Oils & Acrylics

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 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: 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: 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 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: 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 slow drying oil which improves flow, increases gloss and transparency. Particularly suitable for use with whites and pale colours.

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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

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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The introduction of Walnut Oil as a pigment binder is contemporaneous with the emergence of Linseed Oil. Their drying properties have been appreciated since the Middle Ages, and throughout history there is evidence of both oils being used alongside each other within the same painting. In fact, until the sixteenth century, it is believed that Walnut Oil was the preferred binding medium among Italian artists. It is made from mature walnut kernals, offering a pale colour and brilliant gloss. For this reason, it is sometimes chosen as a binder for light colours, as it provides a stronger paint film than Poppy Oil, and faster drying times. However, a paint film made from Walnut Oil will tend to be brittle, so it is more suited to a rigid support rather than canvas. 

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From the Winsor & Newton website: A quick drying, semi-gloss medium which thickens slowly and extends tube colour retaining crisp textures brush marks without any visible levelling. Speeds drying (touch dry in 1-6 days depending on colour and film thickness). Resists yellowing. Not suitable as a varnish or final coat.

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A strontium-based siccative, milder than cobalt driers. Add sparingly to oil colours to accelerate drying, particularly recommended for pale colours. Learn More

From the Schmincke website:

Jelly-like medium for accelerating the drying of oil colours. Preserves consistency and degree of gloss. Dosage: 10% to 30% maximum. Contains: Siccative, stand oil, resin solution, mineral spirit.

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Gamblin Solvent-Free Fluid is an oil painting medium created by the American company Gamblin. They write:

"Gamblin Solvent-Free Fluid painting medium gives oil colours more flow and transparency. It has a moderately fast drying rate and increases gloss. Made from safflower oil and alkyd resin, Gamblin Solvent-Free Fluid is non-toxic and contains no Gamsol or petroleum distillates. To ensure proper drying and prevent beading-up of paint layers, Solvent-Free Fluid should be used in moderation with oil colours – no more than 25% by volume. To avoid wrinkling, apply mixtures of Solvent-Free Fluid and oil colors thinly. For underpainting, we recommend adding Gamsol to Solvent-Free Fluid."

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Galkyd Light is produced by Gamblin. They write:

"Galkyd Lite thins oil colours and increases transparency and gloss. When used in moderation with oil colours, Galkyd Lite will retain brushstrokes. Galkyd Lite is more fluid and less glossy compared to Galkyd. Thin layers will be touch-dry in 24 to 30 hours."

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Galkyd "G" Gel is produced by Gamblin. They say:

"Galkyd Gel is a stiffer gel compared to Neo Megilp that holds thicker, sharper brushmarks and dries more quickly. Galkyd Gel increases transparency of oil colours and creates impasto."

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Galkyd is an oil painting medium created by Gamblin. They write:

"Galkyd thins oil colours and increases transparency and gloss. When used in greater proportions with oil colour, Galkyd will level brush-strokes, creating an enamel-like surface. Galkyd is our fastest-drying painting medium. Thin layers will be touch-dry in approximately 24 hours."

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Mix with tube oil colours or pigment to improve flow and translucency. For thin glazes, fine details and smooth brushwork. Learn More

A safe wax medium for impasto effects. This medium retains palette knife marks and brush strokes, remains thick and doubles paint easily, drying to a matt finish.

Studio Safe products are non-aromatic, non-flammable, and have a pleasant orange smell.

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A high quality painting medium which will produce a deep glow, made from Canada Balsam and Turpentine. Especially effective with transparent oil colours, it is recommended as the medium of choice in the final stages of an oil painting. Learn More

Roberson's Matt Medium creates a dead-flat finish when mixed with oil colour. It aids the flow and increases the artist's control of oil paint, allowing for smooth application flat brush marks with low edges. It can be mixed with oil paint in any ratio. Learn More

Studio Safe Liquid Medium is a mix of Studio Safe Solvent and natural artists' oils. It is used to thin paint and increase gloss. This product is non-aromatic, non-flammable and has an orange scent. Learn More