Mediums for Oil Painting

In this video I cover common and popular mediums used for oil painting, including Maroger medium.
www.WalcottFineArt.com
Linseed Oil, Stand Oil & Dammar Varnish can be purchased at any art supply retailer.
Liquin can be purchased from any art supply retailer.
www.dickblick.com
www.jerrysartarama.com
Diamond G Forest Turpentine: bit.ly/2lX2cHN
Old Masters Maroger Medium: bit.ly/2lPGA4j
Old Masters Black Oil: bit.ly/2lX1P06
Rublev Italian Varnish: bit.ly/2kO7nd2
Rublev Black Oil: bit.ly/2kOGMg0

[@TheTomciesielski]

Out of all those god damn videos out there this one is seriously the most simple and informative without dancing around the bush. Great job and thank you!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks! I'm so glad you found this video useful. :)

[@artpassion]

thomas damascus totally agree

[@Erin_The_Lotus]

haha he didnt get the notification

[@Mark-fv8vt]

answered a lot of questions I had as well

[@moyyerra]

Came for the mediums, stayed for the un-childproofing. This is great, thank you.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@Name-ot3xw]

I know that I'm like 35 years late, but I appreciate the time you took to put down all your insights.

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm glad you found the video helpful! Thanks for watching :)

[@gevans808]

Finally, someone is who is actually sharing relevant information about oil painting mediums! Best one I have found so far. Thank you! That Black oil medium looks really amazing to use, will have to write your recipe down. Do you think that the flexibility of black oil is what will make a painting last for 500 or more years?

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching and for the nice comment! Yes, the black oil helps with flexibility but it's not the oil, it's the lead. I read somewhere that adding lead to oil paint is one of the best things you can do for it. Lead helps polymer films remain flexible which is why minute amounts are added to electrical cord coverings...it keep the plastic from turning brittle and flaking off the wire. It will have the same effect on a dry linseed oil film.

[@vickikendall370]

any comments on venetian medium?

[@brianmcginty5837]

Jason Walcott is one of the most informative art instructors on the net. He also happens to be a very fine and creative artist. I know because I have one of his small paintings.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Brian thanks for that wonderful and kind comment! I'm so glad you enjoy my channel so much! :)

[@chrisvallone6161]

Thank you, Jason! Your work will continue to be a great resource for me as I transition from acrylic painting to oil painting

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment! I'm so glad my videos have been helpful :)

[@Sagadi]

This is so good! Seriously the first video that made me understand the use of mediums.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the nice comment! I'm really glad my video helped you. :) Thanks for watching!

[@Sagadi]

Walcott Fine Art I'm really glad I found your channel, since I'm just about to start with oil painting. This taught me a lot already :)

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks and have fun with your painting! :)

[@Sagadi]

Walcott Fine Art Thank you I'm sure I will! =D

[@m.carl.lunden]

I just want to thank you! Your videos are some of the most informative on painting and materials on RUclips. After 25 plus years of not doing any art I have learned more in the past few months than I did in art school in the early 1980’s. These two videos on mediums were really helpful. Please keep making them!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for such a nice comment! I'm glad you enjoyed watching my videos. :) There are more videos to come!

[@fullmoonC]

THANK YOU for this video!! 3 years later and it´s still the most helpful thing on RUclips.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching :)

[@paulamorais1989]

Amazing video! I am always going to art supplies stores and get myself lost with all those Mediums. Now I finally understand each one of these! I confess I love the traditional ones and started to pay less attention when you started talking about liquin. THANK YOU!!!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. I am a traditionalist too, but occasionally find Liquin useful when I need something to dry really fast. :)

[@Kitieification]

This is a very informative video I have seen so far on mediums. Since I have been running into problems with my usual medium this really set me straight. Thank You Victoria

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so pleased you found the video useful :) Thanks for watching!

[@whatevil]

Just discovering oil painting for the first time and your vids are fantastic Straight to the point and very informative. Thank you!

