[Alexandro]

In the article Sinking In, Oiling Out And Retouching Varnish: Part 1 (Which I loved for how well it was made and researched, still waiting for the Part 2) you quote Arthur Pilans Laurie’s book on

“Oiling out will result in darkening. If the picture has become matte in some places, try polishing it with a lint-free cloth. If oiling out must be resorted to, use the very minimum of oil, rubbing off all excess with a rag.”

I tried with an old painting I did with a chamois intended to serve as a lint-free cloth and it picked up some paint color. I then tried a lint-free microfiber cloth such as the one that comes with a new pair of sunglasses and I didn’t really see much difference.

Julie Beck from The Academy of Realist Art in Boston has a video titled Sinking In and Oiling Out where she uses a “makeup sponge with a little bit of linseed oil on it, I’ved dabbed up excess, and then I’m going to oil in… what I’m also going to do now is to take the dry side of the makeup sponge or a brand new makeup sponge and I’m going to try to remove any excess linseed oil… we want to minimize the amount of oil that we have here”

So would you say this is the correct way to bring back the true nature of the paint to make better judgements on how to continue the painting or would a lint-free cloth would still be the preferred way. What lint-free cloth could work?

[Alexandro]

https://youtu.be/yRdRC_tQstM

[George O'Hanlon]

Oiling out as the final layer of paint is not recommended for the reason that oil darkens and yellows over time. Applying a final layer of oil or oleoresinous medium will cause darkening. To correct uneven sheen, it is recommended to do so with a picture varnish.

Oiling out between layers may be necessary to adjust the hue and tone of paint to match the existing paint layer with the wet paint to be applied. The oil can be applied in any number of ways, such as with fingertips, makeup sponges, cloth, brush, etc. The key is to avoid rubbing too vigorously, which can lift dried paint from underlying layers.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  George O'Hanlon.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  George O'Hanlon.

[Alexandro]

Thank you George! It’s a lot clearer now. Although I am still curious about that lint-free cloth method he mentions. I am assuming he refers it as an in-between layers step, or is it as a final step?

[George O'Hanlon]

It is only about oiling out between paint layers and not the final layer.

[Luca]

Dear George, thank you for this insight. Very helpful.
I have a question.
I recently oiled out (extremely thinly) areas I was going to retouch, however there were some areas which were oiled that I didn’t paint over. I know it is not recommended to oil out areas and leave the oil”sit” there… should I remove this thin layer of medium or it’s ok to leave it there? If I should remove it, which products should I use?

Thanks in advance.

• This reply was modified 4 days, 7 hours ago by  Luca.

[George O'Hanlon]

The thin layer of oiling out or medium that you applied to your painting may not be an issue if it is over dark areas so that any potential yellowing will not be noticeable. If it is over a light-colored area, such as white or blue, it may cause yellowing later. What is the medium you used to oil out?

[Luca]

Thanks George. It’s over a light area unfortunately… I used 1:1 stand oil to OMS .. perhaps stand oil doesn’t yellow as much…?

[George O'Hanlon]

Stand oil yellows less than cold-pressed and alkali-refined oils, so in our case, this may not present a problem. In any case, I hesitate to tell you to remove the layer because that may cause more damage than the potential yellowing.

[Luca]

I understand…. Thanks a lot for making this clear. I will let it set in as it is since a very thin film was brushed in.

Just a little side question with regards to stand oil, is there any correlation between use of staind oil and varnish beading up?

Thanks once again.

[George O'Hanlon]

Beading up of varnish during application is related to numerous issues, not necessarily related to the use of stand oil (what we call heat-bodied oil). It can be caused by additives or fatty acids in oil paints migrating to the surface, the use of waxes, deposits of air pollution, dirt, and dust on the paint film. There are multiple causes and not just one.

[Luca]

Wow didn’t know that! So it could actually be from additives found in paint itself?! Looking forward to listen to the latest cohort meeting you had, as I know this was a topic you discussed.

Thanks George!

[George O'Hanlon]

Here is an article that discusses the formation of haze in modern paintings. It is still unclear what causes this phenomenon, but it can cause beading up.
Article: Haze on Oil Paintings—A Modern Phenomenon
https://www.naturalpigments.com/artist-materials/haze-modern-oil-paintings

naturalpigments.com

Haze on Oil Paintings—A Modern Phenomenon

A whitish surface appearance on oil paintings is a phenomenon of modern oil paintings. While such hazes have traditionally been described by painters as blooming or blanching, nomenclature has not yet caught up with the different causes.

[Luca]

Thank you George for the link, very helpful article. There are so many factors that cause beading up…. It’s an interesting topic to learn about. When a painting is varnished and beads up, do you recommend to remove that varnish layer and resolve the issue?

[George O'Hanlon]

It may be necessary to remove the varnish, but usually, you can apply varnish to the area where it beaded up and feather out to achieve a smooth and even finish. This takes some practice, but it can be done.

[Luca]

So glad to hear this! 🙂 I have a couple of little oil sketches I can practice on first. Thank you so much George, extremely helpful.