Oil paints spread with water

Oil paints spread with water

Contrary to the old rule "oil and water don't mix," linseed oil can, under the right conditions, be prepared to 'accept' water as a solvent. The resulting substance is called an
emulsion and is a balanced combination of essentially unmixable and insoluble liquids. It is a heterogeneous system of two liquid phases, in the form of a suspension of droplets of one liquid dispersed in the other. Emulsions have been known for thousands of years, due to the combination of eggs and water, wax and water and just water and oil. Such a mixture can be obtained by mechanical blending, or with the help of chemical modification.

Winsor&Newton Artisan - Water-Diffused Oil Paints is a range of true oil paints made from modified linseed oil and safflower oil. This wide range of unique painting media was created for artists who want to reach for traditional oil painting techniques, without the need for turpentine or white spirit (mineral spirits).

High-quality oil paints spread with water form an emulsion as soon as water is added. This self-generating emulsion, used in formulating Artisan paints, results in the most traditional form of color coating, characterized by consistency and ease of use. The only chemical modification made to the linseed oil medium is to prepare it to accept water as a solvent, rather than spirits. This does not adversely affect the properties of working with this medium, which by its nature resembles working with traditional oil painting.