Paints, Gesso, Mediums,Painting Supplies / Mediums / Oil Painting Mediums / Utrecht

Utrecht Artists' Oil Painting Mediums, Solvents and Varnishes

Formulated for safety and permanence, Utrecht's mediums, solvents and varnishes maximize artistic freedom.  Read below for descriptions of these products. 

You can learn more about mediums used in oil painting in our Learning Center article,  A guide to Mediums for Oil Painting. 

At the bottom of this page you can find our suggestions for some painting medium recipes.

You will also find at the bottom of this page the list of all the Utrecht Artists' oil painting mediums, solvents and varnishes.

Utrecht Varnishes for Oil Painting

Utrecht Solvents for Oil Painting

Utrecht Artists' Oil Painting Mediums

Utrecht Alkyd Glazing Medium has a heavy gel-like consistency that dries quickly to accelerate the drying time of oil paints while adding a glossy surface. This oil painting medium is perfect for mixing with the heavy buttery body of Utrecht Artists' oil paints or with other artist quality oil paint to produce fine detail, impasto or glazing effects.

Utrecht Cold Pressed Linseed Oil is expelled by pressing the Flax Seed without the use of heat, producing the oil in its purist form. Many oil painters prefer to use cold pressed linseed oil because the lack of refinement produces a superior quality oil.

As a medium it is used to thin oil paint, increase gloss and transparency, and reduce brush stroke visibility.

One disadvantage of using cold pressed linseed oil is the cost. Because cold pressing produces a lower yield than other processes, this type of linseed oil costs significantly more than other versions.

Also, cold pressed linseed oil is favored by many artists as the best drying oil when they are mulling oil paint colors by hand. This oil has the free fatty acids that help in wetting and dispersion of the pigment.

Utrecht's Finest Linseed Oil is alkali refined to meet the exacting demands of the most discriminating artist while producing a more affordable medium alternative to cold pressed linseed oil.

Utrecht Stand Oil contributes to a paint film giving it exceptional durability, flexibility, and toughness. Stand oil has greater durability than poppyseed or walnut oil and is often recommended as the only drying oil for mediums. Stand oil is a thicker form of linseed oil that is produced via a process which causes a molecular change making the oil more viscous. It has a superior resistance to yellowing and darkening than traditional linseed oil but also dries slower than other linseed oils.  Stand oil imparts excellent flow and leveling properties to oil paint when used in mediums thinned with turpentine. It's ideal for glazing applications and produces a smooth, enamel-like finish without visible brushmarks. Stand oil dries more slowly than an oxidized oil, is more flexible, and is practically non-yellowing.

Utrecht Safflower Oil is a non-yellowing alternative to linseed oil, making it a popular choice when oil painting with whites and transparent colors.  It dries at a slightly slower rate than linseed oil and faster than poppyseed oil.

Utrecht's classic Oil Painting Medium is prepared from damar gum, linseed oil and gum turpentine. It enhances the working consistency of oil paint colors and adds durability, permanence and color brilliance.

Utrecht Copal Medium is designed to be used in oil painting applications featuring glazing, thinning, impasto or wet-on-wet techniques. Utrecht has crafted this combination of synthetic resins, natural resins and refined turpentine to be superior to 100% natural copal mediums in its ability to speed drying, improve flow, and increase gloss.

Utrecht Japan Drier speeds the drying of slow drying oil paint colors while improving flow and increasing gloss. A traditional oil painting medium that is intended for use by artists who are very familiar with its properties, Japan Drier is used in very small quantities because using too much may cause darkening and cracking of the oil painting's film.

Utrecht Flex Gel is an oil painting medium that has the same buttery consistency of oil paint. It is used to extend paint for impasto effects as well as to improve flow for detail work. Flex Gel is not intended to be used as a varnish.

Utrecht Alkyd Gel works well for fine detail, impasto and glazing effects. This oil painting medium dries quickly and has a heavy gel consistency making it a perfect choice for mixing with the heavy buttery body of Utrecht Artists' oil paintsUtrecht Artists' Oil Paints.

back to top of page.

