Drying times

[tortoise]

How long does it take for oils to fully dry? I ask because I tried putting a glaze of paint thinned with turpentine on a model that I hadn't touched for a week and in one place the oil paint under the glaze started lifting.

Now I daren't go to the glaze stage that I wanted to on the model for fear of this happening again and I certainly wouldn't dare varnish it.

Incidentally does matt varnish tend to dull oils a gtreat deal? I use Testors dullcote on my acrylics and while I don't like the shine of oils I don't want the rich depth of colour that oil paint gives to be destroyed by a matt varnish.

Any varnish recomendations?

Any online articles on using oils would also be much appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

 

[pkess]

I avoid using turpentine with oil paints. As you have found out, they extend the drying times and typically the paint dries glossy. I prefer to use mineral spirits and an acrylic undercoat. I avoid matt varnishes also as I have had near disasters with most. If I have to use a matte overcoat, I use Plly S matte.

 

[KeithP]

I avoid turps too. I try when ever possible not to thin my oils (although, I do confess to a drop of linseed oil when I need to do a thinner detail) and prefer to apply the base coat as thin as possible and then remove the excess with a very clean and very dry brush.

There are very good tutorials on oil painting by Craig Whittacker (Mongo Mel) on Armorama.com and Historicus.

You may also search here for article on his and others drying boxes. I think the use of this box is a great way to dry oils. Look for Einion Rees article on complimentary shading. That too is very useful

I did add one very basic link here from BMSS that I think you may find useful

http://www.btinternet.com/~model.soldiers/page38.html

Good Luck!

Keith

 

[Mongo Mel]

Hi tortoise,
If you want to speed up the drying time of your oils, I'd suggest using a drying box. Mine is just a simple wood box with a front opening door and a 60 watt light bulb. I can paint something one evening and almost without fail it's throughly dry by the next evening. In fact, most times it's dry by the next morning. But there are a few colors that seem to take a little bit longer to fully dry (like reds).
I'll attached a picture of my drying box as soon as I can find one.
Hope this helps.
Craig

 

[Mongo Mel]

Found it!
Craig

 

[diosytexas]

hello. conny is doing a great sbs at the moment where he uses a lot of washes with oil paint. im sure it's posted on this site but i can't seem to find the thread so i will give you the time lines one. conny paints flats but they are painted with oils. http://www.timelinesforum.com/? hope this helps. dave.

 

[Einion]

How long does it take for oils to fully dry?

Oil paints don't really 'dry', they cure by oxidation; this can take months to fully complete.

In addition to variations because of the pigment type - umbers will dry very quickly, transparent organic colours will dry much more slowly as a rule - the higher the oil content of the specific colour the slower the drying time usually. Some brands are also oilier than others (because they use less pigment) and may then dry more slowly, unless a drier was added.

I ask because I tried putting a glaze of paint thinned with turpentine on a model that I hadn't touched for a week and in one place the oil paint under the glaze started lifting.

Turpentine is a fairly strong solvent (as far as oil paint is concerned). You'll probably find you get better results if you force drying with heat and if you use mineral spirits of some kind, although these can vary in strength quite a bit so individual results may vary.

Incidentally does matt varnish tend to dull oils a gtreat deal?

Yes. A matt surface is inherently duller than one that is more gloss.

Any varnish recomendations?

Dullcote is one of the best out there.

...

Real turpentine should slightly shorten drying time in oils (compared to a film of the same thickness without it). In modest amounts it does aid gloss, but heavily thinned with turps oil paints will generally dry as matt as we'd like; lots of variables though.

Einion

 

[Kisifer]

I will agree with Craig. A drying box is like heaven for oil painters. It can dries safely a painted area in like 2-3 hours. Here is my box with a 60W bulb. I put the foil inside for better heat distribution.

Xenofon