Tinting Linseed oil

[Richard R. Boyd]

I really like the effect of linseed oil applied directly to bass wood but sometimes I would like a slightly darker petina. My question is, what should I use to darken linseed oil?

[fortysomething]

I have used artists oil paint to tint linseed oil. The mixture that I learned (I can't recall the source) includes linseed oil, turpentine and artists oil paint. I have used this as an 'antiquing' finish on carvings.

[arttimes]

I use oil paint. I already have the paints (I paint on canvas) so I don't have to purchase them, but depending on the color you want- for instance a warm brown you could probably use burnt umber, and depending on how much color you want, you adjust the amount of paint you add. It's better to start with just a little, you can always go darker.

Hope this helps, Sandra

[arttimes]

I have never mixed turp with it for staining something. I would think it would make it too thin. Did that work well for you fortysomething? Might be something I'll have to try. I think I would use the odorless mineral spirits though, the smell isn't as bad.

[fortysomething]

It seemed to work well. The turp helped to act as a drier for the finish. I have used it more as an antiquing finish over painted or color washed work. Mineral spirits work well too!

[Richard R. Boyd]

Thank you Forytsomething and Arttimes for the help. I knew I had read something, some time back, about mixing color with linseed oil but I couldn't recall what type of paint was recomended.

I will get some oil based paint for color verity. This thought occured to me, I have oil based stain waqlnut, fruitwood etc. do you know if oil based stain can be used with any hope of success?

Thanks again.

[Iowa Carver]

Besides using oil paint you can simpley use some oil wood stain mixed with the blo. Most wood stains are just ground pigment in boiled linseed oil.

Corey

[Richard R. Boyd]

Thanks Corey,

That sounds great. I will try it.

[aulddiy]

I tried blo and brown acrylic mixed on a wood spirit. Wiped the highlighted areas with a cloth. The next day I put another touch of the mixture on to darken some areas. A red coulered pencil finished it off. I liked the results . I would n't use it on caricatures but I think I'll try it on something else.

[Mark N. Akers]

I use BLO and Artist Oil paint tube Burnt Umber,I squeeze out 1" of paint per Quart of BLO,make sure you use Boiled Linseed and not Raw,it will never dry.