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Williamsburg Alkyd Resin and Extender Medium

16 thoughts on “Williamsburg Alkyd Resin and Extender Medium”

    • Hi Joshua,

      Not sure. Some retailers do not carry the Extender Medium, so you might not have come across it. It is only available in 150ml tubes. Your local art supply should be able to order it for you if they don’t have it on their shelf. It is a really nice product. We hope you enjoy!

      Greg

      Reply
  1. Your alkyd resin looks amazing, however, it is only suitable for the upper layers of a painting. I find that underpainting is the quagmire that makes or breaks a painting. I wish you guys would undertake a study on the do’s and dont’s of underpainting… Painters are increasingly doing their underpainting in alkyd paints, then working over this layer with conventional oils. How archival this is, remains a mystery… Will you guys be bringing out a range of alkyd paints?

    Reply
    • Hi Alex – The author of this article, Greg Watson, is away this week but I didn’t want you to think we had forgotten you. I am sure he will chime in once he gets back. I can say that we do not have any current plans to develop a line of alkyd paints, but of course, alkyds in general are a category we continue to study and investigate. Also thanks for the suggestion about doing an article on the do’s and don’ts on underpainting. That is definitely an area in need of some clarity, so we will definitely add that to the list of topics to research.

      Reply
  2. Hello!
    Is Extender Medium gritty? If not, do you have something on offer that can add tooth to the linen white impasto layer?

    Reply
    • Hello Tinat,
      No, Extender Medium is rather smooth and we do not have any whites that have a coarse texture. The closest thing would be mixing French Ardoise Grey, which has very weak tinting strength, into white to create an off white color with a little grit. Or you could use a textured acrylic ground first to establish increased tooth, then paint on top of that with oils. Pastel Ground, Fiber Paste or Coarse Pumice Gel could be used for this purpose.
      Let us know if you have any questions about these products. You can email help@goldenpaints.com or call 800-959-6543.
      Thanks,
      Greg Watson

      Reply
  3. Hi Greg,

    Following up to a previous question using Alkyd resin as an underpainting, or as a first layer over Williamsburg lead white oil primed canvas. Can you suggest how I can use alkyd resin as an isolating varnish with charcoal and graphite underdrawing?

    I made a some test:
    1) alkyd resin + odorless mineral spirits (1:1)
    2) alkyd resin + stand oil + odorless mineral spirits (1:1:1)
    3) titanium white oil paint (Williamsburg) + alkyd resin + odorless mineral spirits (1:1:1)

    So far they all worked fine to isolate the underdrawing. The disadvantage is the drying time, which I would like to accelerate to one day, and reduce the glossy finish. I’m hesitant using dryers in the underpainting. Any suggestions or alternatives? How archival is this approach?

    Thanks,
    Paul

    Reply
    • Hello Paul,
      We have not tested using Alkyd Resin as an isolation coat over a ground or as an underpainting medium, so cannot comment on its longevity. Mixing it with paint and some thinner might be the best option of the three, as you would be building some body into the layer with the paint additions and making it very thin with the solvent. Adding stand oil at that stage might be a bit too “fat” and slow down drying, as the stand is fairly slow to dry.
      Alkyds all have driers to get then to set up so fast. Anything that dries to the touch overnight is going to be fairly maxed out with drier, at least as far as fine art materials are concerned. Not sure what you could do about the gloss. Most alkyds have a glossy finish. Adding more paint than medium and some thinner might help to knock it back a bit.
      Best wishes with your testing. Let us know how it goes!
      Greg

      Reply
  4. How soon does the yellowing occur when using the extender? I bought a tube but now concerned. I liked to add marble dust to paint to and was going to try this instead. Does it dry matt or satin when added to paint?

    Reply
    • Hello Selena,
      Yellowing is a relative term and greatly depends on how oil paints and the Extender Medium are used. In most cases, if the extender is used in smaller amounts, you should not notice any yellowing. When it starts to be mixed with paint at a one to one ratio or higher, and with certain colors such as white or blues that are vulnerable to show changes due to yellowing, then you may notice some yellowing over the long term. Yellowing can start to settle in after several months to several years time. The Extender Medium has a rather flat sheen on its own and will push most colors toward matte or satin depending on the amount you add. We recommend only using the minimum amount needed to get your desired effect. The benefit of using the Extender compared to simply adding marble dust, is it already provides adequate oil to surround the solids, so there is no risk of the paint layers becoming underbound.
      We hope this helps. you can always call 800-959-6543 or email help@goldenpaints.com with additional questions.
      Greg

      Reply
  5. Hi. Can Extender Medium be used to make an opaque Titanium White more transparent? Similar to the semi translucent quality of a Titanium/Zinc mixed paint or a Lead White? I’m looking to for a good semi transparent white for mixing with colors, without zinc, but also prefer paints with linseed as the binder. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Yes you should be able to increase transparency with this product. It has a grayish color, so it may influence the color of your titanium, but shouldn’t be much. We do not recommend going over 1 part Extender to 1 part paint. As it is a little more transparent, it will show the yellowing of the oil more when used in higher ratios. Flake White is another option for a translucent white made in linseed oil. It also has the added benefit of being incredibly durable. Enjoy!
      Greg

      Reply
  6. Hello, is the extender medium ground in alkali refined linseed oil, or bodied oils? I have tried a similar product from another brand but since it contains bodied oil it makes it difficult to brush with soft brushes without thinning. I’d rather have a product with thinner oil. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Hello Alberto,
      Thanks for your question. Yes, the Extender Medium is ground in alkali refined linseed oil. It has a slightly softer feel than most of our colors and should be fairly easy to brush. We hope you enjoy!
      Greg

      Reply
  7. Hello Greg,
    I tried the Extender Medium and really like it. I was thinking about giving a try to the Alkyd Resin. I normally use Stand oil in the final layers, and was looking for something similar with hopefully a bit less drag in the brushes. Does the Alkyd Resin behave the same as Stand Oil when brushing, or is there any subtle difference you could add?
    Thanks so much again.

    Reply
    • Hi Alberto,
      Sorry for the delayed response. Yes, the Alkyd Resin does have a bit of brush drag. There is also a point in the working time when the solvent has flashed off and the material becomes sticky. This is not something that happens with stand oil until it starts to set up after some time. With the Alkyd Resin it can begin to drag within a couple hours. At that point, the addition of some solvent can begin to soften the material and help with blending. Hope this helps. give a call or email help@goldenpaints.com with any additional questions.

      Reply

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