Which white should be used for underpainting?
Safflower whites are not recommended for extensive underpainting or as a primer. When oil colours dry, the paint film undergoes a number of dimensional changes, increasing and decreasing in weight as different chemical reactions occur. Semi-drying oils, such as safflower and poppy oil, undergo greater dimensional changes than linseed oil. While a safflower oil based white is perfectly appropriate for use in normal applications and mixing, it is not suitable for use with underpainting. The movement of the film can lead to cracking the layers applied above. Linseed Oil Whites For underpainting, we recommend the following: Arists’ Oil Colour Underpainting White Titanium pigment ground in linseed oil which is recommended for under- painting or extensive layering with white. It has added texture to assist adhesion of later layers and is fast drying. *Artists’ Oil Colour Foundation White Lead pigment ground in linseed oil which is recommended for underpainting or extensive layering with a le
