How to Make Your Own Oil Painting Medium

Painters use oil painting mediums for a variety of purposes including thinning paint, adding shine, glazing and speeding up or slowing down drying time. Classical glazing techniques allow painters to build up thin, translucent layers of paint to give the finished work a luminescent quality. It also gives it a depth impossible with paint straight from the tube. You can purchase oil painting medium supplies at art supply and hardware stores.

Things You'll Need

• Turpentine or mineral spirits
• Linseed oil or poppy oil
• Stand oil
• Cobalt dryer
• Damar varnish

Show More

Instructions

1. • 1

     Mix equal parts linseed or poppy oil with turpentine or mineral spirits to thin the paints and make them flow more easily on the canvas.

   • 2

     Mix equal parts turpentine, damar varnish and linseed or poppy oil to thin the paints for better flow as well as glazing. Substitute the linseed or poppy oil with stand oil for a thicker and glossier medium.

   • 3

     Mix 1 part stand oil with 1 oz., damar varnish, 5 oz. turpentine and 15 drops cobalt dryer to make a glaze with a faster drying time.