Hello everyone

I have been using Pastel and decided to switch to oil and water soluble is what I am going to try out.... but my experience so far has not been good...the paint clumps up and feels tacky and I just can't get it to flow and paint? Is anyone experiencing the same thing? I have heard Walnut oil does the trick. What do you guys do?

Hi ftarigart! Welcome to the forum! I've experienced the same thing when using water as my medium with the W&N Artisan or the Grumbacher Max. W&N makes a thinner that is best to use with these brands not water.

The Holbein Duo Aqua, Lukas Berlin and Royal Talens Cobra do not have this problem and you can thin these brands with water.

Hi ftarigart!glad you joined us. The thinner that W/N has is very good for thinning the paint in the early layers. As you apply more layers, the paint has to be fatter and so this is is good time to use the walnut oil instead. You may want to take a look at
http://www.filarecki.com/water-soluble-oils.html where I discuss this further in my website. There is also a good demonstration here in the forum that you might find interesting.
https://watersolubleoils.forumotion.com/t654-paint-thinner-and-glazing-techniques

We look for to seeing you around the forum.
Judy

Thanks a lot Janet and Judy for your input. I look forward to more discussions like this in the future.

Walnut oil worked wonderfully, now I am not running into a tacky paint... This was wonderful...

Thanks

Faisal

That is great, Faisal. Just remember what i had told you about the "fat over lean" rule, although, if you are painting all at once it isn't quite as strict because the oils tend to blend together more.

Judy

Hi Judy:

Yes! thanks for the fat over lean suggestion as well... I am doing a couple of small paintings every week and love it. Thanks a lot once again.


Faisal