The Utrecht team likes this clip, for the emphasis on using high quality materials and durable results in a discussion about reducing/eliminating solvents. Your studio looks so nice in this video!
I just tested out spectrum walnut cooking oil and it dried. The paint dried in two days. I have it out in 90 degree F dry heat and it’s in shade. North facing apartment. I’m pleasantly surprised. I also used at least what i feel like was more than 25% walnut oil as a medium. I like smooth paint. It doesn’t seem like I had any quality issues. I’m also practicing and taking pictures so I don’t care if the art lasts. I have a feeling the old masters probably had the same quality oil anyway. Thanks for putting this video online. I think google hid your video or the algorithm is dumb. I wanted to see this like 7 days ago. I’m also using artist loft paints and they look beautiful. Still new to the medium so I’m not sure the drawbacks yet.
Thanks! You made me secure I was correctly quitting my Gamsol use. The stuff is supposed to be the cleanest/safest solvent out there- but using it still made me feel uncomfortable.
I just bought some M.Graham oil paint and mediums, I've been using their gouache for a while because I was avoiding solvents but missed a lot of what oil can do. I played some last night, but nothing had dried at all. I guess I wasn't using enough of the alkyd. I ended up starting a few paintings rather than focusing on one so that I could let some of that underpainting dry. It looks like it's going to be a lot of learning and re-learning, so I'm here on you-tube looking for tips to make that learning faster.
Hi! Great tips :-) I remember in my college art class. Our teacher showed us how to use the can trick in the jar, but we used a tuna can inside of a coffee can and she showed us how to poke holes in the smaller tuna can with a screwdriver Instead of using a screen, although I’m sure the screen works much better, but it’s not always something people have on hand… And I have heard of people also using safflower oil as a slightly faster drying oil, in addition to walnut oil.… Is there a difference in the walnut oil sold by paint companies versus regular walnut oil you could use for skin care or cooking? Just thinking of cost-effectiveness… I have a nontoxic nail polish remover made from soybean oil, I wonder if it’s the same thing as soy solve?? I’m trying to get back into oil painting again and looking for a new take on my approach :-)
Melissa, this was really helpful! I've been an oil painter for years and recently have developed an allergy to oil paint and people have been suggestion using walnut oil and also M. Graham paints - from what I can tell it looks like that's what you may use. I have soooooo much paint those from other companies. Do you think M. Graham is that much different? Hate to buy more if I could possibly be allergic to something else - like turps or something - just not sure what it is. I've started using acrylics because of it but I do miss oil! - fellow UA-camr
I have a problem with petroleum-based products, so I tried the walnut alkyd. Beautiful stuff, no problems at all. I also clean my brushes with grocery store oil (I've been using corn oil which is technically semi-drying, but after cleaning the brushes, I finish with Dawn and then Master's soap or Murphy's. I would not be surprised to find out that your problem is not with the paint but with the petroleum products associated with it (OMS, Liquin, etc.).
@@sandihester The alkyd definitely glossy, but that's what I like about it! Probably if you just added a very small amount it would lessen the glossiness. M Graham's walnut oil oil paints (non-alkyd) are not glossy per see, but are buttery and brushable. There are also a number of non-toxic, non-petroleum-based thinners on the market--check the Dick Blick or J erry's Artarama websites.
@@sandihester You can look into adding a cold wax - Dorland’s or Gamblin - over top of finished painting. It has a lovely matte/semi satin sheen. Can also be used to mix into paint!
As a former amateur print make I can attest to the value of what Tba 1 commented on regarding cleaning oil paint from brushes; a good scrubbing with cooking oil and rags, then Dawn dishwashing liquid. To get oil ink off brayers I would use the detergent neat to start with and then add a small amount of water.
Thank you so much for this video! I have been wanting to oil paint but I am very chemically sensitive. I've tried Winsor Newton water mixable oil but was still having sensitivity issues to the that formula, possibly the linseed oil. I am hopeful that this line might be a good solution for me.
