How often to dip your brush into the medium?

by Delmus
(Blue Ridge Mountains)

Linseed oil cup

Linseed oil cup

Customer wrote:

In your DVD demonstration I cannot see, when and how often you dip your brush into your medium (liquin, paint thinner, lavender mixture)?

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Answer:

Just prior to loading the brush with paint, I first dip it in the medium.

I then grab paint with brush and mix. As I apply paint, and use this glob of paint up, I go back in for more medium, then more paint.

If it's a large area, I'll dip the tip of my palette knife into the oil mixture and mix it into the paint pile all at once. This may take several dips to get enough mixture into the paint pile.

Either way will work.

Question #2:

From what I understood from the DVD demonstration, you have one cup with odorless paint thinner only and the other with liquin, thinner and lavender oil. Is that correct?

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Answer:

Well, not exactly.

I have a little linseed oil in the mixture also. The mixture has more oil added as each layer is done. There is only a little liquin added to speed up drying. The lavender oil is only for smell. You don't have to use it. It covers the scent of the turps, which is usually strong. It is also said to excite brain cells into more activity, making you smarter as you paint. I don't know about the latter, coffee usually gets my brain cells operating just fine. But remember, don't drink and paint. At least keep your cup far away from your paints.

If its an early layer, I'll have just turps or oms (with a touch of liquin) in the cup, but later layers will have the mixture of linseed oil, lavender drop, a touch of liquin. I add more oil as each layer proceeds.

I hope this helps



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by: Cathy

I too was not sure what you are dipping the brush in. I am at the dead layer and not sure what mixture of medium I should use. And by the sound each additional layer from here you add more linseed oil. Thanks

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