I have always worked under the stricture that linseed oil based paints and mediums, with at least some lead white in the paint layer, produced the the toughest, most flexible paint layer possible.
However, considering that I work on rigid panel, not on stretched linen when this advice was likely first made…
Q #1 Would it be adviseable to switch to safflower or walnut based oils and mediums instead, considering that they yellow less, or at least more slowly?
Q #2 How important is a flexible paint layer on a rigid support?
For people who are concerned with the slower drying rate of safflower and walnut, I have found that the slower drying rate can be mitigated by placing the painting into an enclosure with incandescent bulbs, which will bring the temperature up to F 90-100.
Q #3 Do you see any problems with placing the wet paintings in a warmer environment for more rapid drying?
No added driers are needed.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Thank you, Brian.
I am experimenting with an good quality acrylic dispersion primer on 1/4″ dibond and on a 10mm, “waffle” core aluminum panel to see if I like the texture and feel of it.
I follow the directions, ie remove the plastic film, scuff sand the dibond, clean with alcohol, etc, but if the adherance of the oil paint layer to the acrylic dispersion primer is just as permanent as the same on an oil primer, then I see no advantage to using an oil primer. Waiting a couple weeks for the acrylic dispersion primer to cure is preferrable to waiting six months. ( In training, I was told to wait 9 months to a year.)
Sound logical?
Whoops, the above comment should have gone to my question in the “drying oils” section. Sorry.
I can see no advantage to using anything other than linseed oil in a true oil ground (alkyd grounds are a different issue). The flexibility and stability is more important than yellowing in a ground. Additionally, grounds should be leaner than oil paint meaning that the yellowing should not be a major factor here.
Not all rigid supports respond the same. Different species of wood respond differently. Different cuts of wood respond very differently. Plywood responds different from wooden panels. Metal panels do not expand and contract with changes in humidity but will to some degree with changes in heat, according to their thermal coefficient. Panels with fabric applied over the panel…….etc, etc, etc. In GENERAL they move less than fabric but again, see above)
Heat and light will always increase chemical reactions, including oxidation. A minor addition of heat like you mention would probably not cause major problems (although I do very, very slightly worry about causing the outside of the paint to skin early making it more likely to wrinkle or even crack). Higher temps, etc should be avoided as they may prematurely age the film as well as the concern above.
It is best to not add driers, especially indiscriminately like is usually done when a artists is adding driers to small amounts of paint, where it is difficult to get good rations (as compared with when it is done by a manufacturer where they have the real ability to measure out small percentages (eg .05%)
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