ques: OIL DRIERS and FIXATIVEs
Noumenon
Apart from different DRIERS that you can add to oil paint
- (i.e. to mix with paints on pallete BEFORE applying to canvas) -
is there ANY OTHER fixative/drying/consolidating agents that you can apply
onto freshly painted
layer right on canvas ?
(I heard about some spray cans that, when sprayed over fresh paint, can
facilitate drying process,
but I have never seen or come across them...)
-- so....
-- 1. What is the BEST high quality DRIER to add/mix with paints?
-- 2. Is there drier/fixative in spray (or something of the sort) applicable
AFTER painting -
directly over paint, on canvas ?
Thank you.
-=| NOUMENON |=-
Yetta Nuther
>-- 1. What is the BEST high quality DRIER to add/mix with paints?
First of all, I assume you're referring to OIL PAINT.
You have a choice, depending on your working methods.
I've always favored cobalt lineate drier, added dropwise
to my palette cup filled with my favorite medium. More
recent chemistry has created alkyd based driers, the
likes of W&N Liquin, which are also good glazing mediums.
Japan Drier is another alternative, although it's just
a more expensive version of cobalt lineate.
>-- 2. Is there drier/fixative in spray (or something of the sort) applicable
>AFTER painting -
>directly over paint, on canvas ?
If you explore the chemistry of oil paints a bit,
you'll learn that it's necessary to MIX the driers
or accelerators WITH the paint in order to achieve
the desired result. The driers act as "catalysts"
which accelerate the drying process, analogous to
using two-part epoxies, or some other coating that
relies on chemical reactions and not simple air
drying. I know of nothing that will work after the
fact except time and temperature. You can try placing
your finished painting - the slow-drying one - in
bright sunlight. That will sometimes speed the
chemical reactions needed to "harden" the paint film.