Mediums and Siccatives

From the Cranfield website:

A pereparation of pure beeswax in white spirit, this is used to achieve a soft sheen on your finished painting. It will retard drying, allowing you to achieve a range of effects.

From the Winsor & Newton website: A slow drying, gloss medium which is ideal for fine detail work, glazing and smoothly blended areas with no brush marks. Reduces consistency and improves flow. Suitable for oiling out and enriching dull patches. Resistant to yellowing. 

From the Cranfield website:

An almost transparent painting medium based on refined linseed oil and alumina. It is similar in consistency to Studio Oil Colours in tubes. It does not promote quick drying and may be used to extend oil colours. It can be used in large ratios where the desired effect is to increase yellowing and darkening of pale colours. It will not increase gloss.

From the Cranfield website:

This free flowing, slightly thixotropic medium is alkyd based and will not increase gloss when added to oil colours. It is quick drying.

From the Cranfield website:

This is a thixotropic alkyd medium designed to mix with oil colours, retaining the body of the paint. Spectragel is a gloss medium and is quick drying. It is a clear medium based on a synthetic resin that improves the weather resistance of oil colours; ideal for glazing and extending colours while retaining gloss and structure of paint.

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

From their website: White Courtrai siccative helps to dry oil colours as it is easy to use. It is important to be precise with the quantities: one drop to one part colour. This direct addition to colour should be carried out with slow-drying colours. It can also be used at 1 to 5% to create painting mediums.

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

From their website: The Harlem Duroziez drying medium increases the brilliance and transparency of glazes. It enables the build-up of layers over the course of half a day thanks to the rapid drying effect of thin layers. It is completely dry within three days.

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

From their website: The Flemish glazing medium enables artists to create glossy amber finishes in the style of the Flemish masters. It creates a transparent look. It also greatly enhances the brilliance of the oil. After half a day’s work, the colours can be layered over each other.

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

From their website: The Xavier de Langlais egg medium makes paints more creamy, accelerates their drying time and enables painters to create layers of velvety oil paint with a matt or glossy finish according to the amount used. It creates a matt (8 to 10 drops) or glossy (4 to 5 drops) look. This highly original recipe from Xavier de Langlais comes from early Italian painters who used an egg-based emulsion to set and hold the colour. The wet-look technique is called “tempera” and is perfectly balanced and stable to create perfect brush strokes. We recommend shaking it well before use so that the paint is nice and creamy.

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

From their website: The slow-drying J.G. Vibert painting medium holds brush marks, creates a painterly satin film and prevents any sinking. It creates a uniform top film and enables artists to rework old colours for long periods of time.

Roberson Impasto medium is a crack-resistant medium for impasto effects. It retains palette knife and brush strokes, giving the paint sharp, defined edges. It remains thick and doubles paint easily, drying to a matte finish. To retain colour strength, mix one part medium to one part oil colour.

Contains: Stand Oil, Damar Resin, Turpentine, Bleached Beeswax.

Mix with tube oils or pigment to improve flow and translucency, resulting in a satin finish. Contains silica driers. May darken if cap is left off bottle; if this happens, replace the lid and leave overnight to restore the colour with no lasting ill effects.

Mix with tube oil colours or pigment to improve flow and translucency. For thin glazes, fine details and smooth brushwork.

Contains: Turpentine, Damar Resin, Stand Oil, Cobalt Dryers.

This is a traditional, high-oil "fat" painting medium, made using the highest quality materials. It will retain colour strength, is resistant to bleeding, has good flow release, is ideal for blending, and can be mixed with oil colours in any ratio. When dry, it creates an enamel-like surface.

Contains: Stand oil,Cold-pressed Linseed oil, Canada Balsam, Rectified Spirit of Turpentine, Beeswax, Driers.

Clean tools in white spirit. Do not use as a varnish, always mix with oil colour.

Roberson Maroger Medium can be mixed in equal parts with oil colours to give a lasting brilliance and workable consistency to paints. It prevents sinking when using a wet-in-wet techniques.

Contains: Damar Resin, Gum Arabic, Linseed Oil

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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."

From the Winsor & Newton website: The most fluid of the Liquin family of products, this quick drying, gloss medium is ideal for fine details, glazing and blending, or to produce a smooth surface picture. Speeds drying (touch dry in 1-6 days depending on colour and film thickness).Resists yellowing. Not suitable as a varnish or final coat.