The VAN EYCK SECRET, REMBRANDT'S MEDIUM, RUBENS PINE TAR RESIN

GIORGIO VASARI and the VAN EYCK SECRET
In the year 1550, Giorgio Vasari ( 1511-1574) first published his multi-volume book,” Lives of the Most
Eminent Italian Architects, Painters and Sculptors”. In book Eight, titled, “ Antonello Da Messina ...“,
Vasari wrote that John of Bruges ( Jan Van Eyck) had invented painting with oils. Modern scholarship
shows oil painting is an ancient art, existing centuries before the Van Eycks. It is clear Vasari meant to
say, Jan Van Eyck ‘perfected’ oil painting. 100 years after the death of Van Eyck, Vasari accurately
wrote that Van Eyck’s oil paintings far exceeded the quality of the paintings of his (Vasari’s)day.

In book eight, Vasari says the following , (paraphrased in brief):
Before Van Eyck, artists used ’distemper’ [ a glue or egg medium]. Many artists all over Europe tried to
find a way to paint more realistically. They tried different liquid varnishes and colors but did not
succeed. Jan Van Eyck made a secret varnish that he would not share.
The full story from the actual text is available at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook, www.fordham.edu

Not only does the quality of the Van Eyck’s paintings stand out amongst those of their era ( 1385-1441)
(there were two brothers) but when compared to paintings of recent centuries and of today, the Van
Eyck paintings are held by conservators as being in the most remarkable condition. Frequently they are
referred to as being “jewel-like”. The radiant colors and the micro-fine details causes one to ask,
“What medium did the Van Eycks use to do this“?

That is the subject of this essay: The “secret” medium the Van Eycks used that allows full control of
the paint, allowing the painting of sharply defined micro-fine details and lines, with hard lustrous paint
and great depth of brilliant color. I believe the methods and materials described in my book will shed
light on the issue.
__________________________________________________________________________________

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

Since Vasari did not know the ‘secret medium”, what oil painting method did Vasari and his
peers use?
Vasari and his colleagues used a method of oil painting still in use today and taught at the highest and
lowest academic levels around the world. This method needs several ingredients, each serves a specific
purpose, and it can be called the “solvent-resin-varnish-drier method" ( made more difficult by modern
alkali refined linseed oil).
1. SOLVENTS: Different types of solvents such as Turpentine, were used. The main purpose was to thin
the paint. It also helped the paint to dry faster. Solvents evaporate completely except old turpentine
leaves a sticky residue that does not dry well. Solvents have another purpose, which is to liquefy resins.
The defect of solvents is that they break the bond between the pigment powder and the oil.
2. RESINS: Resins are hard or thick gummy substances. This stickiness helps oil paint stick where it is
placed, and prevents the oil paint from dripping down. When a resin is mixed with a solvent, it becomes
thinned enough to be easily mixed with oil. Painters using these solvent-resin mixtures frequently have
to add more solvent to the oil paint, because as the solvent evaporates, the paint becomes stickier.
The defect of resins is that they become yellow and brittle with the passage of many years.
3. DRIERS: Unpolymerized oil ( i.e. oil that is not thickened) when used to make paint, dries very slowly,
taking 6 to 12 days. Driers are powders or liquids that accelerate the drying to within hours. The defect
of driers is that they cause colors to become dark and cause paint to become brittle over many years.

Was the Linseed oil the Van Eycks different from the linseed oil of today?
Yes, The Van Eyck’s oil was different from today‘s oil in that they had cold pressed, completely natural
and UNREFINED linseed oil. Today‘s oil is heat extracted, chemically cleansed, Alkali REFINED linseed
oil.
First, all linseed oils are not the same, even today. Linseed oil is pressed from the seeds of the flax
plant and the quality of the plants and their seeds vary according to different geographical regions.
Much like grapes that are used to make wine, the unique environmental conditions impact the quality of
the flax seeds.

Second, the Van Eyck’s used ancient press equipment that extracted the oil by pure pressure and
without any heat. It is called Cold Pressed oil, and it was pure, natural and UNREFINED. It was not
refined by chemicals as is done today. Today’s chemical treatment of linseed oil has produced a linseed
oil that is slow drying. This slow drying property requires artists to use of driers and other additives.

Did Vasari have access to the same linseed oil used by Van Eyck?
Yes, Vasari and his colleagues did have the same SUPERIOR oil that was common to artists of his and
Van Eyck’s day. They never wrote about it because it was not an issue. It was the only Linseed oil they
had.
It is: UNREFINED, Cold Pressed Linseed oil that was slowly thickened in the sun. It was Vasari’s use of
this SUPERIOR oil that allowed him to minimize use of the additive ingredients. Yet, even he knew his
solvent based method did not give him the full control of the paint as the Van Eyck’s method. Vasari did
not know that the Van Eyck ‘secret’ medium required an important ingredient to maximize the properties
of the superior oil.

Do today‘s artists have access to Van Eyck‘s superior linseed oil?
Yes, it is abundantly available, and it is LESS expensive than the linseed oil sold in the art stores, but it
has to be processed. It is not for sale in art stores. My book gives information on this oil, and its
preparation.

Today, Art stores sell Alkali REFINED linseed oil in one of two conditions of viscosity.
(1) Stand linseed oil, which is thickened ( polymerized) through high heat.
(2) Linseed oil, (not polymerized), meaning it is thin and not thickened.

Alkali Refined oil, with its drying defect, requires the “solvent-resin-varnish-drier based method” to make
it effectively usable. As a youth, I learned to oil paint with this solvent based method and alkali refined
linseed oil, and it does not allow me to have full control of the paint. Although Van Eyck’s SUPERIOR oil
is available today, few artists are aware of its important properties or of how to obtain it or of how to
process it. This lack of information, causes them to settle for the slow drying chemically refined linseed
oil sold in the art stores.

Do you think Alkali Refined Linseed oil and the tube oil paints made with it should be
discarded?
No. Alkali Refined linseed oil and modern tube paints are here to stay…forever. In fact, the modern tube
oil paints, regardless of their deficiencies, are very usable if they are conditioned properly. My book
goes into detail on that point. Modern tube oil paints are convenient, relatively inexpensive, and
available everywhere. Of course they vary in quality from one manufacturer to another. Informed artists
can make wise choices, and once they read my book, many of them will.

Do some art stores sell Unrefined, Cold Pressed linseed oil?
Yes, some art stores do sell Unrefined Cold Pressed linseed oil, but some of the labels of American
produced oil, downplay its importance, and even denigrates it as an ‘inferior’ oil. This misleading
‘advertising’ is designed to promote the sale of the inexpensively mass produced Alkali REFINED oil.
Alkali refined linseed oil offers the artist of today two things: convenience and low price, and it provides
the manufacturers with two things: convenience and profits. Generally speaking, European produced
cold pressed linseed oil is much more expensive than the American brands.

How is the Van Eyck ‘Secret” medium made?
We will ever know EXACTLY. They did not leave a document with their formula, however, logic and
experimentation allows me to say the following:

The Van Eycks were trained as EGG-TEMPERA painters. The Egg-Tempera method ( NOT the oil
method) uses a mixture of egg and water with the dry pigment. Egg-Tempera is an ancient method still
in use today. Artists have always experimented with their materials, and at some point, Van Eyck, or
someone before his time, mixed egg and oil and found out the unique properties of this mixture which
we call an egg-oil Emulsion. Like anything else, RATIO of materials creates the result, making it useful
or not. In ancient times, lacking science and mass media, results of experiments were known and kept
by a few. My book shows how to make two important Emulsions.
With 19th century Industrialization, the ancient art studios disappeared and art students were trained in
colleges. The mass production of artist’s materials produced materials of varying quality and much
studio knowledge was lost. Linseed oil was mass produced, expressed with heat and cleansed with
chemicals, to the detriment of the oil and the artist.

