How to Use Alchemist Oil Painting Mediums

The Flemish Old Master Process

It was the practice of many of the 17th-century Flemish oil painters to apply many layers of oil paint in one sitting while all the layers applied were still wet. In this approach, all of the wet layers dried at once into a single oil film. This method of painting was quite different from the time-consuming modern approach in which it is often necessary for each fresh layer of paint to dry before additional layers can be applied.

Flemish painters like Sir Peter Paul Rubens and Sir Anthony van Dyck were able to lay multiple layers of wet oil paint in a vertical position, one over the other, without moving the layers of paint below or causing them to bleed or run. The Old Masters of the 15th to the 17th century often painted with co-polymerized (1) mediums like our Oil of Delft Linseed Thick and Thin (US patent nr.6.011.97). These co-polymerized mediums were made up of polymerized oils like stand oil or sun thickened oil plus mixtures of plain drying oils like linseed or walnut.

These oil mixtures allowed for the application of one stroke of paint next to, or over, another without running or bleeding. Our linseed-painting medium thick is pre-thinned with solvents while it is hot in order to create our Oil of Delft Linseed Thin. The Old Masters also added two types of varnishes to their paints: oil varnishes like our amber varnish and essential oil varnishes like our Oil of Delft Painting and Grinding medium (US Patent nr 6.011-97).

Our amber varnishes are based on the recipes found in the 15th century DeKetham Manuscript B.M. Sloane 345 (2) and on the recipes found in the 17th century De Mayerne Manuscript B.M. Sloane 20523. These varnishes are made up of only amber resins and oil.

These varnishes were added to oil paints to create various optical effects, increase luminosity, and harden and preserve the paint film. As a protective finish, our amber varnishes when applied to a painting are extremely flexible, and will not crack. Because amber varnishes cannot be removed when dry, using them to coat your paintings in tempera or in oil will render them impervious to solvents, eliminate the need for re-varnishing, and protect your work from damage by over-restoration.

The second varnish mixed with oil paints was essential oil varnish. These varnishes did not contain drying oils like linseed, walnut, or poppy oil, but were mixtures of pine resin or balsams like larch turpentine, also known as Venetian turpentine, and solvents like spirits of turpentine or spike of lavender.

This common painter's varnish, our Painting and Grinding Medium, is based on a recipe by Sir Anthony van Dyck (4) found in the 17th century De Mayerne Manuscript.

All drying oil varnishes and mediums will yellow with age. Richards Symonds writing in 1636 noted that the surface of Titian's paintings in Rome had turned yellow, 75 years after Titian died (5). Close examination of Renaissance and Baroque oil paintings will show the thin nature of the paint on the surface of these works. It was this thin nature, plus the effects of their grounds, that limited the yellowing of their paintings. The thin nature of our painting mediums will limit their tendency to yellow over time.

The use of a one fits all medium for painting was foreign to the painters of the 15th and 17th centuries.

Often individual mediums and varying proportions of individual mediums were used when working with different pigments.

The way in which co-polymerized drying oil mediums and essential oil of varnishes were used is a newly discovered process of painting.

These mediums are based on the methods of painting that we have discovered from our 16 years of work with renowned oil painter Frank Mason and from our research of historical manuscripts on painting before 1700. Because this method of painting in oil does not reflect the modern method, it will be foreign to most painters. In order to insure the successful use of these mediums it is important to keep an open mind and closely follow the directions for their use.

For those interested in exploring further the history and use of these mediums, the references upon which they are based have been listed in this article. Additional information on the history, use, and make up of the Old Masters painting methods can be found in our book Lost Secrets of Flemish Painting Including the First English Translation of the De Mayerne MS. B.M. Sloane 2052. (See web site for ordering information.)

(1) Jean Paul Richter (translator), Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci, Dover Editions, 1920, Vol. I, p. 317, note 618 Raymond White and Joe Kirby , " Rembrandt and his Circle: 17th Century Dutch paint media Re-examined," national Gallery Technical Bulletin, 1994, Vol 15, note 48, p. 77, notes of John Smith Edward Norgate, Miniatura on the Arts of Limning, Oxford University Press, 1919, p 92
William Bates, The Mysteries of Nature and Art, London, 1634, P. 133
(2) Sir Charles Eastlake, "Materials for a History of Oil painting" Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, London 1847, Dover New York 1960 Vol. 1 p. 283-284 see: Lost Secrets of Flemish Painting, Including the First Complete English Translation of the De Mayerne Manuscript, B.M. Sloane 2052 page 32
(3) De Mayerne manuscript B.M Sloane 2052 ms p. 150 verso, see: Lost Secrets of Flemish Painting, Including the First Complete English Translation of the De Mayerne Manuscript, B.M. Sloane 2052 page 259
(4) De Mayerne Manuscript B.M Sloane 2052 ms p. 153, see: Lost Secrets of Flemish Painting, Including the First Complete English Translation of the De Mayerne Manuscript, B.M. Sloane 2052 page 261
(5) A study of Richards Symonds, his Italian notebook and their relevance to 17th century painting techniques by Mary Beal, Page 143,Egerton Manuscript 1736 fol. 177 and

Step-by-Step Instructions

Alchemist Amber Varnish is easy to use, and detailed step-by-step instructions are included with each purchase. A shortened version which can be printed is also available.

