Oil Paint
Oil paint is a painting medium consisting of pigments dispersed in a drying oil as the binder.... View more
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Yellowing of oil paintings
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Yellowing of oil paintings
I’m a mid career painter, working in oils. Lately I have noticed that some of my paintings start yellowing in some areas. There is a painting that I just got out of the closet that I did about 5 yrs ago and it has few yellow areas. There is also a painting that I finished about 3 months ago and it was standing in the light area and it also shows yellowing in a few spots. I paint landscapes so the yellow areas appear mostly in the sky and snow. What is strange is that I have a painting of 15 yrs ago of a snow scene and it doesn’t have any yellowing. I have been painting with linceed oil or glazing with damar and adding few drops of cobalt dryer. Sometimes I use damar as a medium as well. I’m in desperate need of some answers and would appreciate any help I can get. Thank you.
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6 Replies
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Hi Nadia, you posted this quite a while ago, you may have figured out the issue already, for what it is worth, one thing I have learned is that paintings made with linseed oil and stored in the dark can yellow overtime. This is reversible, you can expose your painting to the light to bleach out the yellow.
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Hi @Nadia it is my understanding the yellowing comes from the impurities in the linseed oil. If you go through the process of cleaning the oil it should retard the yellowing significantly. @george-ohanlon do you agree with this and I assume you have a video or instructions on cleaning oils somewhere on this site?
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Hi Nadia,
The major issue regarding paintings is if not taken care of then it generally with time with dust and impurities it starts become pale and yellowish in color.If you want it not to become yellow then you should take extra care of it and keep it covered to make it safe
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Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your comments. I’m a second generation artist and I’ve learned a great deal from my father as well as studying and graduating from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
You are right in your comments but how does one make sure that he/she preserves works and takes care of them in the best possible way? Can you tell me or recommend a book where I can review my practice of oil painting?
Thank you very much.
Nadia
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From your text I read that the yellowing happens in spots? In that case maybe it is more due to something else than the oil? Darkening/yellowing from darkness will generally affect the whole surface, but be more noticeable in the light areas.
Driers and resins yellows at a faster rate than oils, and is as far as I know permanent, but I am no expert. -
There are several resources on this site:
https://paintingbestpractices.com/oil-painting-durability-best-practices/
https://paintingbestpractices.com/excessively-thinning-oil-paint/
https://paintingbestpractices.com/oil-painting-practices/
https://paintingbestpractices.com/yellowing-of-oil-paint/
I also recommend the Painting Best Practices course. It is comprehensive and you get to ask all your questions. 🙂
paintingbestpractices.com
Ensuring Art's Longevity: Strategies for Durable Oil Paintings
Discover key strategies to enhance oil painting durability. Learn how the right pigments, techniques, and care can preserve your artwork for generations. Find out more.
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