Great video, thanks for demystifying solvent free painting. I am concerned about the flammability of walnut oil. I've heard you should place dirty rags and paper towels in a metal trashcan filled with water?
Thanks so much for this great video! I'm new to oil painting, really want to avoid all the toxic products, and greatly appreciation your sharing what you use. I also really appreciate your tips on the syringe, the can in the jar with a screen, and to use your knife to mix paints - all make great sense! Can you please let me know where you are getting the small cans though? And do you happen to have a video for cleaning with The Master's Cleaner? I'd love to see what you do at the end of the day to really clean out your brushes. Thanks again and your artwork looks beautiful!
Great idea to make a brush cleaning video! First the cans: I use small cat food cans or pate cans. When cleaning brushes never mash the bristles onto a surface. Smooth the cleaner with your fingers from the ferrule outward to the tips. Soap up and rinse, repeat using warm water.
Even though it’s highly unlikely that walnut oil will self combust, I still use a metal lidded step can to dispose of my rags. Uline and some hardware stores sell the red for flammable disposal cans.
This is such a helpful video thank you! Quick question, could you use the M. Graham Walnut Alkyd Medium for both thinning paints and cleaning brushes? It slows the drying time which is a huge plus for me. Similar to how you might use turpenoid/turpentine to both thin the paint and clean the brushes. I just started oil painting a few weeks ago so I'm still trying to learn the ropes of all the additives.
I also use Chelsea Studios Spike Oil of Lavendar while painting if I want a thin layer for underpainting. It makes washes similar to turpentine without the toxicity.
I also use Chelsea Studios Spike Oil of Lavendar while painting if I want a thin layer for underpainting. It makes washes similar to turpentine without the toxicity.
Nice video. How do you avoid any solvent in your canvas priming? Are you wearing gloves for some other safety concern, or just to keep paint off your hands?
It looks like Dick Blick and Jerry’s Artarama both carry M.Graham’s Walnut Oil. I used to buy it locally at an art store but they’ve closed permanently.
Any oil is combustible but it would take some pretty intense conditions to make that happen. Even so I use one of those red lidded metal cans for flammable garbage in my studio. You can also just toss rags into a bucket of water.
If you do happen to need to go back to work on your painting on another day, do you use a thin application of walnut alkyd on the surface? I'm wondering as normally when I need to get back to a painting the next day, I was taught to put a thin film of Liquin Original over my painting before starting again.
H E L P anyone. Is my understanding correct? If I use the exact same amount of Walnut Alkyd Medium with each new layer of paint, I don't have to be concerned about following the fat over lean principle? I suppose because each of the previous layers are already almost dry chemically when touch dry? Is that true? That would make sense I suppose? I must understand this for sure before I use this medium and begin oil commissioned oil portraits, because they must absolutely be archival, and hopefully I can finish each one quickly. I'm trying to switch from acrylics to oils while having a fast turn around in sales. Thanks for any help.
Great question! You are correct. The only concern would be if you choose to use LESS medium on the final layers. However, that being said, if you use high quality pigments and do a final glazing with no medium and a fairly dry brush (pure Pigments from the tube) you should be okay. The important thing is you don't want top layers drying before any layer under it.
I asked this question 5 months ago and still no response ..... H E L P ANYBODY? - I paint in rather thin layers. What about the fat over lean principle? What thinner can I add to accomplish this on the early layers? Or since each layer dries fast, I assume I don't need to worry about fat over lean as long as I use the same ingredients with each layer?
You are right on. Sorry about the delay. I haven’t been getting notifications from UA-cam and am surprised and delighted that people are responding! Thin layers WITHOUT any medium is the most archival way of oil painting. Any medium will start messing with the chemistry of bonding etc. That being said, I often underpaint with Spike Oil of Lavendar from Chelsea Studios. It thins like turpentine without the toxins.
