken it up again.

billj

Bill J. I`m having a hard time finding Venice turpentine. What`s the difference between Venice, distilled, and Turpenoid, turpentine? I`m new to the Forum, made a living as a sculptor for many years. Between Arthritis and nerve damage it`s getting hard to hold the chisels. Did a lot of oil painting back in the day. Sold everything even portraits. Still can`t believe they sold, my paintings were terrible. I`ll be able to hold brush. Marks method looks interesting, can`t wait to start. Thanks

dencal

Bill J

Welcome to the Forum.
Venice Turpentine is resin from the larch tree (pure).
Distilled Turpentine is the bottom layer of resinous (pine usually) residue from the distillation process and recombined with various amounts of the volatiles given off.
Turpenoid is a synthetic substitute distilled from crude oil.
Turpentine is the thin volatiles from distillation of pine.

Of these only venice turpentine is not a health hazard.

Denis

billj

Dencal.
Thank You, Can`t find Venice turpentine, any ideas?

dencal

billj

Sure I can.

Can you give me a big hint. Which country are from?

Denis

billj

Las Vegas, NV, USA. Thanks

dencal

Billj

I just read on the other thread, where you posted the same question, that you have found some VT at a tack store.

Well done. Let us know how you go.

Denis

tjs

Gary said:

Hi Charley! I put a teaspoon of sdm into my small, wide-mouth canning jar....roll it around inside the jar to coat the bottom and about half way up the jar walls. This helps to keep the paint from sticking to the sides of the wall when stirring.

Wish you would have posted this a long time ago cause I truly have a mess inside my jars!!!!

Gary

Not my original idea TJ! Mark mentioned it in his original dvd.

tjs

He did? "> Gosh I've watched and listened to that thing so many times!!! Stupid me! (