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Oil Painting, Siccative vs. Fat over Lean?

I'm about to begin my first oil painting.

I have studied various sites on order to get some tips and avoid the biggest beginner mistakes.

I have some good quality 'tube sets' and this siccative:

http://www.kamapigment.com/images/AC-SI0075-A.jpg

I want to first paint a 'background' which is slightly textured and then paint other motifs on that background after it dries, avoiding any wet-in-wet painting between the layers. 3 layers total and preferably not waiting 6 months between each layer.

The background will not be a very thick layer, but still enough to show some texture and the brush strokes.

I have read about backgrounds often being made by several layers of thinned down paint - this is not what I want.... I think ;)

How do I use this siccative to achieve my goal?

Do I use the siccative on all 3 layers of paint for quicker drying of each layer, before applying the next - without following the golden 'fat over lean' rule? Or do I mix every new layer by that rule and then apply a few drops of siccative for quicker drying?

The siccative smells of turpentine and should therefore (according to my logic) make a leaner paint mix, preventing me from following the fat-over-lean rule?

All quite confusing..

Also a measurement tip on how much siccative to use would be appreciated.

Only replies from experienced oil painters please and not googled know-how :P

-Thanks in advance

Update:

..Or maybe the desired (modest) texture I seek requires some sort of impasto? *sigh*

Update 2:

..Or maybe the desired (modest) texture I seek requires some sort of impasto? *sigh*

2 Answers

Relevance
  • 8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    My recommendation is to use the same amount of siccative (drier) in each paint mixture, each time you start a session.

    In subsequent sessions, add a drop or two of linseed oil to the mix... just a little bit. That way, each layer gets slightly fatter than the one underneath.

    Source(s): painter
  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    confident it is going to crack. this would start up taking place in numerous years time and the quantity of the cracking will matter on the colorings and high quality of paint used. Brushing oil on precise won't end it (ought to even reason worse issues).

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