How to Paint With Water Mixable Oil Color

You can use water soluble oil colors just like true oil colors.

Painting with water mixable oil color (or water soluble oil color) will seem very familiar to anyone who has painted in oils. Water soluble oil color is essentially oil paint with detergent added so that the paint molecules will bond with water. This removes the necessity of using strong solvents, like turpentine or mineral spirits, to thin and clean up the paint. The same mediums that work in oil painting will work with water-soluble colors, but cleanup can be accomplished with soap and water.

Things You'll Need

• Water soluble oil color
• Assorted artist's brushes
• Prepared canvas, canvas board or panel
• Palette
• Palette knife
• Cotton rag
• Water
• Linseed oil
• Mild soap or detergent

Instructions

1. Mix a background color for your canvas, using your palette and palette knife. Thin the color with water, and apply in a thin wash over the entire canvas.

2. Mix colors for your foreground shapes, and thin the paint with water. The background layer will dry quickly, allowing you to work a bit faster than strict oil painting will allow.

3. Add successive layers of paint to build up color and detail. Make sure each new layer is slightly thicker than the previous layer. After the initial water washes, you can use a bit of linseed oil as a medium, or use regular oil painting mediums if you prefer.

4. Clean your brushes with clean linseed oil to remove most of the paint. Wash them with mild soap and water, taking care to work all of the paint out of the heel of the brush (where the hairs attach to the ferrule).

References

• Guide to Oil Painting