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How to Make Your Own Glazing Medium for Oil Painting

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff
Updated: September 9, 2019 | References

While paint will give an oil painting its shape and color, a glaze will make it shine. You can buy a glaze from
a store, but if you're a DIY sort, you can make some of your own. By making your own glaze, you'll have that
much more satisfaction when you create art with it. Although all oil glazes will use turpentine as a base
ingredient, you can choose a recipe based on the ingredients you have available. By trying out different oils
and varnish, you can help pinpoint a glaze that suits your project.

Method One of Three:

Making a Glaze with Turpentine and Stand Oil
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

1 Buy linseed stand oil and turpentine from an art store. If you don't have ingredients handy yet,
everything you need may be purchased at a local art store. Turpentine and linseed stand oil may be
used for a standard oil glaze. Two parts turpentine should be used for each part of stand oil you use.
Although linseed and flaxseed oil come from the same plant and are similar, linseed stand oil might have
additives to improve its paint-cleaning abilities.[1]

Because glaze is used in relatively small amounts, you should use the smallest containers available,
so long as you're able to get the proportions right. Empty and cleaned baby food jars (about 2 to 4
ounces) are a good size to use.
Poppy seed oil, walnut oil and other types of linseed oil will work as well. However, these alternatives
result in slightly yellowing your painting.
Mineral spirits may be used in lieu of turpentine if you don't have turpentine available.
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

2 Pour stand oil into a mixing jar. Most artists will only need a small amount of glazing medium, so
you'll want to create about 2 to 4 ounces of glazing medium. To make this amount, start by pouring
about 1 ounce of your linseed stand oil into a resealable airtight jar. Be sure to use a jar that has a screw-
top lid so that you can simply screw it on and save unused oil for future use.[2]

Use caution when handling the linseed oil, since it is highly flammable. If you use any rags to wipe
up linseed oil, avoid simply throwing them in the trash since they can spontaneously combust.
Instead, soak any linseed oil rags in jar filled with water and take them to a local hazardous waste
site for disposal.[3]
The jar used for mixing should be cleaned out and dried prior to mixing anything. Choose a small jar
so that your glazing medium isn't exposed to too much air which could cause it to dry out more
quickly.
 3 Add two parts turpentine for one part of the oil you're using. Add twice as much turpentine to the
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU
jar as the stand oil you added. So, if you've placed 1 ounce of stand oil in your jar, add 2 ounces of
turpentine. These two ingredients combined will give you a basic glaze to work with in your paintings.[4]

Linseed oil is quite thick so you'll need less oil in comparison to the amount of turpentine needed.

4 Stir the glazing medium. Take a wooden stick (like a craft stick) or use the end of an old paint brush
and stir the turpentine and oil. The mixture will need a lot of stirring to combine it. As soon as you've
combined the glaze, you can begin to use it (especially because it will begin to separate). You can use
the medium directly out of the jar, or pour a small amount into a saucer to use.[5]

Avoid shaking the glaze. Vigorous shaking will introduce air bubbles into your glaze which could be
transferred to your paint. Air bubbles will cause your paint to dry poorly.
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

5 Explore different oil and turpentine combinations.[6] The small differences in ingredient proportions
will result in slightly different finishes. While linseed oil is typically seen as the go-to oil to use in
homemade glazes, many other oils can be used as well. If you want to experiment, you may find certain
glazes achieve a different end than others. If you're interested in working with different glaze
combinations, you should make multiple batches at the same time. You'll be able to compare them
directly with one another this way.

Glazes will also respond differently based on the makeup of the paint you are using.
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Method Two of Three:

Making a Damar Varnish Glaze
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

1 Purchase linseed oil, turpentine and Damar varnish. A Damar varnish glaze will give your painting a
much stronger shine than the basic turpentine formula. A basic formula is two parts turpentine, one
part linseed oil, and 1 part damar varnish. So, you'll need 2 ounces turpentine, 1 ounce linseed oil, and 1
ounce of damar varnish.[7]

All of these ingredients may be found at a local arts and crafts supplies store.
This will make about 4 ounces of damar varnish glaze. Depending on how heavily you apply your
glaze, this may be too much. Consider making half of this amount and making more as needed.
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

2 Pour the ingredients together into a sealable jar. A clear jar is optimal, as it will allow you to observe
the ingredient proportions and the mixing process. Take caution while you pour in the ingredients,
as turpentine and varnish are flammable. It helps to know the capacity of the jar prior to mixing them.
That way, you can fill it up according to the glaze's desired proportions.

If you use any rags to wipe up linseed oil, avoid simply throwing them in the trash since they can
spontaneously combust. Instead, soak any linseed oil rags in jar filled with water and take them to a
local hazardous waste site for disposal.[8]
 3 Stir the glazing medium. Take a wooden stick (like a craft stick) or use the end of an old paint brush
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combines well. Once the mixture is combined, you can begin to use the glaze. You can use the medium
directly out of the jar, or pour a small amount into a saucer to use.[9]

Don't shake the jar too much before using it. Vigorous shaking will introduce air bubbles into your
glaze which could be transferred to your paint. Instead, stir the glaze right before using it.

4 Add a few drops of lavender oil to your glaze just before using it.[10] Use 3 drops of lavender oil per
ounce of glaze you are making. Adding this to the glaze right before using it will give the glaze a
thicker body, as well as improve the "wet time" that the artist can work within while painting.

