Windsor & Newton artists oils

Something is fishy here. Are you sure that the W&N paints you bought are oils? The acrylics and water colors come in tubes too. There is an old adage; oil and water don't mix, and this applies to oil paints as well. Oil paints are powdered pigments suspended in linseed oil, which can be thinned with more linseed oil, turpentine, mineral spirits or other non-polar solvents. Water is a polar solvent and as such, it will not mix with a non-polar solvent, such as linseed oil, etc.

Don't know, but from what you describe, it sounds as if you have acrylic paint - here's something you can try to see if they are compatible with enamels - find yourself one of the containers that over the counter drugs come in (the kind that have the pills in individual plastic containers with a foil backing - Robitussin cold pill containers are excellent) - put three or four drops of enamel in it and then add a little of your tube paint - mix with a toothpick - if you don't get an immediate reaction (clabbering like soured milk), then paint a little of it on a piece of scrap and see what type of reaction you get.

They are absolutely oil paints. I was an art major in college, so I'm completely familiar with artist paints. These are a new type of paints I suppose, because they didn't exist when I was in school.

It says on the tube, Water mixable oil colour. It further says, vehicle: modified linseed oil. Genuine oil colour which thins with water and cleans with soap and water. No hazardous solvents required. I wonder if the required part means not necessary, but a solvent would work if I used one. It doesn't say I shouldn't use turps, just that I don't have to. Go to your local art supply store and check them out.

I might have to do some experimentation to find out how compatible they are with enamels. I've used the black for a wash some, and they did thin nicely with water, but didn't start getting plastic-ey and drying out quickly like an acrylic does. It took a good while to start drying.

Hey madda, I accidentally picked up a couple of the water mixable W&N once and they do NOT mix with the regular oils and I'm sure they won't mix with enamle paint either. They are some kind of water based "oils" (I don't know why they call them oils) and I was mixing colors for a wash when I mixed the 2 they didn't play well together.

Eric

Water soluble oil paints? Wow, I never would have guessed. I suppose the next thing you'll tell me is that prohibition is over.

Ah, I'm glad someone has gone over this territory before. Thanks Eric. I'll use them strictly on their own then. I may have to hit the Hobby Lobby and pick up a true oil color white then to mix for drybrushing.

Leopold............indeed it is. If you get to Tulsa one of these days, give me a call and we'll grab a beer at the nearest speakeasy.