Canvas Painting Mediums and Solvents 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Stand oil is produced by heating linseed oil in the absence of air, which results in:
- A fast-drying solvent for thinning paint
- A thickened oil that produces smooth, enamel-like brushwork (Correct answer)
- A water-based medium compatible with acrylics
- A final protective varnish for oil paintings
Correct answer: A thickened oil that produces smooth, enamel-like brushwork
Stand oil is heat-polymerized linseed oil; its thick consistency creates smooth, flowing brushwork and it yellows less than raw linseed oil.
Question 2: Which acrylic medium is best suited for creating heavily textured, sculptural paint applications?
- Acrylic glazing liquid
- Flow improver
- Matte medium
- Modeling paste (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Modeling paste
Modeling paste (also called impasto medium) adds significant body to acrylic paint, enabling thick, sculptural applications that hold peak and texture.
Question 3: Walnut oil is a popular oil painting medium largely because:
- It is the fastest-drying of all oil mediums
- It is the least expensive oil available
- It yellows less than linseed oil over time (Correct answer)
- It dramatically thickens paint consistency
Correct answer: It yellows less than linseed oil over time
Walnut oil yellows less than linseed oil over time, making it a historically favored choice for preserving the true tones of lighter colors.
Question 4: Damar varnish is versatile because it can be used both as:
- A canvas primer and a solvent
- A painting medium and a final protective varnish (Correct answer)
- A retarder and a drying accelerator
- A gesso base coat and a glaze medium
Correct answer: A painting medium and a final protective varnish
Damar varnish, a natural resin dissolved in turpentine, can be added to paint as a medium to increase gloss and flow, or applied as a final varnish to protect the finished painting.
Question 5: Acrylic glazing liquid is formulated specifically to:
- Add opaque body and coverage to paint
- Prevent different acrylic colors from mixing together
- Create thin, transparent layers over dried paint (Correct answer)
- Accelerate the drying time of acrylic paint
Correct answer: Create thin, transparent layers over dried paint
Acrylic glazing liquid thins paint while maintaining binder strength, enabling transparent glaze layers that build depth and luminosity without obscuring lower layers.
Question 6: In the fat-over-lean rule, a 'lean' paint mixture is one that contains:
- More oil than solvent for flexibility
- Equal parts oil and solvent
- More solvent than oil (Correct answer)
- Pure pigment with no medium at all
Correct answer: More solvent than oil
Lean paint has more solvent than oil, resulting in low oil content that dries faster and harder, which is appropriate for lower layers of a painting.
Question 7: Which acrylic medium increases both the gloss and transparency of paint when added to it?
- Gesso
- Modeling paste
- Matte medium
- Gloss medium (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Gloss medium
Gloss medium increases the sheen and transparency of acrylic paint simultaneously, creating luminous, glass-like qualities in color layers.
Canvas Painting Mediums and Solvents 2
Stand oil is produced by heating linseed oil in the absence of air, which results in: