Mediums and Siccatives

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

Schmincke Medium L is a jelly-like medium for “soft” painting with oil colours. It improves flow and reduces brush strokes, accelerates drying, increases gloss and transparency. There is no change of the product quality based on the colour change of the raw material alkyd resin. Shake well and stir – if necessary – before use. Close immediately after use.

Contains: alkyd resin, mineral spirit, siccative.

Dosage:10% to 20% maximum.

Thinner: Turpentine substitute

A safe wax medium for impasto effects. This medium retains palette knife marks and brush strokes, remains thick and doubles paint easily, drying to a matt finish.

Studio Safe products are non-aromatic, non-flammable, and have a pleasant orange smell.

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.

Galkyd is an oil painting medium created by Gamblin. They write:

"Galkyd thins oil colours and increases transparency and gloss. When used in greater proportions with oil colour, Galkyd will level brush-strokes, creating an enamel-like surface. Galkyd is our fastest-drying painting medium. Thin layers will be touch-dry in approximately 24 hours."

Galkyd "G" Gel is produced by Gamblin. They say:

"Galkyd Gel is a stiffer gel compared to Neo Megilp that holds thicker, sharper brushmarks and dries more quickly. Galkyd Gel increases transparency of oil colours and creates impasto."

Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel is manufactured by the American company Gamblin. They write:

"Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel is the only solvent-free painting medium that supports a broad range of painting techniques with minimal compromise. Solvent-Free Gel gives colours more flow and transparency, yet holds the shape of your brushmark. Solvent-Free Gel has a moderately fast drying rate and increases gloss. Made from safflower oil and alkyd resin, Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel is non-toxic and contains no Gamsol or petroleum distillates. In comparison to other solvent-free mediums, Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel supports the broadest range of painting techniques with the least compromise across color, dry time, texture and mark-making. To ensure proper drying of paint layers, Solvent-Free Gel should be used in moderation with oil colors. No more than 25% by volume. To avoid wrinkling, apply mixtures of Solvent-Free Gel and oil colors thinly. To paint solvent-free, we recommend Gamblin Safflower Oil for cleaning brushes while you are working. After your painting session, brushes can be further cleaned using Gamsol and/or soap and water."

Galkyd Light is produced by Gamblin. They write:

"Galkyd Lite thins oil colours and increases transparency and gloss. When used in moderation with oil colours, Galkyd Lite will retain brushstrokes. Galkyd Lite is more fluid and less glossy compared to Galkyd. Thin layers will be touch-dry in 24 to 30 hours."

Galkyd Slow Drying Medium is created by Gamblin. They write:

"Galkyd Slow Dry thins oil colours and extends working time. Galkyd Slow Dry is more fluid and less glossy than Galkyd Lite. Use one part Galkyd Slow Dry to one part oil colours to paint wet-into-wet for at least a day."

Please note: This product has been discontinued, while stocks last.

Gamblin Solvent-Free Fluid is an oil painting medium created by the American company Gamblin. They write:

"Gamblin Solvent-Free Fluid painting medium gives oil colours more flow and transparency. It has a moderately fast drying rate and increases gloss. Made from safflower oil and alkyd resin, Gamblin Solvent-Free Fluid is non-toxic and contains no Gamsol or petroleum distillates. To ensure proper drying and prevent beading-up of paint layers, Solvent-Free Fluid should be used in moderation with oil colours – no more than 25% by volume. To avoid wrinkling, apply mixtures of Solvent-Free Fluid and oil colors thinly. For underpainting, we recommend adding Gamsol to Solvent-Free Fluid."

Cold Wax medium is made by Gamblin. They say:

"Cold Wax medium is made from naturally white, pure beeswax. Formulated to knife consistency, Cold Wax Medium makes oil colours thicker and more matte. Cold Wax Medium can be used to make Gamblin mediums and Gamvar more matte. It can also be applied alone as a matte varnish."

Please see below for more information.

Neo-Meglip Medium is produced by Gamblin. They say:

"Neo Megilp is a contemporary version of Maroger. This soft gel medium maintains the body of oil colours, increases transparency and flow, and imparts a smooth, silky feel. Neo Megilp dries at a moderate rate and remains workable for hours. Neo Megilp gives colours a satin gloss."

A selection of the Gamblin range of oil mediums.

Contains: 59ml Gamsol; 59ml Refined Linseed Oil; 59ml Neo Megilp; 59ml Galkyd Lite; 59ml Cold Wax Medium; 37ml Solvent-Free Gel

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.

From the Winsor & Newton website: This new medium slows drying & improves flow. Ideal for blending, glazing, stroke work, antiquing and staining. Improves transparency and depth. Dries to a durable gloss finish.

From the Schmincke website:

Jelly-like medium for accelerating the drying of oil colours. Preserves consistency and degree of gloss. Dosage: 10% to 30% maximum. Contains: Siccative, stand oil, resin solution, mineral spirit.

From the Schmincke website:

Low-fat (“lean”) painting and thinning medium for oil colours. Recommended for thin grounds and to create transparent layers over gouache, tempera and acrylic paintings; thins without hardly affecting the drying time and gloss. Dosage: 10% to max. 20%

Contains: Safflower oil, natural and synthetic resins, mineral spirit.

A slow-drying medium that allows for extending the working period, wet-in-wet painting and blending techniques.

From the Schmincke website:

Medium for oil colours rich in oil. Retards drying; allows wet-in-wet painting; its high content of oil and resin improves the gloss and develops a smooth, elastic film. Dosage: 10% to 20% maximum.

ontains: sunflower oil, stand oil, mineral spirit, aldehyde resin

Highly siccative painting medium. Dries on the palette with 40 minutes. Use sparingly to prevent gloss.

From the Schmincke website:

Medium for oil colours rich in resin (“lean”). Accelerates drying; increases gloss and depth; makes the colour layers more resistant. Close immediately after use. Dosage: 10% to 20%.

Contains: aldehyde resin, mineral spirit, siccative, stand oil.

A gel medium that increases the buttery character of oil colours and decreases their drying time. Useful for impasto techniques and knife application. Add to oils in a maximum ratio of 1:4. Contains alkyd resin.

This product does not contain turpentine, and can therefore be suitable for artists with allergies.

From the Schmincke website:

A neutral, nearly non-yellowing, painting and thinning medium for oil colours. Suitable for all painting techniques except for early layers on absorbent undergrounds (not lean enough); has a low impact on drying time. For dilution, use terpin (max. 30%). Dosage: 10 to max. 20%. Contains: alkyd and acrylic resin, mineral spirit.

Lefranc Bourgeois are a paint manufacturer with a long history of supplying to artists since their beginnings in 1720.

From their website: The impasto medium is a dense texture paste. It contains highly malleable mastic which enables artists to thicken the paint and create hard impastos. The brush strokes become more defined and hold a crisp relief over time. It can be combined with Flemish medium to create more dramatic impastos.