Artist Oil Paint Recipes

Paint, Medium and Varnish Recipes

Making Your Own Custom Oil Paint

Supplies for Small Batches of Oil Paints

With a few simple items you can be on your way to making your own rich, buttery oil paints with your choice of ingredients at a fraction of the cost of custom paints.
In order to make small batches of artist's oil paints you will need :

1. A flat nonporous surface. This can be a piece of non-porous stone or marble, a mirror or a sheet of glass.

2. A palette knife for blending.

3. (Optional) A muller for blending the oil and pigments into a smooth emulsion.

4. Your choice of oil.

For tips on choosing an oil we suggest that you read Sustainable Arts for information about toxins and hazards. Information about the different types of oils and manufacturer statements can be found at Alternative Art Supplies. A history of the different oils and recipes and information on how they were used by the masters can be found at The History of Oil Paint

5. Your choice of pigments.

6. A dust mask and goggles to protect yourself from the small particles in powdered pigments.

7. (Optional) Ideally, you will want empty paint tubes for storing your paint. Glass jars with tightly fitted lids will also work.

8. Gloves to protect your hands.

9. A marker for marking the paint tubes or jars that you use for storing your custom paint.

10. Disposable cleanup supplies. After your paint is prepared, you will want to clean the area without bringing any items into an area where food is handled.

Oil Paint Recipes

Before you begin any recipe, have all of your supplies together, put on your gloves, mask and goggles.

Basic Recipe

For a basic artist oil paint you will place approximately 1 to 2 Tablespoons of dry pigment in a mound onto your mirror or other surface.

Form an indentation in the center of the pigment.You can do this by pressing your finger lightly into the top of the mound.

Add refined linseed oil or your preferred oil by drops into the indentation. Start with very little as it may surprise you how little it takes to blend the pigments.You can always add more later if needed.

Use your palette knife in a circular motion to work the oil into the pigment, continually bringing the paste from the edges toward the center, until you have a thick paste that appears to be a good consistency for painting. The paint can be used or stored in tubes at this stage.

Variations:

For a smoother emulsion, use the muller to spread the paint into a thin layer using a circular motion. If the paint is too thin, add more pigment and repeat. If too thick to mull you can add more oil.

To prevent separation of the pigment and oil during storage you can add a little wax (approximately 2%) to the mixture. This is done by preparing the oil and wax mixture in advance. See the recipe for Oil and Wax Vehicle below.

Mediums

Oil & Wax Vehicle

For this recipe you will need:

1. White Bees Wax

2. Linseed or other oil

3. A controlled heat source with a low or gentle heat setting.

4. A double boiler

5. A spoon or other stirrer (not wood)

6. Dark colored bottles or jars with tightly-fitted stoppers or lids

Over a low temperature, gently warm 240ml (8 fluid ounces.) of oil in a double boiler or on a hot plate. Stirring constantly, melt 28g (1 ounce) of white beeswax, crumbled, in the oil, just until melted. Remove from the heat promptly and allow to cool completely. While stirring, slowly add 720 ml (24 fluid ounces) additional oil to bring the total volume up to 980 ml (1 quart). This 2% wax mixture is enough to make about 25 tubes of paint, but it does not have a long shelf life (maximum of a few weeks). For best results store in dark colored bottles with tightly fitting lids. As you use the oil, transfer the unused portion to a smaller jar to exclude as much air as possible. If a skin forms it has begun to dry and you will need to discard it.

Varnish

Damar Varnish

To make your own damar varnish you will need:

1. Dammar Resin Crystals

2. Pure Gum Turpentine or Alternative

3. An empty jar. For this recipe you will also need an empty jar with a tight-fitting lid

4. A piece of cheesecloth

5. A length of string (preferably cotton)

6. A gram scale for weighing the crystals

7. A measure for measuring the solvent

8. A Respirator if you use gum turpentine.

Damar Varnish Recipe

Determine the volume of your jar. You will want to leave some space in the jar (about 1/3 of the overall volume) to allow for the displacement of the solvent by the crystals.
You will need:
100grams dry damar resin crystals for every
200ml in volume of pure gum turpentine or alternative.

1) Wrap the damar in cheese cloth and tie it closed tightly with the string, leaving a little more than the height of the jar in additional length on the string.

2) Fill the empty jar with the turpentine and suspend the cheesecloth in it. With the string hanging over the rim, close and tighten the jar lid.

3) Allow 2-3days for the crystals to dissolve completely.

4) Check the consistency before applying the varnish to your painting and thin as needed with a little solvent if necessary.

For more information about potential health hazards in the art studio visit Sustainable Arts.

For more information about less toxic art supply options visit Alternative Art Supplies

Offsite Links:

Tony Johansen, Director of the East Sydney Academy of Art offers a comprehensive guide to making paint of all kinds as well as binders and more at Paintmaking.Com.

Read more about the history of oil paint, the oils and paint recipes used by the masters and changes in the recipes and practices over the centuries The History of Oil Paint