Oils and Acrylics

TROPICAL SET Inspired by Bermuda and Caribbean adventures, Michael Harding created this set to capture the essence of the tropics and natural beauty of the islands. 6 x 40ml tubes. The Tropical set contains: Warm White Yellow Lake Brilliant Pink Phthalocyanine Blue Bright Green Lake Cobalt Teal Learn More

DESERT SET Warm colours, blue skies, and desert vegetation are all captured in this set, which was designed with the Plein Air artist in mind. 10 x 40ml tubes. The Desert set contains: Warm White Unbleached Titanium Dioxide Yellow Lake Deep Yellow Ochre Deep Venetian Red Scarlet Lake Burnt Umber Italian Green Umber Phthalocyanine Blue and Titanium White Ultramarine Blue Learn More

Sansodor is a low-odour solvent which can be used as an alternative to turpentine. It evaporates slowly, increasing the blending time of oil paints, and can be used to clean brushes. Learn More

Canada Balsam is an oleoresin, meaning that it is a mixture of essential oils and resin. It comes from the fir tree Abies balsamea, native to Canada and the eastern states of North America. It is notable for its pale colour, clarity and gloss, making it a useful ingredient in recipes for oil-painting mediums.

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From the Winsor & Newton website: A new addition to the Winsor & Newton range, this water-miscible solvent removes dried oil, alkyd acrylic colour from brushes. Soak in the cleaner overnight scrub if necessary. Cleanable with water.

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A highly efficient and safer solvent for oil paint. Studio Safe is non-aromatic and non-flammable and has a pleasant orange smell. Use for brush cleaning and the thinning of paint and as an alternative to traditional turpentine and white spirit.

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Schmincke Medium W is an odourless, jelly-like ("lean") medium for mixing oil colours with water instead of organic solvents such as turpentine or turpentine substitute. It increases gloss and transparency, reduces viscosity and harmonizes the drying process.

Dosage: 50%

Thinner: Water

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Gamsol is an odourless mineral spirit created by the American company Gamblin. They describe it as "the safest solvent that allows oil painters to utilize all traditional painting techniques without compromise."

Please see below for Gamsol's primary applications.

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PM1 is a basic paint medium, designed to increase the flow of your oil paints and the gloss and transparency of your paint layers, adding to the depth and beauty of the your pigment colour. The inclusion of linseed stand oil in the recipe of this oil based medium prevents the “yellowing” of your paint film.

Recommendation: Add 10-20% to your oil colour as you require.

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Copaiba Balsam comes from the South American tree Copaifera landsdorfii. Its primary function is to improve the appearance of paint layers that may have become dull, brittle or sunken upon drying. It is a viscous liquid that may be diluted with turpentine, but which should not be used in painting mediums.

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Venice Trupentine is a thick, resinous liquid extracted from the Larix decidua, a larch tree native to Austria. It can impart luminosity, brilliance and gloss when used in mediums and varnishes, and as such it was highly valued during the Golden Age of painting in Venice. It is a slow-drying balsam, which can be diluted with turpentine or placed in a bath of warm water to aid flow.

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Volatile colourless liquid distilled from pine sap. Greater wetting powers than white spirit. Used to thin oil paint. Learn More

Slightly less refined than rectified spirit of turpentine. Often preferred as constituent of painting mediums. Learn More

Plastic container. Solvent distilled from crude petroleum oils. Used to thin colour and to clean brushes. Slower drying time than turpentine. Learn More

Solvent for shellac flakes. Learn More

Lemon oil is an essential oil, primarily used for its scent. Learn More

From the Winsor & Newton website: A fast evaporating, highly refined essential oil with the strongest thinning and brush cleaning power of all Artists' grade solvents. Suitable for removing varnish (including Dammar Varnish).Keep tightly closed and away from light to prevent oxidation. Do not use if it has thickened. Learn More

From the Winsor & Newton website: A pale refined oil of syrupy consistency which behaves like Linseed Stand Oil but dries quicker and darker. Improves flow and gloss. Increases the durability of paint film. Reduces brushstroke retention. Learn More

From the Winsor & Newton website: A slightly yellow oil, which is extracted without the use of heat dries slightly quicker than refined linseed oil. Improves flow. Increases gloss & transparency. Reduces consistency and brushstrokes. Ideal for grinding pigments. Learn More

From the Winsor & Newton website: Darker than refined Linseed Oil, this oil promotes the fastest drying rate of all the oils, whilst increasing gloss. Improves flow. Increases gloss transparency. Add to other oils to speed drying.

