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Solvents and Balsams

Solvents and specialist balsams are used for thinning oil paint and in the formulation of various painting mediums.

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  1. Cornelissen Canada Balsam

    Cornelissen Canada Balsam

    Starting at: £28.50

    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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  2. Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner

    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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  3. Roberson Studio Safe Solvent

    Roberson Studio Safe Solvent

    Starting at: £10.20

    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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  4. Schmincke Medium W

    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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  5. Gamblin Gamsol Mineral Sprit

    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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  6. Michael Harding Oil Paint Medium PM1

    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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  7. Winsor & Newton Sansodor

    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
  8. Cornelissen Copaiba Balsam

    Cornelissen Copaiba Balsam

    Starting at: £18.10

    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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  9. Cornelissen Larch Venice Turpentine

    Cornelissen Larch Venice Turpentine

    Starting at: £25.80

    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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  10. Cornelissen Rectified Turpentine

    Cornelissen Rectified Turpentine

    Starting at: £9.00

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

    Roberson Pure Gum Turpentine

    Starting at: £14.00

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

    Roberson White Spirit

    Starting at: £7.10

    Plastic container. Solvent distilled from crude petroleum oils. Used to thin colour and to clean brushes. Slower drying time than turpentine. Learn More
  13. Brodie & Middleton Methylated Spirit

    Brodie & Middleton Methylated Spirit

    Starting at: £12.20

    Solvent for shellac flakes. Learn More
  14. Cornelissen Lemon Oil

    Cornelissen Lemon Oil

    Starting at: £12.30

    Lemon oil is an essential oil, primarily used for its scent. Learn More
  15. Winsor & Newton Distilled Turpentine

    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

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