Linseed oil can be used as a paint medium or glaze for painting.
Linseed oil mixed with turpentine was the recipe Renaissance masters used to create glaze for painting. Typically associated with oil painting today, linseed in glaze allows the artist to create luminous colors. Linseed oil is made from flaxseed. It is used as a paint medium so that the color becomes semi-transparent. Linseed glazes can create a lifelike look to painted objects, and in some paintings, the glaze mimics light. You can paint your own masterpiece by making a glaze from linseed oil.
Instructions
1. Mix one part linseed oil to one part turpentine in a clean glass jar. Screw the lid on and shake the jar just before using. This creates an all-purpose glaze for oil painting.
2. Sketch with charcoal or an HB pencil on your prepared canvas. This is the basis of your painting. You may use another drawing as a guide for the painting.
3. Apply a thin coat of paint onto the canvas with your brushes. Mix the colors on the palette. This thin coat is a guide to the colors you will be using for the painting. You can mix the paints with some turpentine or paint thinner to thin out the paint.
4. Shake the jar of prepared glaze. Dip the paintbrush in it, then mix what is on the brush with the oil paints on your palette. Use the mixed paint and glaze on the canvas. If you make mistakes or need to remove paint, use a cotton rag.
5. Clean the brush with turpentine if you need a different color, or use a new brush. Add more paint to the glaze and paint mixtures.
6. Brush on details to your painting, such as shadows and highlights. Shadows can be created with darker color, and highlights can be made by adding whites or yellow.