@@melissaweinman167 That's part of what I needed to know. Thank you so much! However, what I must get clear on is how to be able to paint a relatively fast portrait from a customer's reference photo and have the painting dry enough to sell asap or at least in just a couple of weeks. Liquin can do that but it's dangerously toxic. So will the Lavender Spike oil also cause the paint to dry fast or should I also add a tiny bit of walnut alkyd medium to the underpainting even though it is fat? And then do I just use a little more Walnut Alkyd medium with each layer after that? Sorry I'm so specific, but I must know for sure in order to begin an oil portrait business. Thanks for your valuable help. I'm doing everything like you did on your video. .... joyce
I'm not familiar with the definitions of non-toxic, i.e. the levels of toxic substances allowed, but it would seem that the amounts are so small, as to be defined as non-toxic.
@@melissaweinman167 it's very easy to find on You Tube what is and what for to use it......mainly,it's a pice of solid glass, kind of cilindric handle and a sphere attached on it, all in one pice ....The sphere has down side one slice cutted of = to form a working surface.....used FOR GRINDING PIGMENTS togheter with a BINDER (oil or whater-base binder) to make painting colors 🎨
If you read the toxicity reports they don't cover long-term exposure. Since Gamsol is made with petroleum distillates, I don't use it. The same class of distillates is used in charcoal lighter fluid.
Is it possible to be a great painter at first, but then as you paint more, you get worse and worse? Cause my first paiting, I was offered a comission. Since then, they have become progressively worse and worse. I actually suck so hard at painting! Like BAD! I can't understand it, but I think I quit. I'm actually embarrassed to show my work now. Such a massive waste of time and energy and money and canvas and paint. I can't believe just how badly I suck, but I was good! Such BS!
It’s true that you can make a painting and it just seems to paint itself. Other days it’s just a struggle. I’m putting together a series of online courses that could help you. I begin with the six essential steps to mastery. Then a course in understanding color. Then a course in mastering drawing. Finally a course in conquering composition. All of these things are important for creating really good work!
When I didn’t care about doing it professionally, I thought I was pretty good. Then I started to compare my stuff and pursue a profession… Then it started to really look bad to me… I think it’s an up-and-down process of discovery and red discovery. Making money can be an added Pressure when maybe at first it was just pure joy. You can go from one side of the spectrum to the other and then back again. I hope you find your happy medium, and are able to enjoy it and pursue it as a profession if you choose. :-)
The Utrecht team likes this clip, for the emphasis on using high quality materials and durable results in a discussion about reducing/eliminating solvents. Your studio looks so nice in this video!
Hi Blick! Im based in the Netherlands. Do you stock the walnut oil/mediums mentioned here? Thanks
I just tested out spectrum walnut cooking oil and it dried. The paint dried in two days. I have it out in 90 degree F dry heat and it’s in shade. North facing apartment. I’m pleasantly surprised. I also used at least what i feel like was more than 25% walnut oil as a medium. I like smooth paint. It doesn’t seem like I had any quality issues. I’m also practicing and taking pictures so I don’t care if the art lasts. I have a feeling the old masters probably had the same quality oil anyway. Thanks for putting this video online. I think google hid your video or the algorithm is dumb. I wanted to see this like 7 days ago. I’m also using artist loft paints and they look beautiful. Still new to the medium so I’m not sure the drawbacks yet.
Thanks so much, I have a pet bird in my painting space so I love the idea of using non-fume-generating medium
This is brilliant! Thank you so much! So simple & practical now to keep healthy as artists!!
Thanks! You made me secure I was correctly quitting my Gamsol use. The stuff is supposed to be the cleanest/safest solvent out there- but using it still made me feel uncomfortable.
I just bought some M.Graham oil paint and mediums, I've been using their gouache for a while because I was avoiding solvents but missed a lot of what oil can do. I played some last night, but nothing had dried at all. I guess I wasn't using enough of the alkyd. I ended up starting a few paintings rather than focusing on one so that I could let some of that underpainting dry. It looks like it's going to be a lot of learning and re-learning, so I'm here on you-tube looking for tips to make that learning faster.