What is an Emulsion and how is it made?
An Emulsion is the mixing of two unmixable liquids, one being water-based and the other oil-based.
Vigorous shaking and certain components of the liquids allow the two to mix. An Emulsion can be made
with a variety of natural substances that contain natural water in their make-up, but not all are
successful. For example, mixing casein and oil creates an emulsion that is extremely slow drying which is
a hindrance. The more common substances for mixing with oil are these:
1. The whole egg
2. The Egg Yolk only
3. The Egg clear only ( when beaten to a froth and allowed to settle, it is called glair)
4. Casein ( non-fat milk)
5. Glue
6. Others

There are many recipes for making Emulsions. Some are complex requiring the addition of more water,
different oils, resins, and or solvents. I believe none of those recipes are necessary, some are
hazardous, and some create issues of poor permanence.

My experiments support my belief that two different Emulsions having extraordinary properties are made
of TWO very special ingredients, but when mixed in certain ratios.

Is the Van Eyck method of oil painting of value to modern artists of today?
Yes it is, for these reasons. Our world is very different from the world of the Van Eycks. We live in a fast
paced, scientific, technological age. Our age is characterized by a demand for instant gratification ,
intolerance of anything that ‘wastes’ (requires) our time, and accustomed to using disposable items.
Modern styles of painting reflect this energized anxiety, with splashes, drips, and broad wet-in-wet
painting methods that are ‘best’ done within a few hours. Many painters have discarded ‘troublesome’
slow-drying traditional oil paints and use only fast drying acrylic paints that allow faster and greater
freedom, and the creation of multi-media works. Acrylic paints and their clear synthetic emulsion
adhesive, allows use of collage, with additions of paper, wood, crayola, ink, and other substances.
Even now, in the 21st century, artists have discarded the 20th century acrylic paints in favor of faster
computer graphics, which when combined with high resolution printing presses, can create exciting
visual art of huge proportions within minutes or hours.

The oil paintings of the 14th century Van Eycks and of other Masters of the era, were made slowly by
hand, with natural materials, and with methods guided by experience and understanding. Almost 600
years later, they are still here in an extraordinary condition of preservation. Their paintings took weeks,
or months, to complete with a layering process. The artists had understanding of thixotropic properties
of unrefined oil and the properties of natural emulsions. These paintings have brilliant color depth, hard
lustrous surfaces, extremely fine minute micro-fine details, sensuous textural applications and have
been called “jewels” by experts throughout history.

In our fast paced world, there are still many artists who wish to use the methods and materials of
the Van Eycks, Bellini, Rembrandt, Velazquez, and other Old Masters. I firmly believe the information
in my book, “ Oil Painting with ‘Calcite Sun Oil: Safety and Permanence without Hazardous Solvents,
Resins, Varnishes and Driers”, will allow them to accomplish this.

What are you offering today’s oil painters?
In two words: SAFETY and PERMANENCE. Sharing knowledge, facts and accurate information with
artists is important so they can make wise choices. I also offer my invention, ‘Calcite Sun Oil”, which
changes and improves modern tube oil paint giving it the properties and control, like that of the Old
Masters‘ paint. My “Calcite Sun Oil formula was patented by the US Patent and Trademark Office in
November 2006. It is patent # 7141109. My book also discuss the important uses of the “wonder
medium” of Emulsions in oil painting which allows us to eliminate ALL hazardous Solvents, Resins,
Varnishes and Driers, and gives us full control of the oil paint.

What is ‘Calcite Sun Oil”?
I call it ‘CSO’ for short. It is a carefully measured mixture of two ancient, time tested artist‘s materials that
are both completely non-hazardous and completely permanent. When made correctly, it is a viscous,
gel-like substance. It is not yet on the market and has to be made in the studio. I believe it will someday
be a standard part of the artist’s materials.

INGREDIENT #1: The SUPERIOR oil mentioned above: UNREFINED, Cold Pressed Linseed oil…THAT
WAS.. Sun Thickened in the sun SLOWLY. [ more on this sun thickening process shortly].
INGREDIENT # 2: Calcium Carbonate powder. There are several different Calcium Carbonate powders,
and having experimented with them, I find the best results are from Chalk of Champagne, France.

