Product Application
Langridge Wax Painting Paste may be added to oil colour at the discretion of the artist. Mixed with oil colours, it will add body or thickness.
It has been formulated to be added in any proportion desired but is highly effective as an impasto medium for extending oil colours whilst keeping a strong bodied brush or palette knife stroke. The wax content holds brush marks so that robust direct painting techniques may be achieved effortlessly.
Wax holds its shape during and after full drying, without the dangers of ‘surface-crawl’ and excessive yellowing evident in thick oil mediums that use fillers such as Alumina Hydrate, Aluminium Strearate and similar reology altering agents (Reology refers to the flow characteristics of fluid materials).
By adding Wax Painting Paste in quantities over 70% coloured translucent glazes are created.
Using Wax Painting Paste as a glaze gives paintings a soft glow, particularly when used over pale background colours.
Because wax is not absolutely clear it will reduce the depth of tone of colours. For this reason, Langridge does not recommend using wax mediums if wanting very dark passages of colour in a painting.
Wax Painting Paste is slow drying allowing for a wet-in-wet technique with very controlled manipulation of paint including soft blending. As the paint is brushed out stroke-marks will be held in place.
The Stand Oil base ensures pale colours stay bright even when used in high proportions with oil colours.
Langridge Wax Painting Paste has a high wax content and is not recommended for underpainting unless all succeeding layers also employ wax medium in similar or higher proportions.
Additional Product Information
Using Wax Painting Paste for matting oil mediums
Because oils and resins used in oil mediums dry to a gloss finish, waxes can be introduced to create satin or matte finishes.
Matte optical effects
Because of the natural matting quality of wax, glazes or transparent layers of wax medium are highly matte and do not have the clarity of pure oil mediums. This effect of translucency or ‘tonal haze’ is very similar to the look of ‘encaustic’ paintings where the natural qualities of wax are highly evident (Encaustic painting is the technique of painting with liquid molten wax, coloured with pigment.
Matte reflective surfaces optically create a painting with a flat, more compressed picture space and do not appear to recede. Artists attempting to create a picture with optical depth (such as a landscape) should be aware that the glossier and deeper in tone a paint surface is the more it seems to recede.
Artists wanting liquid wax medium
Because Wax Painting Paste is a thick buttery medium, built for impasto it is not so easily brushed out.
The addition of a liquid medium such as Langridge Underpainting Medium, Painting Medium or Glaze Medium will give greater fluidity. Add as much medium as needed till desired fluidity is achieved.
Gum Turpentine or an alternative solvent such as Langridge Low Toxic Solvent can be used but care must be taken not to over-dilute the wax medium, thereby destroying the integrity of the finished paint film and leading to flaking. Langridge recommends limiting the addition of Gum Turpentine or equivalent solvent to no more than 25%.
Wax Painting Paste as a final varnish
Because Wax Painting Paste contains Stand Oil when it dries it becomes non-reversible with artists’ solvents. For this reason Langridge does not recommend its use as a final picture varnish.
If artists wish to have a painting with a matte reflective finish, Langridge recommends the use of Wax Varnish or similar matte varnish.
Thinning
For best results thin with oil or oil based medium. However, Distilled Gum Turpentine may be substituted. DO NOT substitute with Artists White Spirit or any petroleum distillates. The use of the latter solvents will prevent full hardening of the damar content leaving a permanently tacky film.
Appearance
Langridge Wax Painting Paste is a very pale cream colour paste with characteristic Gum Turpentine odour.
The colour of the medium will effect the depth of oil colours with which it is mixed.
Clean Up
Clean brushes with any artists’ solvent Gum Turpentine.
For further washing apply a small quantity of Marseille or other pure olive oil soap and massage the bristles of the brush to release any remaining colour. Wash thoroughly in warm water. Leave to fully dry before using for oil colours.
Drying Times
36-48 hours to touch dry. Any airflow over the surface will evaporate the solvent more rapidly which will reduce drying times.
Full film drying 3-6 months