[@byalfredis]

Thank you Jason, as always informative

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

[@artbyty]

As with the rest of your videos, you explain things better than anyone else on the youtoobs.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the very kind comment! I'm so glad you've enjoyed my videos. :)

[@lunadargent5292]

Hi Jason, I have just recently found your channel and I have to say you are quite amazing. I have learned so much from you and I’ve only watched a handful of your videos. I’m looking forward to watching everything you have and I thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your wisdom with us.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for watching and for the nice comment! :)

[@alaj7922]

The best explanation about mediums I've ever seen! Thank you very much :)

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the nice comment! I'm glad you enjoyed this. :)

[@lilymanson4896]

Great video! I'm just getting serious about oil painting and this made which medium to use so much less confusing!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for watching! I'm gla dyou found this useful. :)

[@MsSasha4444]

I truly appreciate your videos they are easy to understand and very helpful. You seem to enjoy making them as well. Thank you so much. Glenn

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad you found the video helpful! Thanks for the nice comment :)

[@gingersam851]

Jason, you have the gift of simplicity and clarity. A brief intro and you are straight into it. LOL

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment and for watching! :)

[@sarahNchasen]

I think I just found my favorite RUclips artist! Thank you for your videos! They’re awesomely helpful.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Wow, thank you for the nice comment and for watching!

[@Dr10Jeeps]

I enjoy your videos very much. They are extremely informative. Thank you.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@cynmillar1]

Really enjoy how specific you are with your tutorials.....very thorough. Thank you.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thank you for the nice comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@camgscott]

I love the Moonlight Sonata! One of my faves!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching :)

[@armarat7419]

That tip about the child safety caps is solid gold! Thank you!!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@susan1965sc]

Wow thanks so much . I'm new to art and only started trying oils this year . Mediums have baffled me a bit and I've watched a few you tube videos and still been baffled . Your video was outstanding and I now understand . Thanks very much 😁

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thank you so much for the nice comment! I'm really glad you found my video helpful. :)

[@johncooper9221]

Thank you for sharing your Knowledge, and keep up the good work! I really enjoyed the vids on safety and the White, Green, Yellow oil paint mixing. A big thumbs up!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment John! I'm so glad you are enjoying my videos. :) In fact, I'll be uploading one on Orange very shortly!

[@lotusjoy1208]

Jason, thanks so much for another great video on mediums. I paint the indirect way, in layers and I use 50/50% of stand oil and oms. Then I add more oil each layer following the fate over lean rule. I have just beginning to experiment alla prima style but it is very different als. Thanks again.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching and for the great comment! It sounds like you are using the medium in the perfect way...I hope you enjoy the alla prima once you get familiar with it. :)

[@elaineflo01]

You do a great job - I'm enjoying your tutorials / videos! Thank you.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you have been enjoying my videos and find them informative. :)

[@sonjagartnerart]

I so agree with those "child proof" tops!!!! They should be an option you can get for free if you NEED, not as a regular thing!

[@walcottfineart5088]

LOL! Well, try my hack and it should help. :) Thanks for watching!

[@helenalexander2181]

amen

[@ms.christian7792]

GREAT! Really well done tutorial. So valuable. Thank you sooo much. A lot I didn't know. Love the details. Very conscientious.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@mahaalzahrani07]

Thank you so much for the great video. Helped me a lot with all this mediums confusion!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Great! I'm so glad you enjoyed this video. Thanks for watching!

[@Group_of__]

Excellent video on Medium! Congrats you really did a fine job explaining this subject. Thank you so very much. When I walk into an art stire, this area is so overwhelming and never have I inquired about medium, did the clerk have any knowledge of the products! Thank you for helping me to make a more informed decision..

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad my video was helpful to you! Thanks for watching and for the nice comment. :)

[@bleedinggumsroberts3579]

Your videos make me happy. And thank you for the great advice.

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching! :)

[@stephanied.kaiserharvel9951]

Great videos! This is simple, straightforward, and incredibly informative! Thank you!

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching :)

[@drbob528]

I am just getting back to oil painting and Jason's overview on mediums is one of the best I've come across. Many thanks. And my full support for the tip on "child-proof" bottle caps ... they drive me crazy too.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for watching and for the nice comment! Glad you found the video helpful. :)

[@drbob528]

My pleasure. I just tried your levering-off trick with the child-proof cap. Works beautifully. More of these tips in a new book: "Anarchy for Artists"?

[@walcottfineart5088]

LOL

[@fredbrach9091]

Merci Jason Walcott from the bottom of my heart.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@Made2hack]

Good stuff Jason, exactly the video I was looking for! Cheers!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@karakara3753]

I’m really glad that I found your videos because they are really helpful

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad you found my videos helpful! Thanks for watching :)

[@chrisgriffith1573]

I'm researching again- and this is one of your great videos for referencing!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the nice comment and for watching! Glad it was helpful :)

[@mckeely]

this dude has the best and most helpful oil painting videos

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment and for watching! :)

[@davidf6154]

Thanks for the great video's and taking the time to explain in detail the product or at least your in depth experience with it. Your very helpful,Thanks again and keep up the great work.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the nice comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@antoinettedewall1191]

Thank you for explaining the different types of mediums. I would love to see a glazing video. Thanks again

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! I actually do have two glazing videos, one is called "Glazing 101" and the other is "Alla Prima vs Grisaille" :)

[@charlottewall1731]

Thanks for another great video! Very helpful.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks Charlotte! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. :)

[@Williamchow11]

Charlotte Wall
Ditto

[@KevinContreras2013]

Thank you! I wish I found this video before I started oil painting years ago. Very straightforward and informative.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment and for watching! :)

[@DMNKLR_official]

Thanks for this video, Jason, I've only just now gotten around to beginning with oils and this is of great use to me. I've actually been building up a Jerry's cart for a few weeks now, and just added a big tube of that Lukas No5 medium to it (it's on super sale, woohoo!). Where I live, anything "piney" is a HUGE no-no, so thanks for the heads-up re: turps as well!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and have fun with your painting! :)

[@Winteryears]

Dude, just ran across this. Excellent teaching. Excellent. I've subscribed.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the nice comment and for watching! :)

[@Six6_Six_6Six6]

This is a great video, this is one of the best art videos i have ever seen

[@walcottfineart5088]

Wow, thanks so much for that very kind comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! :)

[@fabrizio483]

Great video, but being one of David Leffel's pupils I need to clarify that David used to cook and sell the Maroger medium when he was a student at the Art Students League in NY. He now uses the brand showed in the video. Cheers.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the comment and the updated information! Glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@cindyouellette6365]

Straight forward and informative. Thank you!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@WoodlandApothecary]

This was really informative. Glad I found your channel.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@shaktibutterfly]

At the local art school they advocate two mediums using linseed oil and isoparafin, one is 50-50% and the other is 90%isoparafin and 10% linseed oil which is used on the first layer. This makes life easier for people like me who cannot cope with turpentine and other strong products. Thanks for your very informative video, it is really nice to get such detailed information :-)

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Not everyone can tolerate turpentine so it's great that you found a medium that works for you.

[@elainerobinson760]

Nice and clear explaination to this new painter!

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad you found my video helpful! Thanks for watching. :)

[@vexinglex4996]

Entering the world of oil painting and I'm glad this video exists.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for watching! I'm glad you found my video helpful. :)

[@margaritahope4604]

Love your videos! Learned a lot. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@chloec626]

Thank you for helping me know about the different mediums now I know what to get to start

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found the video useful. :)

[@user-bl8zk6ci2c]

Informations très riches. C 'est la première fois que j'entends des informations si précises sur certains médiums comme celui utilisé par David Leffel qui est un grand peintre effectivement. MLS

[@venetiancat]

Thanks Jason, not only for this most informative video, but for the awesome links! OMG those tops from HELL, LOVE the hack!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@101mosioatunya]

Thank you so much for all this information. The tip about Rublev's Italian Varnish is very interesting and I would like to try it out. :-)

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching :)

[@halatalaat542]

you are amazing tallent man ' greeting from egypt '
l am painter too , l learned alot things l need from u ' thanks alot

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the nice comment! I'm glad you are enjoying my videos. Thanks for watching!

