Greetings to the beginner’s guide to oil painting medium. If you travel in the land of oil painting you must face the term linseed oil and Liquin. These two items are used in oil painting. The first one is linseed oil which is actually driven from real seeds that are known as flaxseed.
On the other hand, Lquin has been made just for oil painting. It provides smoothness to the painting surface and also decreases the drying time. Beginners often get confused when it comes to choosing between Liquin and linseed oil in oil painting.
In this blog, we will provide guidelines about Liquin vs linseed oil and the conclusion will declare the best among them for oil painting.
Table of Contents
- About Linseed oil
- About Liquin
- Differences between linseed oil and Liquin
- Can liquin be used with linseed oil?
- Does Liquin thicken oil paint?
- Does linseed oil thicken the paint?
- Can you use linseed oil instead of Liquin?
- FAQs
- Final words
Let’s start!
Liquin is Quickly drying medium but linseed oil takes a lot of time to dry. Liquin is easy to apply to oil painting but linseed oil provides a high gloss and prominent ending after mixing with the oil paint. We can mix Liquin with any pigment including titanium white but the linseed oil creates a yellowish effect after mixing with titanium white.
Both the solvents have their own advantages but the Liquin is specially made to improve the oil painting experience. It creates a perfectly glossy and shiny effect.
The detail of both solvents is given below!
About Linseed oil
Linseed oil is obtained from flaxseeds which means it is organic in nature. Linseed oil is a light yellowish oil. Before starting the process it is colorless or transparent but after drying, it turns yellow. For example, the famous portrait of the Mona Lisa has got yellowish over time because linseed oil has been used in its creation.
Linseed oil is widely used to break down oil paint. In other words, we can control the consistency of oil paint with the use of linseed oil. It is also a historical medium because old masters used linseed oil to create masterpieces that are still popular in this modern world.
About Liquin
Liquin is non-organic that is made with a mixture of petroleum distillates, alkyd resins, and other various chemicals. After mixing with oil paint, it gives a glossy and shinier effect that also boosts the drying speed of oil paint
upto 2x.
It is yellowish in color but we can mix it with any color instead of titanium white because it makes it creates a slightly yellowish effect. Liquin also has a bad smell due to the addition of various chemicals but it is non-toxic in nature. Make sure to practice a ventilated environment when dealing with Liquin.
Differences between linseed oil and Liquin
| Property | Linseed oil | Liquin |
| Drying Time | linseed oil is made with natural seeds (flaxseeds). It does not have any impact on health. | linseed oil takes much time to dry. Painters should need to wait until it dries and then work further. |
| Manufacturing | Liquin is made with chemicals and it can affect your health because it contains a bad smell. | Liquin made with chemicals and it can affect your health because it contains a bad smell. |
| Mixing with colors | After mixing it with pigments, it gives rich results but after years, oil painting starts getting yellowish. | The color of the Liquin is some like yellow and you can use it with mix any color and then applying it to the paper |
| Finish | when we use linseed oil the ending looks like a high gloss and prominent ending to the oil painting | When we used Liquin the ending is to look like a silky and glassy ending |
Can liquin be used with linseed oil?
Yes, you can use it by mixing Liquin and linseed. Mix a little amount of linseed oil and Liquin and then add oil paint. Mix them very well with a brush and try to achieve the desired consistency by adding a suitable amount of both mediums.
You can use Liquin as a paint thinner. Liquin can be mix all kinds of oil painting items. Every item has its own characteristics and when you combine the different items with each other so they also share their benefits. When we combine linseed oil, Liquin, and oil paint together, a moderate amount of drying speed can be achieved.
Does Liquin thicken oil paint?
Liquin is in gell-like consistency that looks a lot thicker. But, the addition of it will not thicken the oil paint because it is very light and flowy. So, no Liquin doesn’t thicken oil paint even if it changes the consistency of the oil paint and makes it smooth and improves its flow. It is less in viscosity which means it can thin down the oil paint very easily.
Does linseed oil thicken the paint?
No, linseed oil does not thicken the oil paint but it is used for a thinning purpose. Instead of thinning, it improves the flow of oil paint. Most of the oil paints are made by using linseed oil.
To confirm the above statement, you can perform an experiment by mixing a drop of linseed oil in the oil paint.
Can you use linseed oil instead of Liquin?
Yes, you can use linseed oil instead of Liquin. But both have different characteristics and purposes as linseed oil is used to thin down the oil paints but the Liquin is used to increase the drying time.
I have seen a lot of famous artists who use linseed oil in their paintings but they still create masterpieces. There are also some modern artists that can afford Liquin easily and they use it to create better oil paintings. This is a game of technique.
FAQs
What is the best solvent for oil paint?
turpentine is the best solvent in working but it contains toxic fumes that can irritate some artists. But no other solvent can compete with turpentine.
Turpentine has so many other types that can be used for multiple purposes. You can learn the use of turpentine and types below:
Types of turpentine
Which is better, Liquin or linseed oil?
The choice between Liquin and linseed oil depends upon everybody’s personality and painting methods. The best option depends on the preference of every person’s needs and wants but the Liquin is no doubt the nonyellowing and fast-drying medium that can beat the linseed oil.
Can you do glazing with Liquin?
Yes, you do glazing with Liquin in oil painting.
Final words
Linseed oil and Liquin both are the main solvents of oil painting. These two magical solvents boost the performance of oil painting to one hundred percent. Linseed oil is a slow-drying and yellowing medium that is made with flax seeds. It is mainly used for thinning purposes.
On the other hand, Liquin is non-yellowing, fast drying, and a modern medium that is specially made for oil painting. It is important to know that Liquin has a slightly irritating smell due to adding chemicals but is not toxic in nature. But one thing is that if we mix linseed oil with white oil paint and make painting after sometimes it looks bad because it shows a yellowish shade and takes much time to dry.
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