George's Blog

The word resin when used in its most specific sense is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. The resin produced by these plants is a viscous liquid, composed mainly of volatile terpenes. Oleoresins are naturally occurring mixtures of oil and resin. Other resinous products in their natural condition are a mixture of gum or mucilaginous substances and are known as "gum resins." Mastic gum is a good example of a gum resin.

Balsam is a term used ...

Formulas for varnishes and mediums call for measurements that are often confusing for artists. For example, in his formula for a glazing medium, Ralph Mayer calls for a “5-pound cut” of damar varnish.¹ This measurement refers to the amount of dry damar resin with spirits of gum turpentine in a ratio called a “cut,” which refers to the amount of resin in pounds dissolved in a gallon of turpentine. This measurement is simple enough to use when preparing your own varnish, but what if you want to ...

Rublev Colours Lead White Artists Oil is an opaque white that is smooth and brushes long. The consistency straight out of the tube is creamy, slightly ropey yet retains its shape as you manipulate it while being soft yet sculptural.

Our lead white is made with pale linseed oil and basic lead carbonate (made according to modern processes) without stearates (a pigment stabilizer), other pigments or fillers to alter the characteristics of the pigment. As a result you get a higher pigment ...

For liquid-type oil painting mediums, we recommend a mixture of bodied linseed oil, solvent and, as an option, a resin or blasam. Here are several formulas incorporating Canada balsam:

Canada Balsam-Bodied Oil Medium
3 parts Canada Balsam
1 part vacuum-bodied linseed oil
2 parts gum turpentine

Canada Balsam-Epoxide Oil Medium
3 parts Canada Balsam
3 part Epoxide oil
2 parts gum turpentine

The first formula will dry faster ...

The term 'flake white' originated from the fact that when basic lead carbonate is made according to the old Dutch method or 'stack process,' it falls off the metallic pieces of lead as 'flakes.' This is not the case when lead white is made according to modern processes, which is the pigment type used by all artists' paint manufacturers today.




You can read more flake white in this article: ...