Oil Mediums
King Rundzap
this one goes, lol. I have a specific question, but figured it would
be better to name the thread "oil mediums", because it should be
grouped with other posts about oil mediums, and readers like Google
will automatically do that for all past (and future) threads with the
same title.
Does anyone here have a lot of experience with Gamblin's Neo Megilp?
I have a bottle, and I've tried to use it here and there, but I
haven't been able to get it to do much yet. It's proprietary, so you
wouldn't have experience with it unless you actually bought a bottle
of Gamblin's specific product, but it's basically a spiffed up
(chemically) version of Megilp or Maroger medium, so if you have
experience with those, that would apply. Here's what Gamblin has to
say about Neo Megilp (I found this at
http://www.wetpaintart.com/Newsletter%20Archive/White%20Sale%2002/Introducing%20Neo%20Megilp.htm):
"Gamblin Artists Colors Co., American manufacturer of artists' grade
oil painting materials, introduces a new oil painting medium, Neo
Megilp. This soft, silky gel offers painters a way to create
dimensional atmospheric glazes like those used by 19th century master,
J.M.W. Turner.
"Neo Megilp is made to replace Megilp and Maroger painting mediums,
both of which are made from "black oil" -- mastic resin varnish and
turpentine. Turner kept extensive notes about his materials and how he
used them to make his paintings. Even in his day, painters knew that
using Megilp would compromise the longevity of his art work.
" 'Black oil' is made from boiling lead into linseed oil and it causes
paintings to darken quickly. Mastic resin increases brittleness and
turpentine is toxic. Why then, Robert Gamblin asked, did Turner and
many other painters choose to use Megilp? He discussed this with a
conservation scientist at the Tate Museum in London. She gave him a
sample of Megilp to try. After painting with Megilp, Robert understood
that Megilp is a truly unique painting medium. Megilp has a gelatinous
consistency and produces an enamel-like finish.
"During the next two years, Robert formulated Neo Megilp based on
contemporary materials, including Gamsol pure odorless mineral spirits
and alkyd resin that will not darken or embrittle over time. This is a
wonderful new medium for painters who use the Galkyds and G-Gel and
want to try a new medium.
"Neo Megilp is an important alternative for painters who use Maroger
medium because now they will be able to discontinue use of turpentine
for their health and discontinue use of black oil for the health of
their paintings."
Now, I've used the Galkyds and achieved effects with those that were
unusual and pleasant to me, but I've done so primarily by using the
Galkyds in the same way I'd normally use oil. But I haven't been able
to use the the Neo Megilp to produce results that seemed unsual to me.
Remember that I'm self-taught, so have to do a lot of experimentation
on some of this stuff, because for some of it (like the more unusual
mediums) there isn't a lot of instructional material available, and I
don't always think of "experiments" that would lead me to the usual or
most effective ways of using the less common mediums.
So what are some of the "secrets" you've discovered to using Neo
Megilp (or maybe just Megilp or Maroger "secrets" you have, minus
worrying about darkening and becoming more brittle)? Maybe I should
look for Turner's writing on his techniques, but maybe some r.a.f.
readers have some good Neo Megilp/Megilp/Maroger tips, too.
--King Rundzap
Andrew D
kingr...@hotmail.com (King Rundzap) wrote:
> Hey, let's try an actual practical painting thread! Let's see how far
> this one goes, lol. I have a specific question, but figured it would
> be better to name the thread "oil mediums", because it should be
> grouped with other posts about oil mediums, and readers like Google
> will automatically do that for all past (and future) threads with the
> same title.
>
> Does anyone here have a lot of experience with Gamblin's Neo Megilp?
> I have a bottle,
Are you sure it's a bottle and not just a narrow-necked jar? ;)
--
Andy D.
http://members.westnet.com.au/andydolphin/
Fine art gallery - online, Western Australia
Landscapes, seascapes and still life paintings in oils.
Paul Mesken
wrote:
>In article <425a3330.04091...@posting.google.com>,
>kingr...@hotmail.com (King Rundzap) wrote:
>
>> Hey, let's try an actual practical painting thread! Let's see how far
>> this one goes, lol. I have a specific question, but figured it would
>> be better to name the thread "oil mediums", because it should be
>> grouped with other posts about oil mediums, and readers like Google
>> will automatically do that for all past (and future) threads with the
>> same title.
>>
>> Does anyone here have a lot of experience with Gamblin's Neo Megilp?
>> I have a bottle,
>
>Are you sure it's a bottle and not just a narrow-necked jar? ;)
LOL!
As far as mediums go : I've never tried anything that is meant to
imitate something else.
Often, unimportant things like toxicity (stuff that contains lead, for
example) prompt manufacturers to come up with an alternative. Lead has
a couple of great properties when used in oil paint. I doubt these
properties are mimicked by the non-toxic alternatives. Wussies should
use finger paint. The petrol that I put in my car is toxic as well but
that doesn't bother me. The same goes for lead containing painting
materials : if you don't eat, drink or inhale it then you will be
alright. Just common sense should be used when handling these toxic
materials.
On the general subject of oil painting mediums : I've never
encountered a "magic medium". Black oil makes things dry quicker but
since I use lead white it's somewhat superfluous. I didn't discover
any great advantages in black oil (it does have this great skull on
the jar though :-) Besides : if one wants to have a quick drying
medium then one shouldn't be painting with oil. Adding siccatives like
lead and manganese (drying action from within) or cobalt (surface
drying action) can have a negative effect on the longevity of the
painting.
The mediums that have been most usefull to me are Stand Oil and
Venetian Turpentine. These are quite archival. I guess I should add
Dammar as well which is often used in combination with these two. I
have Blockx Amber Varnish but haven't really tried it often enough to
have a well informed opinion about it, there are painters who are
quite lyrical about it (Blockx also seems to be one of the very few
good amber varnishes). The same goes for Copal Varnish (I have the one
from Garrett). I really should experiment a bit with these mediums.
King Rundzap
> In article <425a3330.04091...@posting.google.com>,
> kingr...@hotmail.com (King Rundzap) wrote:
>
> > Hey, let's try an actual practical painting thread! Let's see how far
> > this one goes, lol. I have a specific question, but figured it would
> > be better to name the thread "oil mediums", because it should be
> > grouped with other posts about oil mediums, and readers like Google
> > will automatically do that for all past (and future) threads with the
> > same title.
> >
> > Does anyone here have a lot of experience with Gamblin's Neo Megilp?
> > I have a bottle,
>
> Are you sure it's a bottle and not just a narrow-necked jar? ;)
You're suggestion worked well, Andrew. Neo Megilp is doing wonderful,
unusual things for me now, lol.
Paul didn't help either. He turned it into another commercial for
himself.
--King Rundzap