I got my set of Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Fast Drying Oil Colours last Summer as they promised to be a good all rounder for both oil painting and craft applications. The set includes Winsor Yellow, Winsor Red, French Ultramarine, Phthalo Green, Indian Red and Titanium White in 37ml tubes – a good selection of colours for mixing and blending (sorry set now discontinued, Griffin paint colours available separately).
The paints are oil colours made from pigments and oil modified alkyd resin. This formulation makes the paint dry faster than traditional oils (they remain workable on the palette for 4-8 hours) and much slower than acrylics. Griffin Alkyds can be used on canvas, paper, wood, metal, ceramics and glass, and have a good resistance to physical wear and weathering.
See below for examples of Griffin Alkyd on a metal garden table and on canvas board.
Painting a Metal Table with Griffin Alkyd Fast Drying Oil Colours
I had this tatty old table knocking about in the shed. The white paint was chipped and rust was beginning to show through; I gave it a thorough clean and sketched out a simple design on the table top.
Painting on Canvas with Griffin Alkyd Fast Drying Oil Colours
I am currently working on a painting of boats on a bank above mud flats at a quay in West Sussex. Having only ever previously used acrylics, this is my first attempt at painting in oils on canvas.
I had no problem mixing the available colours to a near black for the hulls of the boats and the rotting wood sticking up out of the mud.
The colours blended easily for the slightly overcast sky and mixing with a little White Spirit helped with the transparency. Oil paints and solvents (such as White Spirit and Turpentine) give off fumes. Always use in a well ventilated room and take regular breaks.
The tree, to the left of the boats (below), was achieved by stippling and needs a bit more depth to it by adding some darker tones to create shape.
It is only a 5 x 7″ on canvas board so I should crack on and complete it. The cabins, masts and sails are still to do…
Griffin Alkyd Fast Drying Oils are available in a large choice of colours in 37ml tubes.
Please be aware that these paints require solvents to thin the colours and to clean brushes. We recommend the low odour Winsor & Newton Sansodor for this purpose.