[@ilovewomen69]

Your painting is amazing props to you

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment and for watching! :)

[@1itsgigi]

I love your videos! Could you please do a video on brushstrokes? I have watched videos that show beautiful flowers but we are not taught the brushstrokes. Your help would be so awesome.

[@DerBingle1]

That Lukis stuff looks to be exactly what I need when I go full on knife & 50x60! Thanks!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Great! Glad my video was helpful to you in finding the Lukas medium. Thanks for watching!

[@jetsonjoe]

another great infomative session

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@trevorjamesbradley3010]

Thanks. This video was exactly what I was looking for!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks Trevor! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate your comments. :)

[@nintenalex]

Awesome informative video. Subscribed. Defiantly getting your suggestions when I can.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching and for the sub! :)

[@TMB247]

The Cap Hack is useful for more than Mediums! Thank You... I just Subbed, that is the kind of Info that I am looking for.

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the video :) Thanks for watching!

[@MrTravelEasy]

Thanks for putting this together. great information

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thank you for the nice comment! Glad you enjoyed it. :)

[@dougeike]

Excellent explanation of mediums.

[@walcottfineart5088]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!

[@anchor14]

I use Liquin and really love it

[@lizkilic1528]

Brilliant explanations and love your videos thank you

[@walcottfineart5088]

Glad you like them! Thanks for watching :)

[@jacquelinebenoit-larsen6151]

thank you. love your art!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thank you so much for the nice comment!

[@defin99]

Fabulous video. Learnt so much from your videos.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment and for watching!

[@kimlanoue2033]

Your videos are very helpful. Thank you.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment! Glad you found this helpful. :)

[@Michael-nu6fb]

Thanks for the great info about mediums. I'm subscribed and heading over to check out more videos.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the nice comment and for watching! :)

[@kingsleysaxon9710]

The cracks in very old(or sometimes not so old) is because the support is subject to movement , flexible surfaces will always cause the paint to crack over time. Have you seen the Balthasar Denner oils on copper in The Louvre? !749 the paint surface is perfect!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Yes that is very true! The support makes a huge difference. I do like painting on the archival canvas/linen panels as I think they will hold up better over time. Stretched canvas has to be cared for properly. Thanks for watching! :)

[@tonsfocus]

Wow - what a concise and no-nonsense introduction to oil paint mediums! Thank you so much!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for your nice comment! I'm glad you found the video useful. :)

[@zbthunderwood]

I'd love to see you do a side-by-side comparison of the Maroger with Gamblin's Neo Megilp. I have the latter and, although it's probably my favorite alkyd medium, it seems much goopier than Maroger.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the comment! That's a good idea! I am thinking about doing a second follow up video on mediums and that would be a great issue to cover. :)

[@tinkerno11]

Once again - Fantastic!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching!

[@43110s]

Great and very informative video! I do not know oil paint, but will try soon. (I am into watercolours). My art history studies have made me very curious about oil paint. Mostly as the Old Masters painted. My dream is to be able to paint a flower painting like the 17th century (maybe Dutch) Masters. Thank you for your video, I watched with great interest and really enjoyed it! : ) I subscribed!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for watching! Good luck with the oil painting and have fun! :)

[@theroyalrem]

Great video! Thank you so much

[@joseluisrojasmontiel8414]

Thanks again. I hope new videos. Merry cristhmas friend.

[@anchor14]

I love your videos and learn a lot

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment! :)

[@MsVivian99]

Thank you ! So very helpful and much appreciated

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@puppeteerlee1674]

Great video! Thanks for the info!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the nice comment! I'm glad enjoyed this video. :)

[@rosemcr9292]

moonlight sonata in the background. great video!!

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@thedocshlaett5960]

Great video!

[@gregorymackenzie1108]

Thank you for the informative video Andrew. :)

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@robynalice879]

3:20 what the heck, you just saved my joints so many dislocations. *The Master prevails once again.* Hahaha :)

[@walcottfineart5088]

Great! I'm glad it helped :) LOL Thanks for watching!

