# Perfect product for thinning oil paint?



## Arduy (May 31, 2020)

Is Gamblin Gamsol an alternative to linseed oil when you need to thin out an oil paint? and does it have any advantages or disadvantages over linseed oil? I continue to hear that linseed oil alters the oil colors over time, and I wouldn't want that happening, so, I'm still continuing to search for a "perfect" medium to use with oil colors when I need them to be less dense. I know that one is a petrolium distillate and the other is an oil based medium. Thank you all for your opinions.


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## Steve Neul (Jul 28, 2020)

It's true that linseed oil yellows as it ages but a small amount won't affect the color. Also on dark colors you would never see it. If you add a lot of linseed oil in artist paint and if you paint like a blue sky in time the added linseed oil will yellow and then the yellow mixed with blue you get green. Likewise whites become cream colored. This phenomenon is also why it would be best to varnish a painting with an acrylic clear so the yellowing won't affect the color. An oil based varnish will add yellow to the painting in time. I recently went over a painting I painted in 2009 because the white in the picture and the sky was more green than blue. An alternative to the use of linseed oil is safflower or poppy oil. These wouldn't present the yellowing issue. 

As far as Gamblin Gamsol, it's just a solvent and wouldn't affect the color of the paint. I personally don't care for low odor paint thinners. I've had them ruin oil based enamels. I use just plain mineral spirits you can get at walmart in a gallon. Now thinning with a solvent the artist paint dries really fast. If you need the paint to stay wet on the canvas to work it Flood Penetrol would be a better solvent.


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## Arduy (May 31, 2020)

Thank you Steve Neul for the helpful information.


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