WHATISAPAINTMEDIUM?
A paint medium is an additive, usually
an oil or a paste, that can be mixed
with your paint to alter the properties
of it in some way. It should not be
confused with references to the
different types of “painting mediums”,
which are the types of paint, such as
oil, watercolour, gouache and acrylic.
WHY ARE THEY USEFUL?
Paint mediums give artists greater
control over the application and finish
of the paint. Different mediums can be
used to variously alter the consistency,
texture, sheen and drying time of your
paintings – or chosen sections of them.
ARE THERE DOWNSIDES
TO USING THEM?
Some paint mediums naturally have
a slight yellow tint to them. This can
have a slight effect on the finish
of the painting, particularly in the
lighter colours. “Non-yellowing” paint
mediums are usually labelled as such.
Paint mediums can also cause
issues when layering paints
(particularly oil paints) as the drying
times of different layers can be
affected. As such, it is important
to observe the “fat over lean” rule,
which means using more medium
(and so less pigment) in the lower
layers, so that they dry first and
prevent the top layers from cracking.
WHICH MEDIUMS ALTER
A PAINT’S DRYING TIME?
Most oil paints are made from
pigments mixed with a binder, which
is usually linseed oil. It follows that if
you want to slow down the drying time
of oil paint, you should therefore add
more linseed oil. In the 1960s, Winsor
& Newton developed Liquin as a
synthetic alternative to linseed oil that
has almost no effect on the colours.
It is made from alkyd resins and milder
solvents but cannot hold as much
pigment as traditional oil mediums.
While technically a solvent and
used for cleaning brushes, turpentine
can also be added to speed up the
drying time of oil paint as it
evaporates quickly – it is particular
useful on your base layer.
As watercolour tends to dry quite
quickly anyway, watercolour mediums
tend to slow drying times instead.
Gum Arabic is watercolour what
linseed oil is to oil paint, so adding
this medium to your water pot slows
drying times further. However, it also
increases the luminosity of colours
and reduces staining properties,
making washes less permanent.
Blending Medium is a less
transformative alternative, which
slows drying times even more and can
be diluted with water or used neat.
With acrylic paint, a Fluid Retarder
helps to slow the drying process.WHICH MEDIUMS ALTER
THE PAINT CONSISTENCY?
Liquin and Linseed Oil both bring a
silkier consistency to oil paints and
dry to a glossier finish. Stand Oil is
another good alternative here too.
It is a linseed oil extract that is
literally left to “stand”, so it thickens
to a lovely, gooey consistency. Add it
to the paint to create honey-smooth
brushstrokes or mix with turps for a
rich medium that is good for glazes.
Michael Harding’s Resin Oil Wax
Medium mixes stand oil with resin
and beeswax to slightly thicken oil
paint and give a pleasing satin sheen.GlazingMediumis a popular
choiceforacrylicartists,asit lowers
viscosityandenhancestheglossy
finishofpaintings.It tendstoenrich
colours too, adding extra impact. Flow
Improver can also be used to create
a more even, self-levelling finish.
If you want to thicken watercolour
and reduce the flow of it, consider
adding Aquapasto, a translucent gel
that allows for impasto-like marks to
be made. For the opposite effect,
Ox Gall Liquid improve watercolour’s
flow and leads to smoother results.
Ox Gall is also a wetting agent,
meaning that it helps the absorption
of water on stiff watercolour paper.WHICH MEDIUMS ALTER
THE PAINT TEXTURE?
Acrylic paint leads the way when
it comes to texture-enhancing
mediums. Granular Gel and Pumice
Gel make coarse, gritty marks, Fibre
Paste creates a finish similar to rough
paper, and Crackle Paste breaks up
the top layer of dried paint like the
cracked surface of an Old Master
painting. Liquitex’s Modeling Paste
meanwhile is a gel medium made
from acrylic polymer and marble dust,
which really thickens acrylic paint to
a clay-like consistency that can be
sculpted to great effect.
A less dramatic version of this is
Impasto Medium (sometimes Impasto
Gel), which is available for both oil and
acrylic paints. It thickens the paint,
meaning that the texture and direction
of your brushstrokes remains more
visible. Texture Medium has a similar
effect on watercolour, albeit less
thick. Some watercolour pigments
naturally granulate, which means that
they create a mottled effect when
applied in a wash. If you want to
replicate this effect with colours
that are naturally smoother, adding
a Granulation Medium will aid this.Aa paint medium is a great way to add variety
to the surface of oils, watercolours or acrylics.
Find the right one for you with our guide below
PAINT MEDIUM
Ch se the right...
ART MATERIALS