SPIRITS

Thinners enable you to dissolve the pastes and thus make it easier to work with colors. It is preferable to use spirits during the abbozzo or sketch phase in order for drying to take place more quickly and to respect the «thick on thin» rule.

Rectified Turpentine Spirits

«The base product». Indispensable thinner. Very useful during the abbozzo or sketch phase. It is completely possible to produce a painting only using Rectified Turpentine Spirits.

Pure Landes pine gum spirits are obtained by distillation. Avoid contact with air.
A traditional thinner, recommended for oil paint. Mixed with colors, it produces a very agreeable paste. Particularly suitable for the abbozzo or draft phase and for general work on the painting. When you want to paint longer with fresh paint, a less volatile spirit such as Aspic oil or essential mineral oil is substituted.

Mineral Spirits

A very volatile thinner which does not leave a thick film. It has less odor than Rectified Turpentine spirits.

Mineral spirits have an advantage over vegetable-based spirits that it keeps better on contact with air. It is a thinner solvent than vegetable-based spirits and evaporates more slowly than Rectified Turpentine spirits. It is used to spread out
oil-based colors or certain varnishes. Because of its high penetrative power, petroleum spirit gets deep into the paint. An excess accentuates the matte finish. It is also used to clean brushes covered in fresh color and it does not dry out and does not stick like Rectified Turpentine spirits.

Odor Free Mineral Spirits

This thinner is used like petroleum spirit, but is strongly appreciated by users put off by the smell of solvent.

A new generation of solvent derived from oil for oil paints. This solvent evaporates slowly and does not deteriorate during its change while leaving no trace when dry. With a very low odor, it is perfectly suited to artists who are sensitive to the smell of solvents.

Essential Mineral Oil

A thicker thinner than those mentioned above, this thinner allows you to work the paste for longer periods while it is fresh.

Essential mineral oil evaporates more slowly than petroleum spirit. Thick on the brush, it leaves no trace following evaporation. Essential oil acts as a “delaying agent” and therefore allows you to work the paste while it is fresh for longer without significantly changing its final appearance.

Spike lavender oil

This is less volatile than the Rectified Turpentine spirits and allows you to work the paste while it is fresh for a longer time.

Aspic oil comes from the distillation of male lavender. It makes the finish thick. Has a higher solvent power than Turpentine, which encourages a better bond between layers. Its higher cost and strong odor restricts its use. It is also used as a thinner in colors for porcelain. Use with care and in moderation.

OILS

Oils, of vegetable origin, play the part of a binder which combines with pigment and forms the protection for the finish. Several oils are used for oil paints and the choice of oil is made using several criteria: the desired thickness of the paste, texture, yellowing to nothing, incidence on tones, speed of drying and mechanical solidity of the film. Often, the artist has their own recipe and uses one or more oils.

Clarified Linseed Oil

Enables you to liquify the paint while retaining its original appearance.

Purified oil, with a natural amber tint, extracted from linseed. More siccative than most other oils, it adds body to the paste. Very transparent, but has a tendency to turn yellow over time. Best with dark or slow drying colors. Does not affect drying time. Avoid excess.

Clarified Poppy Seed Oil

Poppy seed oil dries more slowly than linseed oil. Use in moderation.
Add a maximum of 2% drier.

Extracted from poppy seeds, it is clearer and has a less yellowing tendency than linseed oils. Recommended for light colors and blues, in particular. Less effective as a drier than linseed and safflower oil. The drying speed may be balanced by adding the correct amount of Sennelier Courtrai drier. Avoid excess.

Boiled Linseed Oil

It liquefies the paint and accelerates hardening and a gloss finish.

Boiled linseed oil encourages the finish to dry deeply. Gives texture and roundness to the finish while drying more quickly than normal linseed oil and it adds a brilliant, slightly amber finish. Avoid excess. For artists who wish to make their own paints using oil, it is recommended to grind pigments to 50% with clarified linseed oil. It is also used in recipes of mediums and paint.

Refined Safflower Oil

Refined Safflower Oil is the oil used to produce colors with Sennelier extra-fine oil.
It yellows less than linseed oil.

Clarified vegetable oil, a good drier with low acidity is characterised by resistance to yellowing and has an excellent compatibility with pigments. Because of its pale color, it is recommended to grind with white and clear tones. Mixed with oil colors to accentuate their fluidity, transparency and gloss without altering the hue’s brilliance during drying. It dries more slowly than linseed oil, but may be safely mixed with it. Add 25% maximum to total paint mixture.

Stand Oil

Allows you to significantly attenuate or smooth thin brush strokes.

Linseed oil polymerised in the absence of air. Full bodied, very bright, clear,
honey-like viscosity medium made by heating pure linseed. Improves transparency, fluidity and smoothes brushstrokes. Can be used straight but, due to high viscosity, it is preferable to thin with spirits. Excellent medium for glazing and detail work. Reduces possible appearance of cracking. Slows drying. Slightly yellowing. Favors gloss.