If you want to lay in an underpainting that will dry really fast you can use a few drops of Spike oil of Lavendar, by Chelsea Studios.
thank you for this video, short, to the point, and extremely useful xx
Hi! Great tips :-) I remember in my college art class. Our teacher showed us how to use the can trick in the jar, but we used a tuna can inside of a coffee can and she showed us how to poke holes in the smaller tuna can with a screwdriver Instead of using a screen, although I’m sure the screen works much better, but it’s not always something people have on hand… And I have heard of people also using safflower oil as a slightly faster drying oil, in addition to walnut oil.… Is there a difference in the walnut oil sold by paint companies versus regular walnut oil you could use for skin care or cooking? Just thinking of cost-effectiveness… I have a nontoxic nail polish remover made from soybean oil, I wonder if it’s the same thing as soy solve?? I’m trying to get back into oil painting again and looking for a new take on my approach :-)
Melissa, this was really helpful! I've been an oil painter for years and recently have developed an allergy to oil paint and people have been suggestion using walnut oil and also M. Graham paints - from what I can tell it looks like that's what you may use. I have soooooo much paint those from other companies. Do you think M. Graham is that much different? Hate to buy more if I could possibly be allergic to something else - like turps or something - just not sure what it is. I've started using acrylics because of it but I do miss oil! - fellow UA-camr
I have a problem with petroleum-based products, so I tried the walnut alkyd. Beautiful stuff, no problems at all. I also clean my brushes with grocery store oil (I've been using corn oil which is technically semi-drying, but after cleaning the brushes, I finish with Dawn and then Master's soap or Murphy's. I would not be surprised to find out that your problem is not with the paint but with the petroleum products associated with it (OMS, Liquin, etc.).
@@tba1879 good info - thank you! Does the walnut oil alkyd dry shiny or matte? I hate how liquid dries shiny
@@sandihester The alkyd definitely glossy, but that's what I like about it! Probably if you just added a very small amount it would lessen the glossiness. M Graham's walnut oil oil paints (non-alkyd) are not glossy per see, but are buttery and brushable. There are also a number of non-toxic, non-petroleum-based thinners on the market--check the Dick Blick or J
erry's Artarama websites.
@@sandihester You can look into adding a cold wax - Dorland’s or Gamblin - over top of finished painting. It has a lovely matte/semi satin sheen. Can also be used to mix into paint!
As a former amateur print make I can attest to the value of what Tba 1 commented on regarding cleaning oil paint from brushes; a good scrubbing with cooking oil and rags, then Dawn dishwashing liquid. To get oil ink off brayers I would use the detergent neat to start with and then add a small amount of water.
🙏clear , focused and very inspiring
Loved this advice, im new to oils and want to be saf, safe, safe, as i move forward..
Great video. I worry about oily rags and spontaneous combustion. I’m curious how you handle and dispose of the oily rags from wiping your brushes?
I use paper towels and set them aside to dry.
I have one of those red lidded metal garbage cans one uses for flammable items. You can get them at Uline or a good home improvement store.
Thank you so much for this video! I have been wanting to oil paint but I am very chemically sensitive. I've tried Winsor Newton water mixable oil but was still having sensitivity issues to the that formula, possibly the linseed oil. I am hopeful that this line might be a good solution for me.
Great video, thanks for demystifying solvent free painting. I am concerned about the flammability of walnut oil. I've heard you should place dirty rags and paper towels in a metal trashcan filled with water?
Thanks so much for this great video! I'm new to oil painting, really want to avoid all the toxic products, and greatly appreciation your sharing what you use. I also really appreciate your tips on the syringe, the can in the jar with a screen, and to use your knife to mix paints - all make great sense! Can you please let me know where you are getting the small cans though? And do you happen to have a video for cleaning with The Master's Cleaner? I'd love to see what you do at the end of the day to really clean out your brushes. Thanks again and your artwork looks beautiful!
Great idea to make a brush cleaning video! First the cans: I use small cat food cans or pate cans. When cleaning brushes never mash the bristles onto a surface. Smooth the cleaner with your fingers from the ferrule outward to the tips. Soap up and rinse, repeat using warm water.
great video!