Utrecht Varnishes for Oil Painting

Utrecht Damar Varnish is a very durable and flexible varnish for oil paintings.  Damar, a resin found in trees by the same name in South East Asia, is one of the few natural substances still used in making varnishes because it yellows less than other resins and is very durable.  Utrecht uses the best grade of damar available, No.1 pure Singapore White Damar Crystals, to produce our Damar Varnish.  This high quality varnish gives a high gloss and extremely strong protective coating to oil paintings.

Utrecht Retouch Varnish for oil painting is designed to bring back the brilliance and luster to areas of an oil painting that have dried flat. Artists also use this fast drying, light bodied and colorless retouch varnish as a temporary protective finish for their oil paintings that have not completely dried so that further painting can be done.

Utrecht Gloss Oil Varnish is a very durable and flexible varnish that allows you to give your oil paintings a glossy luster. This gloss oil varnish is designed to be a final varnish for completed oil paintings and acrylic paintings.

Utrecht Matte Oil Varnish produces a matte finish on oil paintings. This varnish creates a non-yellowing, flexible, transparent matte film when dry.

Utrecht Gloss Picture Varnish Spray is a removable varnish that is highly durable, non-tacky, and non-yellowing.  Applied when your painting is dry (typically 6-12 months for oil paintings, 3-5 days for acrylic paintings), this quick drying final varnish spray protects your paintings from dirt, moisture, smoke and scuffing.   Not just for oil painting, Utrecht Gloss Picture Varnish Spray is suitable for use on acrylic paintings as well as paintings created using other polymer colors, casein or tempera.   This varnish spray can be removed with turpentine or odorless mineral spirits.

Utrecht Damar Retouch Varnish Spray is a transparent, glossy and colorless medium that brings back brilliance to your oil paintings that have dried flat.   Designed for use before you apply your final varnish, this varnish spray protects your paintings and promotes adhesion before overpainting.  You can also use Utrecht Damar Retouch Varnish Spray to isolate tempera and under-painting before applying oil paint colors.

back to top of page.

Utrecht Solvents for Oil Painting

Utrecht Gum Turpentine is our version of the traditional choice of fine artists for diluting oil paints and alkyds. Gum turpentine is distilled from wood whereas mineral spirits turpentine is produced from petroleum. Fine artists tend to prefer gum turpentine because its smell is more tolerable and because it is often recommended as the only solvent to be used with damar in oil painting mediums.

Gum turpentine is great for cleaning brushes. Gloves should be worn when doing so as gum turpentine, like most organic solvents, can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Gum turpentine is toxic and should always be used with caution in well-ventilated spaces.

Utrecht Odorless Paint Thinner is an odorless turpentine substitute that can be used to thin oil paints and alkyds in all mediums except those containing damar.  Like our gum turpentine, it makes a great brush cleaner but without the smell.

back to top of page.

Recipes for Painting Mediums

Leanest Basic Painting Medium:

• 1 Part: Utrecht Linseed Oil
• 5 Parts: Gum Turpentine

Leaner Basic Painting Medium:

• 1/2 Part: Utrecht Linseed Oil
• 1/2 Part: Utrecht Stand Oil

• 5 Parts: Gum Turpentine

Lean Basic Painting Medium:

• 1 Part: Utrecht Stand Oil
• 5 parts: Gum Turpentine

All Purpose Lean Painting & Glazing Medium:

(Artists use this recipe from start to finish)

• 1 Part: Utrecht Stand Oil
• 1 Part: Damar Varnish (5 lb. cut)
• 5 Parts: Gum Turpentine

Fat Stand Oil Damar Concentrate:

• 1 Part: Utrecht Stand Oil
• 1 Part: Damar Varnish (5 lb. cut)
• 3 Parts: Gum Turpentine

Very Fat Stand Oil Damar Concentrate:

• 2 Parts: Utrecht Stand Oil
• 1 Part: Damar Varnish (5 lb. cut)

Very Fat Medium:

• 1 Part: Utrecht Stand Oil
• 1 Part: Linseed Oil
• 1/4 Part: Dorland's Wax

Very Fat Medium:

• 1 Part: Utrecht Stand Oil
• 1/5 Part: Damar Varnish (5 lb. cut)
• 1/4 Part:Wax

Old Wold Glazing Medium:

• 9 parts Damar Varnish (5 lb. cut)
• 9 parts Turpentine
• 4 parts Stand Oil
• 2 parts Venice Turpentine

back to top of page.

See all Utrecht art supplies available from our online art supply store.