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From the Winsor & Newton website: Our most popular oil. A low viscosity alkali refined oil of pale colour that dries slowly. Reduces oil colour consistency. Increases gloss and transparency. Add to other oils to slow drying. Learn More

From the Winsor & Newton website: A fast-drying, pale oil made from poppy seeds which is well suited for whites and pale colours. Reduces consistency. Increases gloss & transparency. Resists yellowing.

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From the Winsor & Newton website: A pale viscous oil that slows drying while imparting a tough, smooth enamel finish with no brush marks. Increases film durability. Ideal for glazing and fine detail if mixed with solvent.

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From the Winsor & Newton website: A slow drying oil which improves flow, increases gloss and transparency. Particularly suitable for use with whites and pale colours.

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Linseed Oil is derived from flax seeds, and appears on our shelves in many guises: Cold Pressed, Refined, Stand Oil, and as a key ingredient in many mediums. It has been appreciated for its drying properties since the Medieval period, and has become the most popular oil used in painting today due to the strong, flexible and glossy film that it creates.

Alkali Refined Linseed Oil has been treated to reduce its acidity, and is a useful ingredient in mediums and varnishes.

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Linseed Oil is derived from flax seeds, and appears on our shelves in many guises: Cold Pressed, Refined, Stand Oil, and as a key ingredient in many mediums. It has been appreciated for its drying properties since the Medieval period, and has become the most popular oil used in painting today due to the strong, flexible and glossy film that it creates. Cold Pressed Linseed Oil is ideal for the grinding of pigment to make oil paints. The process of producing Cold Pressed Linseed Oil results in a lower yield, but the resultant oil is of a superior quality to oil that has been extracted by other methods, creating a paint film that is more resistant to embrittlement on aging. Its yellow colour is caused by the high concentration of linolenic acid, the presence of which provides durability to the paint film. The amount of oil that each pigment requires can vary enormously. Alizarin Crimson, for example, requires a high percentage of oil compared to most other colours. We would always recommend mulling the pigment and oil together thoroughly to create a "short" or buttery paste, with evenly dispersed, well-coated pigment particles. This process contributes to the strength and flexibility of the paint film, and prevents the inclusion of excess oil. Origin: USA Learn More

Linseed Oil is derived from flax seeds, and appears on our shelves in many guises: Cold Pressed, Refined, Stand Oil, and as a key ingredient in many mediums. It has been appreciated for its drying properties since the Medieval period, and has become the most popular oil used in painting today due to the strong, flexible and glossy film that it creates.

Stand Oil is paler and more viscous than other Linseed Oils, having been heated and kept at temperature to provoke a molecular change. It is not suitable for grinding colours, but it is a very versatile ingredient that can be thinned with turpentine to create a glazing medium or be included in a varnish. Stand Oil is notable for its ability to smooth out brush strokes to create an enamel-like surface.

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Poppy Oil is a slightly later addition to the artist's cabinet than Linseed Oil and Walnut Oil. It is generally used as a binder for pale colours, where the warmth of Linseed Oil is not desired. It provides a matte finish and dries very slowly, so we would not advise using it in conjunction with slow-drying pigments or in underpaintings. A paint film produced by Poppy Oil is weaker and softer than that created by Linseed Oil. This is because it contains a smaller percentage of linolenic acid than Linseed Oil; this substance imparts both strength and yellowness to an oil.  

Although some of these properties can be perceived as drawbacks, paints made with Poppy Oil generally obtain a "short" or buttery texture without the addition of waxes or other additives, which can be an advantage for certain colours that produce poor consistencies in Linseed oil alone. Sometimes, the addition of a small quantity of Poppy Oil when grinding a tricky or "stringy" pigment in Cold Pressed Linseed Oil can introduce some of benefits of Poppy Oil, without transmitting its negative characteristics.

Paints made with Poppy Oil are particularly suited to "alla prima" working methods, where paint is applied spontaneously. When working in successive layers, Poppy Oil would only be appropriate for the final stages of a painting.

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Safflower Oil is light-coloured, making it suitable for grinding pale pigments. It is still sometimes used as a binder for commercially available paints, although due to its very slow drying time it is best reserved for the final layers of a painting. Compared to Linseed oil, Safflower Oil will give a matte finish.

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