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William Forward · 07-17-2003, 09:53 PM

Clove oil is an amazing substance and has the ability to keep paintings wet for weeks or longer, depending on the amount used.

I've never used it full strength, as it's potent stuff, but if you want to keep your painting open for a month or more, I have had great results mixing clove oil 1:1 with linseed oil and adding a few drops to each pile of paint on my palette. Lately, I've experimented (on the advice of amazing realist painter and clove fanatic, Lance Richlin) with mixing it 1:6 with safflower oil (that's one part clove to six of saff), which seems to keep the work open for about two weeks.

One key trick is to keep the work, as well as your paint, in an airtight container between painting sessions. For smaller pieces, the large plastic storage boxes available at home supply/clothing stores such as Target are terrific. For larger works, you're on your own, but boxes fashioned from cardboard and plastic sheeting do a good job. When the painting is finished, hang it carefully in a safe place (tilted down to avoid dust), and it will dry over the succeeding weeks.

Clove oil seems best suited to thin, detailed painting (if you paint thick or use a lot of impasto, it may not be the medium for you), and it may sound like a hassle, but it's an amazing experience to work on a painting that's weeks old and feel as if you're painting alla prima. Lance refers to it as "the miracle of the cloves."

07-17-2003, 09:53 PM	#9
William Forward Associate Member FT Pro Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 9	Clove oil Clove oil is an amazing substance and has the ability to keep paintings wet for weeks or longer, depending on the amount used. I've never used it full strength, as it's potent stuff, but if you want to keep your painting open for a month or more, I have had great results mixing clove oil 1:1 with linseed oil and adding a few drops to each pile of paint on my palette. Lately, I've experimented (on the advice of amazing realist painter and clove fanatic, Lance Richlin) with mixing it 1:6 with safflower oil (that's one part clove to six of saff), which seems to keep the work open for about two weeks. One key trick is to keep the work, as well as your paint, in an airtight container between painting sessions. For smaller pieces, the large plastic storage boxes available at home supply/clothing stores such as Target are terrific. For larger works, you're on your own, but boxes fashioned from cardboard and plastic sheeting do a good job. When the painting is finished, hang it carefully in a safe place (tilted down to avoid dust), and it will dry over the succeeding weeks. Clove oil seems best suited to thin, detailed painting (if you paint thick or use a lot of impasto, it may not be the medium for you), and it may sound like a hassle, but it's an amazing experience to work on a painting that's weeks old and feel as if you're painting alla prima. Lance refers to it as "the miracle of the cloves."