How to make your own oil paint (traditional recipe).

Study painting with me online: www.dustinneecestudio.com
My Paintings: www.dustinneece.com
Supply List:
- “The Artists Handbook” by Ralph Mayer
- Pigment used in this video - Kremer Pigment Cobalt Blue Dark, Greenish - product #45701
Linseed Oil options:
- Refined Linseed Oil by Michael Harding or
- Purified, Raw Organic Allbäck Linseed oil hand washed using Tad
Spurgeon’s refining method:
www.tadspurgeo...
- Emulsion of Linseed Oil + Beeswax - A hand made emulsion using the recipe in “Artists Handbook” pg 187 (from the section on oil painting called ‘Hand Grinding of Oil Colors’). SEE NOTES BELOW
Chalk from Champagne: Kremer Pigments product #58000
- Beeswax, bleached, Kremer Pigments product #62210
- OXO good grips 1-cup angled measuring cup
- 3M P100 Household Respirator
- Marble slab or glass - I prefer marble because it gives more stability
- Glass muller, high, large: Kremer Pigments product #883350
- Palette knives
- tsp measuring set
- Gamsol for clean up
- notebook + pen for writing out the formulas you discover for each pigment
- gloves
- paper towel
- empty paint tubes
- Eye dropper
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How to make beeswax + linseed oil emulsion
“Artist’s Handbook” by Ralph Mayer page 187
Chapter title: Hand Grinding of Oil Colors
“If it has been decided to add wax to any of the colors, put 4 fluid ounces of oil in a measuring glass and add white beeswax, which has been broken into conveniently small pieces, until the level of the oil rises to 4 1/2 ounces. Transfer it to a tin can or other suitable vessel and warm it on a stove until the wax melts. Be careful not to overheat or boil. This mixture will contain a little over 11 percent of wax by volume, and should be diluted with 3 or 4 parts of pure oil for average color-grinding use. If greater accuracy is desired, the table on page 189 shows how many parts by volume of pure oil should be added to each part of this wax-oil mixture to produce paints of various wax percentages. The mixture may become semisolid on cooling, but at room temperature will always mix into oil and color easily. It should be kept in a tightly covered wide-mouthed jar or can.”
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How much beeswax + linseed oil emulsion is safe to use in your oil paint?
The maximum allowable volume of beeswax + linseed oil emulsion to use is relative to how much linseed oil you are using. The highest percentage you want to use is a ratio of 1 part beeswax + linseed oil emulsion, to 3 parts linseed oil. That is, if you are making your paint, and measuring it by teaspoons. You would use 1 teaspoon of beeswax + linseed oil emulsion, to 3 teaspoons of linseed oil. Using less beeswax emulsion, or non at all is fine, however, this ratio is the maximum amount you want to use for a safe, stable oil film.
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All paint is a mixture of these three elements:
1. Pigment
2. Linseed oil
3. Beeswax + Linseed oil emulsion
My recipe for this pigment and another paint I really like, Bristol yellow, medium (Kremer pigments product #43111) is:
11 parts pigment
3 parts oil
1 part beeswax + Linseed oil emulsion mixture

[@anandshah019]

Hii, I am asking a stupid question but please answer 🙏 Can any of these be used as pigment a. fine clay b. cement (white/grey) c. lime/slaked lime

[@lophoflora]

That book contains a lot of rubbish.

[@ltwig476]

I like the stiffness of Old Holland vs MH or Vasari. Typically, I only mix with refined walnut oil because I like my secondary layers to stay wet longer. When I need a more buttery paint, I simply add a drop of walnut oil and shake the blob of paint up to the consistency I'm after. I use a lot of paint, so I don't worry about oil separation in the tubes. I do mix refined linseed for the 1st composition layer to dry more quickly. Except that doesn't get tubed, just goes on my palette. Most of the time my 1st layer is only inorganic pigments and is more like a stain than a paint on the canvas.Whatever paint left on my palette, I mix my walnut oil paints right into them. I'm not against adding other binders, except they'er mostly for only creating greater shelf life. I much rather work with pure pigment and oil. I 1st started painting with oil 40 years ago before tube paint became so buttery. I understand why artist like it so buttery today because everything has become extreme grab and go. When the paint is so wet that I can't drag my brush or knife to get the effect I'm after it is very frustrating. I never worry about running out of paint because I can mix small amounts in 20 mins or less with the muller. At the end of a paint session, I cover my palette with saran wrap. I have very little waste because I generally have 2 or 3 paintings I'm currently working on. I like having a landscape going and figurative abstract at the same time. For me, the abstract causes me to tense up and I get relief by going to the landscape. Generally, I'm painting 40" or 48" by whatever. If I only painted 16x20 or less, I likely wouldn't bother with making my own paint.

[@randalllaue4042]

There are so many rules now... other countries have different rules. Never realized that the automotive industry decides what colors exist.

[@dustinneece]

Indeed

[@mneece22]

Fascinating methods. Your passion for every element of your craft comes shining through.

[@mneece22]

Love your apron. :)

[@flyfisherman3649]

One of the best videos I've seen to date on making oil paint. Very thorough and very much appreciated! Thank you.

[@dustinneece]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dustinneece]

Thank you

[@randalllaue4042]

How many “Binders” do you use?...

[@dustinneece]

I only use linseed oil as a binder. The beeswax emulsion could be considered a binder, but its purpose is to act as a stabilizer while the paint is in the tube, and to enrich the quality of the viscosity / consistency of the paint.

[@randalllaue4042]

@@dustinneece no honey?

[@dustinneece]

i haven't used honey