Thank you so much, Saphira.
"Mix...at least your initial strings of paint with your pallet knife." - That's a great tip
Very informative! How do you dispose of your rags when you are done wiping your brush??? Thank you
Even though it’s highly unlikely that walnut oil will self combust, I still use a metal lidded step can to dispose of my rags. Uline and some hardware stores sell the red for flammable disposal cans.
This is such a helpful video thank you! Quick question, could you use the M. Graham Walnut Alkyd Medium for both thinning paints and cleaning brushes? It slows the drying time which is a huge plus for me. Similar to how you might use turpenoid/turpentine to both thin the paint and clean the brushes. I just started oil painting a few weeks ago so I'm still trying to learn the ropes of all the additives.
I only use the medium for mixing sparingly with my oils. I rinse my brushes while painting with straight walnut oil.
I also use Chelsea Studios Spike Oil of Lavendar while painting if I want a thin layer for underpainting. It makes washes similar to turpentine without the toxicity.
I also use Chelsea Studios Spike Oil of Lavendar while painting if I want a thin layer for underpainting. It makes washes similar to turpentine without the toxicity.
Nice video. How do you avoid any solvent in your canvas priming? Are you wearing gloves for some other safety concern, or just to keep paint off your hands?
I wear gloves. I buy preprimed linen or linen panels. Acrylic matte medium or gesso could be used as a primer without solvents.
Thank you, Ma'am.
Thanks for the helpful tip!
Thanks for the tips. Is your solution safe in a bedroom without ventilation?
Absolutely
very helpful, thank you!
Hello ! You speak of a soy solvent for adding to the paint. I cannot find this product. Could you give more indication for finding it ? Thank you.
Soy Solv II is my brush cleaner at the end of a session. I never mix it with my paint. I've ordered it directly from the manufacturer. www.soysolv.com
Hi Melissa, Thanks, great info. Could you please share the link for buying walnut oil? I only found Walnut oil medium.
www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwiVxPvbk-D6AhVGDK0GHbzuALIYABAMGgJwdg&ae=2&sig=AOD64_1xmBSHx_qDmzRlppJpBTeshpo23A&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwi_4fDbk-D6AhVeLEQIHcwYA-0Qwg8oAHoECAQQFw&adurl=
It looks like Dick Blick and Jerry’s Artarama both carry M.Graham’s Walnut Oil. I used to buy it locally at an art store but they’ve closed permanently.
Will the walnut oil paper towels combust in the trash can?
I'm new and trying to figure out how to glaze without combusting anything 🤣
Any oil is combustible but it would take some pretty intense conditions to make that happen. Even so I use one of those red lidded metal cans for flammable garbage in my studio. You can also just toss rags into a bucket of water.
Cancer free❤️ im using lavender essence and walnut/lineseed/sunflower
If you do happen to need to go back to work on your painting on another day, do you use a thin application of walnut alkyd on the surface? I'm wondering as normally when I need to get back to a painting the next day, I was taught to put a thin film of Liquin Original over my painting before starting again.
I just work right back into my paintings without “oiling out.”
@@melissaweinman167 Thank you so much for this video!
H E L P anyone. Is my understanding correct? If I use the exact same amount of Walnut Alkyd Medium with each new layer of paint, I don't have to be concerned about following the fat over lean principle? I suppose because each of the previous layers are already almost dry chemically when touch dry? Is that true? That would make sense I suppose? I must understand this for sure before I use this medium and begin oil commissioned oil portraits, because they must absolutely be archival, and hopefully I can finish each one quickly. I'm trying to switch from acrylics to oils while having a fast turn around in sales. Thanks for any help.
Great question! You are correct. The only concern would be if you choose to use LESS medium on the final layers. However, that being said, if you use high quality pigments and do a final glazing with no medium and a fairly dry brush (pure Pigments from the tube) you should be okay. The important thing is you don't want top layers drying before any layer under it.
How does walnut oil compare to safflower oil for these purposes?
It’s a totally different structure. I’ve tried the safflower oil gel medium and it took forever to dry.
