Liquin for Oil Painting

Good day Mr. Langevin,

I have read in the FCA review that you recommend the "Liquin" (made by Winsor & Newton) medium for oil painting and I would like to try it.  I am not sure how to use it.

Is it better to dilute it with solvent or turpentine?  If yes, in which percentage? Or should I use it pure, mixed with colour, and in which quantities?

Should I add more medium at each additional coat?  I work thin.  How long should I wait to put on another coat?  This product is very new for me.

Is it dangerous for cracking, after many years if I use it all the time or if I don't wait long enough? Also, I don't want to have shininy and mat spots of colors using this medium. What I can do?

Thank you in advance for your answer,

Hi,

An oil painting medium like Liquin is excellent to use to thin your colors to paint fine detail or to make transparent passages (glazes).  You don't need to use it all the time, or add more to each subsequent layer.  Just use it when you need it to create the effect you want.  And only use as much as you need to get the job done.  It is best to add a little at a time to your paint on the palette until the paint is at the right consistency and you get the effect you are looking for.  This will assure a more controlled use of the medium than would a method of dipping your brush in it or mixing it directly on the canvas, for example.

It is not necessary to add solvents like turpentine to the medium.  Most mediums are engineered to give the desired result without thinning them.  Mediums like Liquin are invariably a mixture of a resin and a solvent so adding more solvent will upset the balance of the mixture and create unpredictable results for your painting. 

You can paint over it right away or wait until it is dry.  If you prefer to paint over a dry surface a thin layer of paint with the Liquin added will usually be dry enough to paint over within a few hours. 

The Liquin is not dangerous for cracking as long as you don't use too much, especially in the under-layers of the painting.  Like I said, use only as much as you need to achieve the desired effect. 

You will have shinny and matte sections in your painting even if you don't use any medium, different colors (pigments) are more glossy and transparent than others.  Of course, using a medium like Liquin makes any color more shinny.  Most painters put a final picture varnish over their oil paintings, not only to protect the painting, but to regulate the gloss of the image as well. 

Hope that helps, have fun.  David