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Dear Renae,
The garlic and the onion work, as do raw potatoes. However, for what it's worth, I would prefer not to use them other than to help a final varnish stick to the painting evenly.
From what I've been able to deduce out of the correspondence thus far, it could be that (as Raffaele has mentioned) you may have too much oil. I would actually suggest that, instead, your medium to pigment ratio is a bit too high, and that possibly you are applying the glaze too thickly. A glaze simply means a transparent darker tone layed over a lighter preparation. It need not be thick, but it does need to be at least the richest layer of paint. I would not recommend any turps at all. This weakens the paint layer which is already underbound and thin (or, at least, it should be) and is therefore already weak, too. I don't know about the balsams, though. Perhaps they're fine. Many people, myself included, recommend that final glazing be done with only oil as the medium. The paint is mixed to a house paint-like consistency, and then the brush is wiped once it is loaded with the paint. This makes for a rich paint, but not too much. In effect, you can practically do glazing as "dry-brush" technique this way. It is my preferred method and it seems to be more controllable than a too-thickly-applied layer. However, each requires some practice, and I'm sure you'll figure out what you like best. Give the "drier-brush" method a try. One of the best, old-fashioned ways of applying toning glazes (and scumbles, for that matter) is with one's fingers. I believe it was Frans Hals who was famous for doing this.
Hope it helps.
Juan
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