Dear members,
When I am making paint with my students, I often use the Artist’s Handbook by Ralph Mayer, fifth edition, for the ratios oil to pigment. Or is it pigment to oil?
When reading page 63 (right before the charts of pigments starts), I read: “The oil-absoprtion-rate figures give the ratio of pigment (by weight) to oil (by weigjht) needed to form a stiff paste.”
But when we apply this, it often turnes out wrong, very wrong. Sometimes it seemes I misread, and it should be the ratio of oil to pigment.
Like with titanium white Mayer says: Ana 18-30 wt/ 100wt. So about 25 grams of pigment to 100 grams of oil. While in the Just Paint (by Golden) article about oil, weight and ratios, it says 20 grams of oil to 100 grams of pigment. So the other way around!
Who should I trust (other than my own results). Did Ralph Mayer make a mistake?
Thanks in advance
Thanks for your comment. It seems I have to rethink my thoughts on Ralph Mayer. This book was revised in 1991, which is already 32 years ago, ouch! 😉
Is there a book that can replace the Ralph Mayer? With charts and all?
I just checked my 5th edition, and I think those figures must be reversed in that example on page 63. Firstly it uses PB6 as an example, but there is no PB6. It’s referring to PBk6 (Carbon black).
Carbon black absorbs much more oil than titanium white, so I’m thinking the 100wt in each listing must refer to the pigment rather than the oil, the same as the Just Paint article, then the figures coincide pretty for both Carbon Black and Titanium white..
PBk6 – Mayer 109-160wt/100wt – Golden 160wt/100wt
PW6 – Mayer 18-30wt/100wt – Golden 20wt/100wt
Ron Francis.
I’d encourage you to trust the results of your own experiments! Sarah Sands authored the Just Paint article, and I think you can always trust that the information she set forth was fully researched and reliable, based on in-person, hands-on experience and current paint chemistry. That article is still pretty fresh, too. Ralph Mayer’s book still has a lot to recommend it, but it’s so long out of print, and far from authoritative on many topics.
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