Oil Painting Mediums & Solvent
Zest-it LEAN Painting Medium
Zest-it Lean is my go-to for underpaintings. If you can’t get hold of it, don’t panic — you can easily make your own lean medium by mixing 50:50 solvent (like Gamsol) with your oil of choice (refined linseed or walnut).
Gamsol Odourless Mineral Spirits
Gamsol is one of the safest solvents for oil painters, letting you use all the traditional techniques without compromise.
Maz Says: I often mix Gamsol with refined linseed oil in a 50:50 ratio to create my own lean medium — perfect for underpaintings (or use Zest-it Lean if you can get it).
Old Holland Bleached Linseed Oil
increases the fluidity and gloss of oil paints.
Maz Says: Mix with Gamsol in a 50:50 ratio (half linseed, half Gamsol) to create a lean medium that’s perfect for underpainting. Used straight from the bottle, it becomes your “fat” medium for later stages. While I use Old Holland, other brands such as Michael Harding, Winsor & Newton, and Gamblin all produce refined linseed oils — the brand isn’t important, as they all do the same job. Alternatively, you can use refined walnut oil, which is slightly less yellowing than linseed.
Your Fat Medium of Choice
Once the underpainting is done, the later colour layers need a fatter medium. Pick ONE and stick with it all the way through the painting:
Liquin Original
I often use it when filming because it dries quickly.
M. Graham Walnut Alkyd Medium
My favourite non-smelly option.
Gamblin Solvent-Free Fluid or Gel
Comes as a fluid or a gel, so pick whichever you prefer to work with.
Maz Says: oil out between layers with the same fat medium you've chosen. Mixing different mediums in one painting is where problems start, so choose one and stay with it.
I used to use Zest-it Clear, but it's hard to get hold of now, so I recommend you choose one of the fast-drying options above instead.