Look for oil of spike lavender at most fine art supply stores.
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Method Three of Three:
Working With Homemade Oil Glaze
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

1 Pour a small amount of glaze onto a palette. Because glaze is used in relatively small quantities
(only an ounce or two at a time), you should pour out a small amount into the palette you're using to
paint with.

Make sure to keep it separate from other paints and mixtures.

MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

2 Add paint and glaze together on the brush. Dip your brush in glaze, then add the paint you are using
for the area. Combining glaze and paint on the brush will help ensure that the glaze matches the
shape you want to have emphasized.

You should use a high-quality artist's brush in order to get the best effects from your glaze.
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

3 Consider using multiple types of glaze in a project. Different combinations of oil will result in
different transparencies and shine. Because of this, it may be worthwhile to experiment with a few
different types of glaze in your work.

Using poppy seed oil, for instance, will result in a yellow tinge, which may be desired if you want your
painting to look artificially aged.

4 Allow your painting ample time to dry. Using a glaze with stand oil means your painting will take
significantly longer to dry. Because of this, you should allow a full week for an oil glazed painting to
properly settle. If you don't want to wait as long, you can minimize your use of glaze, or even go without it
entirely.[11]
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

5 Use glaze in moderation. Glaze should be used as a way to accent important aspects of the
painting's foreground. The effect is lost if you glaze your painting excessively. Try to limit your glaze
to the shapes you want to pop out at the viewer.[12]

You can also apply several light layers of glaze so you have more control. If you apply multiple
layers, you may need to mix up more glaze.
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

6 Seal the medium when not in use. In order to keep the glaze fresh and useable, keep it sealed
whenever you're not using it. It is good to keep the glaze sealed in the jar you made it in.[13]

When stored in an airtight jar, glazing medium will last several weeks up to a few months. If exposed
to air, your glaze will dry out.
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Community Q&A

Question

Is it OK if I use sunflower oil?

Community Answer

Sure, but consider that sunflower and poppy oil yellow considerably less than linseed oil (in fact many color
manufacturers produce whites with these ones), but have a longer drying time than linseed oil. That can be
simply solved with some drops of cobalt dryers or with little amounts of alkyd mediums. Stand oil is thick like
honey so the glazing medium will be less liquid, that can be helpful if you like. If you are lazy, you can use just 1
part of Liquin "original" and 1 part of poppy oil or Liquin "light gel" which is already more fluid. Generally, you can
use any type of oil, any type of varnish and any type of solvent/mineral spirits.

5 0

Question

For refined linseed oil, how much turpentine should I use? Is it 2 parts refined linseed oil, and one part
turpentine?
Community Answer
MAKING A GLAZE
You can WITH
use any TURPENTINE
amounts youAND STAND
like. OILwork
If your MAKING
(or aA specific
DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING
layer) requires WITH HOMEMADE
slower drying time, addOIL GLAZE
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oil, if
you like a more shining surface, add some varnish, and if you need faster drying time, add more solvent/mineral
spirit. You just have to keep in mind that first layers should be thinner while last layers should be thicker
according to the "fat over lean" rule.

2 0

Question

What is stand oil and where do I get it?

Community Answer

Stand oil is a type of oil that helps wet pigments. It may be purchased at any well-stock arts and crafts supplies
store.

2 0

Question

Should I use the glaze while I am painting, or can I glaze and varnish it when it is done and dry? What is
the difference between glazing and varnishing?

Community Answer

Use glazes during painting. Use varnish in 6-12 months, when the painting is completely dry/cured.

1 0

Question

Can I use refined linseed oil?

Community Answer

Yes, you can use many different types of oil including refined linseed. Beware, they will all give slightly different
effects. Experiment!

1 1
 Could I use a clear glass over the wet primer surface to allow wet on wet painting?

Answer
MAKING A GLAZE WITH TURPENTINE AND STAND OIL MAKING A DAMAR VARNISH GLAZE WORKING WITH HOMEMADE OIL GLAZE COMMU

How do I make my own glaze for transparent oil painting?

Answer

How do I make a glaze with a matte finish on an oil painting?

Answer

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Tips

If you're only planning on using a little glaze, it may make more sense for you to purchase a
professional glaze from an art store.
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Warnings

Turpentine is toxic. Make sure not to ingest any while you are mixing it. If for whatever reason it enters
your body, call an ambulance immediately.
1 Helpful? 2

These ingredients may be combustible when they're combined. Keep them away from excess heat or
any open flames.[14]
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About This Article

Co-Authored By:
wikiHow Staff Editor

This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and
comprehensiveness. Together, they cited information from 14 references. wikiHow's Content Management Team
carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article meets our high standards.

Co-authors: 16
Updated: September 9, 2019
58 votes - 91%
Views: 70,776

Categories: Oil Painting

References

1. ↑ http://emptyeasel.com/2007/05/25/how-to-make-oil-painting-medium-by-mixing-linseed-stand-oil-and-turpentine/
2. ↑ http://emptyeasel.com/2007/05/25/how-to-make-oil-painting-medium-by-mixing-linseed-stand-oil-and-turpentine/
3. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/summer-safety-diy-dangers-linseed-oil/story?id=11328546
4. ↑ http://emptyeasel.com/2007/05/25/how-to-make-oil-painting-medium-by-mixing-linseed-stand-oil-and-turpentine/
5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcDp90PH6CM
6. ↑ http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/59346/619/
7. ↑ http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/59346/619/
8. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/summer-safety-diy-dangers-linseed-oil/story?id=11328546
9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcDp90PH6CM

More References

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MAKING few months to finish,
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