[@MartinPodholaMlok]

Oh, great! I am not alone with problems opening these "child-safe" bottles! :) it is terrifying, when the turpentine or oil stuck the screw, arrgh :D

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! I hate those things! Like I said, just pry off the outer cap and you're good to go. :)

[@tammyeaton4791]

Martin Podhola ‘Artist-proof’ packaging!-😆😆😆

[@CharlesBernth]

I used a Dremel with a cutting wheel; cut two slots 180 degrees apart. The cuts don't have to be all the way through to the rim of the cap. Finish the cut with a sharp tool. Pop 'em right off.

[@KaustavMukherjeeFineArt]

I like the video very much. A lot of details was covered here. Funny thing is that these days 'don't use' comments are very popular. The fact is that a lot of these comments on internet are not fact based (no studies whatsoever) and do not provide a stable alternative. You also checked Leffel's paintings and found no problems. Oil paints will yellow and crack. I think it is very simple.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the great comment! Yes, I agree. There were some really heated arguments on the WetCanvas forums over the Maroger. Art conservators/restorers are very serious about not overusing resins in oil paintings, so there is probably some validity to it. But again they are talking about paintings that are 200 or 300 years old.

[@jeremiahembs5343]

Great video.

[@mikefeeney4976]

Thank you Jason for this and for all of your excellent videos. I'm learning a lot from them and enjoying painting even more than before. One question, recently I've been using Linseed oil, Gamsol as my medium. Can I use Darmar varnish along with the Gamsol?

[@walcottfineart5088]

No, damar is not compatible with petroleum based solvents like Gamsol or Turpenoid. It requires the real genuine turpentine. If you don't want to go that route, you can add some Galkyd to the Gamsol/linseed oil mix instead. That is will also speed up drying time and add some gloss. Thanks for watching! :)

[@carolinemanuel5996]

Hi! I just discovered your channel and have been binge watching your videos over the past few days, they are so informative! I was wondering what you think of neo-megilp and how it compares to these other gel and alkyd mediums. I've been using neo-megilp a lot over the past year and I love it but what about you? Thanks :)

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching and for the nice comment! I'm glad you've enjoyed my channel. :) I've used Neo-Megilp a few times, and I think it's just OK. I'm not a big fan of alkyd mediums...I prefer the traditional ones, but that is just my opinion. I would say the Neo-Megilp is probably a bit better than Liquin. If you love it and it works for you then by all means use it! It is definitely a quality product.

[@tarquinmidwinter2056]

Thank you for the videos Jason. This one was particularly helpful. I started painting a year or so ago, and am just trying to get to grips with the different mediums. I have a question about the linseed/turpentine/dammar medium that you mix yourself. Does it have a limited shelf life? Do you mix a little each time you paint, or can you mix a whole lot to last several months?

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! Yes, you can mix the medium ahead of time and it will last for a pretty long time...Sometimes though what will happen is (even in sealed container) the turpentine will slowly evaporate out, leaving a thicker solution...but you can just add some back in.

[@lumi3726]

Very informative video!I watched it twice.😄I have walnut oil ,gamsol ,galkyd and turpentinoid, are they enough for me as a beginner painter?

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for watching! Yes, those are perfectly fine mediums to use. You don't need to run out and buy anything else. :)

[@AlexandraJavier]

So informative. Thank you, Sir :)

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks so much for the comment! I'm so glad you found the video useful.

[@InLawsAttic]

What is the best quality dammar varnish that I should buy? Do you recommend to use bleached linseed oil by Old Holland? I’m going to buy that black linseed oil also. Thank you so much!!

[@WanderleiSilva29]

awesome... this was extremely helpful.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and I appreciate your comment. :)

[@joseluisrojasmontiel8414]

Thanks again . Sorry about my english jaja. Free solvent gambling . Is it used as liquin for example? Is it as alquidic medium? Thanks from spain

[@ATINKERER]

Very nice, you know your stuff.

[@walcottfineart5088]

Thanks for the nice comment and for watching!