Exploring Oil Emulsion Techniques: Innovations in Painting Media
Interest in complex oil emulsion techniques and mediums continued without missing a beat among artists and authors of painting manuals in the twentieth century. Max Doerner, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, was particularly influential in the first half of the century when he argued that Van Eyck used an egg emulsion with an oil varnish that could be thinned with water. His speculations were based on the methods that he and his students used in making copies of the master; when they obtained the effects that they found similar to the originals, they concluded they had stumbled upon the actual material and process used by Van Eyck.
Modern Interpretations of Oil Emulsion Techniques
Helmut Ruhemann, a consultant restorer for the National Gallery of London, commented on Doerner’s methods described in his book, The Materials of the Artist and their Use in Painting. He observed that copying is not a reliable way to understand technique because one is forced to simulate the properties of paint acquired through age.1 He noted that much of Doerner’s students’ work using his method was in poor condition.2
Jacques Maroger had an enormous influence on artists in the twentieth century. Maroger was a painter and conservator at the Louvre before coming to the United States, where he was a professor of the Arts Students League of New York and the Maryland Institute of Art. From its original inception in 1932, his complex formulas of the early masters morphed from an emulsion of bodied linseed oil, calcined bone, litharge, and resin mixed with gum arabic or hide glue to one of dammar and linseed oil whipped with a solution of gum arabic in another emulsion. He also theorized the mediums for later masters, mostly consisting of mastic spirit varnish and ‘black oil’ made with large amounts of litharge.3
One of the most consulted books of the twentieth century is The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques by Ralph Mayer, first published in 1940. Although revised many times since then, the book still propagates the mixed technique by early Netherlandish artists.4 Mayer criticized Maroger for his recipe of black oil and mastic spirit varnish in a review of Maroger’s book in the Magazine of Art.5 He later wrote in The Painter’s Craft, “History teaches us that the wisest course is to adhere to the simple oil-paint technique as much as possible, to use oleoresinous painting mediums with restraint and to avoid complex jelly mediums.”5
In seeming contradiction to his advice, Mayer recommended his own resinous oil painting medium of one-third dammar varnish, one-third turpentine, and one-third bodied linseed oil. This medium became widely used by artists in the latter half of the century and continues to enjoy popularity today.7
Renewed Interpretations of Oil Emulsion Techniques
Although conservation research in the twentieth century continues to inform us that the binding medium of masters before the eighteenth century consisted mostly of linseed and walnut oil used in simple techniques, the number of painting manuals and treatises on historical painting techniques claiming to have discovered the lost secrets of the old masters has not let up.
As recently as 2004, American Artist magazine proclaimed, “Now Donald C. Fels Jr. has produced evidence of the secrets of the Flemish masters…” “This book is the culmination of 11 years of research with Frank Mason in rediscovering the mediums and methods of painting, which due to the deaths of Van Dyck and Rubens and the demise of the great studio systems, became lost by the year 1700,” wrote Fels.8
Not only did nineteenth-century artists’ materials manufacturers, such as Reeves & Sons, Winsor & Newton, and Roberson, produce oil painting mediums to satisfy the hunger for the ‘lost’ mediums of the old masters, but they also innovated upon these mediums with variations based on developments in science.
Notes
1 Ruhemann, Helmut, The Cleaning of Paintings: Problems and Potentialities, New York: Praeger, 1968, see Appendix D, pp. 355–360.
2 Ibid., pp. 307–308, see also p. 237 note 1.
3 Maroger, Jacques, The Secret Formulas and Techniques of the Masters, trans. E. Beckham, New York: Studio Publications, 1948.
4 Mayer, Ralph, The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques, ed., S. Sheehan, revised 5th edition, New York: Viking Press, 1991, p. 16. First edition, published 1940.
5 Mayer, Ralph, “The Secret Formulas and Techniques of the Masters”, Book Review, Magazine of Art, Volumes 42–43, American Federation of Arts, p. 73.
6 Mayer, Ralph, The Painter’s Craft: An Introduction to Artists’ Methods and Materials, Third Edition, Viking Press, 1975.
7 Mayer, Ralph, The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques, ed., S. Sheehan, revised 5th edition, New York: Viking Press, 1991, p. 16.
8 “‘Lost Secrets’ of Painting Rediscovered”, American Artist, January 2004, p. 64.
Reference
Unlocking the Lost Secrets of the Old Masters: The Evolution of Binding Medium in Oil Painting
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are ways to emulsify oil?
Emulsifying oil involves mixing oil and water, two substances that typically do not mix, with the aid of an emulsifier. In the context of oil emulsions used for artistic purposes, natural emulsifiers such as egg yolk (which contains lecithin), casein, and certain types of gums are commonly used. The process typically involves slowly adding the oil to the water phase while continuously stirring to ensure the formation of a stable emulsion. Mechanical agitation, such as whisking or blending, is often necessary to achieve a homogeneous mixture.
What’s the difference between oil paint and emulsion paint?
Oil paint is made by suspending pigment in a drying oil, like linseed oil, which serves as the binder. Oil paints have a long drying time and offer rich color depth and flexibility in application. In contrast, emulsion paints are water-based paints in which the binder is typically acrylic.
What are the major types of emulsions?
Emulsions can be broadly classified into two major types: oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O). Oil-in-water emulsions have oil droplets dispersed in a continuous water phase and are common in skin care products and milk. Water-in-oil emulsions have water droplets dispersed in a continuous oil phase and are typical in butter and some moisturizing lotions. Each emulsion type is chosen based on the desired properties of the final product, such as consistency, appearance, and moisture retention.
What is the best natural emulsifier?
The choice of the best natural emulsifier depends on the specific application and desired characteristics of the product. Common natural emulsifiers include lecithin, derived from egg yolk or soybeans, which is highly effective for food and cosmetic products. Another is beeswax, which is used in various skin care products for its thickening properties and compatibility with other ingredients. Each of these natural emulsifiers offers unique benefits and can be selected based on the formulation needs.
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