More information on Our Mediums

AS A PROTECTIVE FINISH
Our amber varnishes applied to a painting when dry will create an oil film, which is extremely flexible, will not crack and is resistant to the action of solvents and alkalis.

These amber varnishes can also be used as a final protective varnish for paintings executed in oil or tempera, for retouching and revitalizing old paintings, and for oiling-out or glazing existing areas of a painting.

Before applying our amber varnishes it is important that the surface of the painting is dry, clean and free of dust and dirt. In order to insure that your varnish does not bead up when being applied, and goes on smoothly without creating any tiny air bubbles, you should follow these directions.

Take some linseed or walnut oil and rub it on the surface of your painting.
Mix some tripoli powder with either linseed or walnut oil to a paste and place it on an oil soaked rag.
Gently massage in a circular motion the surface of your painting. When you are done, wipe the linseed or walnut oil with the tripoli paste off of your painting making sure to leave behind a small film of oil.
Your painting is now ready to be varnished
To apply your amber varnish to the prepared surface of your painting put some small drops of amber varnish on it and rub the varnish into the small film of oil on the surface of your work with your first 2 fingers.
Once you have applied a thin even coat of varnish allow your painting to dry.

Applying our amber varnish with your fingers will allow you to obtain an ultra thin coat and limit the amount of varnish you use. Additional leveling of the varnish surface can be achieved by going over the surface of the painting with a squirrel hairbrush.

After you have applied the varnish and it is completely dry you can polish it further by repeating the 3 steps above.

The following steps can be used to polish your painting further.

Take some linseed or walnut oil and run it on the surface of your painting.
Wet your 1500 micromesh wet/dry sand paper with oil and gently polish the oily surface of your painting in a circular motion.
Wipe off the linseed/walnut oil from your painting and polish further with 3M compound, part #051131.
Wipe your painting clean.

In order to avoid risk of fire due to spontaneous combustion it is important to wet down any linseed or walnut soaked rags and dispose of them.

This method can also be used when applying our amber varnishes for the purposes of retouching or revitalizing old paintings.

ATTENTION ICON PAINTERS

The use of amber varnishes as a coating for religious Icons in tempera can be found in Chapter 21 of the 11th century writings of the Monk Theophilus, entitled "Schedula Diversarum Artium. The second recipe in chapter 21 lists a hard resin as Fornis quid Romane glassa dicitur or amber. Many of the recipes in this manuscript have Byzantine origins

In keeping with the traditions established centuries ago our amber varnishes make excellent replacements for the "OLIFA", currently used by modern Icon painters.

In addition to their historical nature the optical effects, and protection that the amber varnish provide have distinct advantages over the use of "OLIFA" as a final coating over Icons in tempera.

Directions for applying our amber varnishes to Icons can be found under the heading of our website for protective coatings, in order to insure the proper and successful applications of our amber varnishes it is important the directions listed.

WET-OVER-DRY PROCESS
The process of applying an experimental layer of paint over a dried isolating layer of varnish can be repeated until the artist feels satisfied with the results. The creation of various optical illusions can be obtained by repeatedly applying individual layers of amber varnish over dried layers of oil paint.

AMBER VARNISH THICK
A small quantity of this amber varnish in the dark or light versions should be added to general colors in either oil-based tube paints or dry ground pigments, such as those available from Kremer Pigments or Sinopia Pigments . If tube paints are used, the oil content should be minimized by laying the oil color on a paper towel before using. Apply these mediums as thin as possible.

AMBER VARNISH THIN
This medium comes in dark and light versions. And can be used as a painting medium in addition to tube colors and freshly ground colors in oil and as a final varnish for coating paintings in oil or tempera and for retouching and revitalizing old paintings as well as for oiling out and glazing.

DRYING TIME
Multiple wet layers of the thick or thin versions may be applied, upon one another, in one session. If the process is interrupted or the painter revisits the work, the original layers should first be allowed to dry. This medium does not contain dryers and will dry in a few days under normal conditions. Exposure to the sun will greatly aid in drying. Dryers can be added by the painter to accelerate this process. Cobolt dryers of no more than 2% can be added if the artist chooses to quicken the drying time.

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