I asked this question 5 months ago and still no response ..... H E L P ANYBODY? - I paint in rather thin layers. What about the fat over lean principle? What thinner can I add to accomplish this on the early layers? Or since each layer dries fast, I assume I don't need to worry about fat over lean as long as I use the same ingredients with each layer?
You are right on. Sorry about the delay. I haven’t been getting notifications from UA-cam and am surprised and delighted that people are responding!
Thin layers WITHOUT any medium is the most archival way of oil painting. Any medium will start messing with the chemistry of bonding etc.
That being said, I often underpaint with Spike Oil of Lavendar from Chelsea Studios. It thins like turpentine without the toxins.
@@melissaweinman167 That's part of what I needed to know. Thank you so much! However, what I must get clear on is how to be able to paint a relatively fast portrait from a customer's reference photo and have the painting dry enough to sell asap or at least in just a couple of weeks. Liquin can do that but it's dangerously toxic. So will the Lavender Spike oil also cause the paint to dry fast or should I also add a tiny bit of walnut alkyd medium to the underpainting even though it is fat? And then do I just use a little more Walnut Alkyd medium with each layer after that? Sorry I'm so specific, but I must know for sure in order to begin an oil portrait business. Thanks for your valuable help. I'm doing everything like you did on your video. .... joyce
Can you use the alkyd medium with any oil paint or is it only intended for the walnut-based oil paints like m Graham?
Personally I use it with all oil paints... But good question, I hope someone with knowledge can answer that.
You can use it with all oil paints
Well, not sure if you can use it with water miscible oil paints.
Isn't there solvent in the alkyd medium as well?
M.Graham's Walnut Alkyd Medium is "certified as non-toxic as defined in 16 CFR 15000.3 (c) (2) (I). Ingestion can produce a laxative effect."
I'm not familiar with the definitions of non-toxic, i.e. the levels of toxic substances allowed, but it would seem that the amounts are so small, as to be defined as non-toxic.
@@melissaweinman167 Nice, seems like a medium I want. Thanks for info and great video.
It is advertised as solvent-free.
Try White Spirits
No glas Muller involved .....?
Not sure what glas Muller is.
@@melissaweinman167 it's very easy to find on You Tube what is and what for to use it......mainly,it's a pice of solid glass, kind of cilindric handle and a sphere attached on it, all in one pice ....The sphere has down side one slice cutted of = to form a working surface.....used FOR GRINDING PIGMENTS togheter with a BINDER (oil or whater-base binder) to make painting colors 🎨
Gamsol ?
If you read the toxicity reports they don't cover long-term exposure. Since Gamsol is made with petroleum distillates, I don't use it. The same class of distillates is used in charcoal lighter fluid.
Is it possible to be a great painter at first, but then as you paint more, you get worse and worse? Cause my first paiting, I was offered a comission. Since then, they have become progressively worse and worse. I actually suck so hard at painting! Like BAD! I can't understand it, but I think I quit. I'm actually embarrassed to show my work now. Such a massive waste of time and energy and money and canvas and paint. I can't believe just how badly I suck, but I was good! Such BS!
Perhaps your early success is influencing you by pushing you to try too hard, rather than enjoying the process. I hope you keep painting.
It’s true that you can make a painting and it just seems to paint itself. Other days it’s just a struggle. I’m putting together a series of online courses that could help you. I begin with the six essential steps to mastery. Then a course in understanding color. Then a course in mastering drawing. Finally a course in conquering composition. All of these things are important for creating really good work!
When I didn’t care about doing it professionally, I thought I was pretty good. Then I started to compare my stuff and pursue a profession… Then it started to really look bad to me… I think it’s an up-and-down process of discovery and red discovery. Making money can be an added Pressure when maybe at first it was just pure joy. You can go from one side of the spectrum to the other and then back again. I hope you find your happy medium, and are able to enjoy it and pursue it as a profession if you choose. :-)
Thank you Melissa. Come to Islam and success.
So helpful! Thank you