Solvents and Balsams
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Winsor & Newton Distilled Turpentine
Starting at: £6.85
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 -
Cornelissen Lemon Oil
Starting at: £12.30
Lemon oil is an essential oil, primarily used for its scent. Learn More -
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Roberson White Spirit
Starting at: £7.50
Plastic container. Solvent distilled from crude petroleum oils. Used to thin colour and to clean brushes. Slower drying time than turpentine. Learn More -
Roberson Pure Gum Turpentine
Starting at: £8.30
Slightly less refined than rectified spirit of turpentine. Often preferred as constituent of painting mediums. Learn More -
Cornelissen Rectified Turpentine
Starting at: £8.20
Volatile colourless liquid distilled from pine sap. Greater wetting powers than white spirit. Used to thin oil paint. Learn More -
Cornelissen Larch Venice Turpentine
Starting at: £28.80
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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Cornelissen Copaiba Balsam
Starting at: £20.80
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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Winsor & Newton Sansodor
Starting at: £6.85
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 -
Michael Harding Oil Paint Medium PM1
Starting at: £9.95
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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Gamblin Gamsol Mineral Sprit
Starting at: £11.00
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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Schmincke Medium W
Starting at: £9.60
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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Roberson Studio Safe Solvent
Starting at: £10.90
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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Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner
Starting at: £4.80
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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Cornelissen Canada Balsam
Starting at: £39.10
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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