Oil and Water Don't Mix
We all know that oil and water don’t mix. Or do they? I think some artists have broken the rule on this and I am one of those artists! Water mixable oils (water miscible oils) are designed to do this and do it well! I mentioned in my last blog that I had begun a new painting of an Arabian stallion using water miscible oils. These oils are water mixable but not water based. They are real oils in every way.
I wanted to talk a little about this medium because I have found it to be a great alternative to traditional oils. I bought a small set just to find out if I would like them. I did not want to invest a lot of time or money into a product before finding out if it would work for me. Well needless to say, I fell in love with this medium. Water miscibles contain a modified oil binder that can be cleaned up with water. That’s the great characteristic that I love and this product. Cleaning the brushes is the ONLY time that I use water during the entire painting process! You no longer have to use the solvents that can cause harmful side effects for clean up. Simply use water. Sometimes I add a little Dawn dish detergent to the mixture for a little extra cleaning ability. These oils can also be thinned with water however this is not recommended! Problems as well as an unfavorable painting can be your end result. A much better solution can be achieved if water mixable linseed oil is used for reaching the needed consistency of your paint. Be certain that the linseed oil used is water mixable and not regular linseed oil. You will find that the paint does not require much linseed oil to achieve a smooth buttery consistency. Mixing with water is the reason that some artist are not happy with the results they are seeing. Other products besides linseed oil are also available for use with these oils.
If you haven’t tried these, you may want to experiment a little and see what you think. However if you buy the paints be sure to also purchase the water mixable linseed or safflower oil for thinning or you won’t be happy with the outcome. I have found the results to be very pleasing and a great way to produce a beautiful original oil painting!
