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Working with High Viscosity Mediums High Viscosity creates enamel-like surface. A high viscosity medium has high sheen and high cohesive force that levels its surface. Adding high viscosity medium makes a mixture thicker with a definite sticky feeling. Sun-thickened linseed oil was the polymerized oil before the 19th century. HIGH COHESION / SLOW DRY In the style of Van Eyck, painters use high viscosity mediums (50% Oil to 50% Solvent) to create thin, illusionary surfaces with no brush marks. Linseed Stand Oil, the polymerized oil of the 19th century, mixed with solvent makes a similar high viscosity painting medium that is also slow drying. Mix all painting mediums, especially those that contain only oil and solvent, thoroughly by shaking before using. HIGH COHESION / FAST DRY Galkyd is made from alkyd resin, the polymerized oil of the 20th century. High viscosity alkyd resin was among the materials Jackson Pollack used to make his drip paintings. To make a similar mixture, use Galkyd 60% with oil colors 40%. Alkyd resin painting mediums add binder (increase adhesion) and speed up drying. No more solvent than 50% by volume can be added to Galkyd without compromising its binder. HIGH COHESION / MODERATE DRY Adding Stand Oil 10% to Galkyd slows Galkyd's drying time and gives it a more slippery feeling. Caution: Adding more Linseed Oil may cause the paint film to wrinkle (alligator) and increase the tendency of oil paints to yellow over time.

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