OIL

• Colours of oil paints dry at different rates because the pigments interact differently with the oil.

Fast: Flake & Lead Whites, pigments with manganese, Cobalts, Prussian Blue, Raw Sienna, the Umbers, the chromes
Medium: Titanium white, the Quinacridones, the pthalo blues & greens, Ultramarines, the Ochres, Burnt Sienna
Slow: Most yellows (chrome is fast-drying), the Cadmiums (red is slowest), Oranges, Alizarin Crimson, Zinc white, vermilion, most blacks (except manganese), madder

• Mix Liquin with genuine turps to make it less shiny.

• When you see paint that has cracked, it is usually for one of the following reasons (I am not saying don’t do it, you may want to, but understand why it happens):
  ¬ Thicker layers of paint shrink as they dry causing thinner layers above to crack.
  ¬ Faster drying pigments over slower drying pigments will crack.
• Always mark/colour-code your paintbrushes, especially if you’re sharing your studio with another painter!
• The more toxic pigments are those which include: cadmium; lead; cobalt, barium.
• Try cleaning brushes with sunflower oil – leave them in for a while and then wipe off. It removes the paint but doesn’t dry them out as much as turps.
• If I want to save a brush with paint on it so I can use the same colour next day, I leave it in water overnight – it stops drying, and you can wipe off and carry on.
• Don’t pour solvents down the sink!
• Recycle Turps/White Spirit: Pour dirty turps into a jar. Leave for a few days and the residue sinks to the bottom. Pour off the clean liquid into another jar. You can do this several times and have several jars – your turps keeps getting cleaner.
• To get rid of residue sludge from solvents – pour some cat litter into the jar – let the litter soak up the solvent, then it can be scraped out and put into a bin.
• Keep your painting rags in a metal bin – not wood or plastic – Fire Safety!
• Linen is really beautiful to paint on, is much stronger than cotton, and is the traditional choice, but Cotton Duck makes a good, less expensive alternative.
• The friction of a rough canvas actually helps to pull the paint off the brush so it’s good for thick paint. At the other end, a really smooth surface is better for more control, so it’s great for glazes and very fine and detailed work. Prime then sand several times to get the smoothest surface.
• Remember that if you use household paints, the colour really fades. It also discolours and becomes brittle.
• Never throw away old T-shirts – they are always useful as rags and cheaper than paper towel. Off-cuts of canvas can be used to rest dirty paintbrushes on.
• Sweep your studio at the end of the day, allowing any dust to settle before you are next in – dust is a painter’s nemesis!
• Make a list of the exact colours of paint you are running low on before going to the art shop to avoid returning with more duplicates than you had planned.
• When using spray paint, turn the can upside down and spray for a couple of seconds to prevent the cap from clogging.
• Use duct tape to repair holes in paint tubes – avoiding mess and paint loss. (Duct tape is really useful so it’s good to have around in any case).
• Oil paint is simply the best medium for colour we have – enjoy it. Don’t listen to any bloody rules – you will figure out what you want to do and how to do it.