You mentioned SLOWLY sun thickening the oil. Why is it important to do it slowly?
Linseed oil can be thickened indoors or outdoors. It must be stirred and have moving air to thicken
evenly throughout. Linseed oil contains natural moisture and if thickened indoors, it remains a slow ( 7
days time) drying paint medium. If thickened outdoors, the sun’s heat evaporates the moisture, causing
it to become a fast ( 30 hours time) drying oil. If the oil’s thickening is ACCELERATED by placing it only
1/8 inch thick or less on a flat tray, out in the sun, it will QUICKLY thicken within 3 to 5 days. My tests
show that paint made with this accelerated thickened oil creates paint that wrinkles greatly. SLOWLY
thickening the oil by placing it at least 1 inch thick, will take 30 days to thicken, and if used CORRECTLY
it will not wrinkle.

Did the Van Eycks use mixtures of Calcium Carbonate with their oil paint?
I have read that some Aragonite, which is a calcium carbonate powder, was found in some parts of the
Van Eycks' paintings. The source was on the internet. How accurate or complete this is I cannot say.
But, there is much scientific evidence from several highly qualified sources ( included in my
bibliography) that Rembrandt and Velazquez added calcium carbonate powder to their oil paint. Of the
two, Velazquez used it the most, adding it to all his colors. Velazquez’ paintings are in remarkable
condition, with translucence and brilliance of his colors, in addition to sumptuous textures of paint-. End
of Essay copyright 2007

THE VAN EYCK SECRET MEDIUM FOR OIL PAINTING

REMBRANDT DID NOT add BURNT PLATE OIL
TO HIS OIL PAINTING MEDIUM

RUBENS THIXOTROPIC OIL PAINTING MEDIUM REVEALED

TESTING BURNT PLATE OIL
The bottom photo shows some interesting test results of Burnt Plate Oil. The two jars show two viscosities of BPO, #3 and # 8. They were in the hot southern California sun for 40 days, and they both remained
BROWN AMBER color. Given the increasing translucency of oil paint over much time, this dark amber brown color will cause lowering of tone and darkening of light toned oil paint color. This is ONE reason not to
use BPO. In my tests I can put Unrefined linseed oil in the sun , thinly on a tray and within 5 days, the very thin layer of oil will bleach to a water white clear transparency
( note: this accelerated sun thickening method is not recommended because paint made with it will wrinkle badly).. When the unrefined linseed oil is in a container, about 3/4 inches thick, it takes about 3 weeks to
become bleached. THE FACT is that the oil WILL BE BLEACHED to water white clarity, but the BURNT PLATE OIL WOULD NOT BLEACH OUT
Besides being an extremely SLOW DRYING oil ( a SECOND reason for not using BPO in oil painting ), the two grades of BPO I experimented with has this disadvantage of being permanently brown amber in color.

THE VAN EYCK SECRET : TWO CONSIDERATIONS
I am convinced the Van Eyck secret medium was in fact TWO separate
considerations.
1. A very simple Emulsion . 2. A crucial application method.
My experience with formulating emulsions, and formulating the ' calcite sun oil'
grinding oil,
has given me intimate insight into how Emulsions work .
I believe the secret medium of the Van Eycks did not include use of solvents, resins,
varnishes or driers.
Since my book goes into this in great detail, I will skip explaining myself on why I
believe this.
The two extraordinary Emulsions I formulated are extraordinarily simple,
but very profound in their foundation. This also is explained clearly in my book.
If one does not know the crucial method of application, the medium itself FAILS.
If one uses the unique method of application I developed, the result is
ASTONISHING.
My book clearly describes that application method and explains why it is important
for it to be applied correctly.
I believe I am the first to make this claim. Of course we will never know what the
' secret medium' of the Van Eycks was, unless one day a document from them or
their students is discovered.

REMBRANDT DID NOT ADD BURNT PLATE OIL TO HIS
PAINTING MEDIUM :BURNT PLATE OIL and BLACK OIL are both degraded, carbonized,
prematurely aged oils with a shortened lifespan.

The FALSE theory that Rembrandt added Burnt Plate oil to his paint is proposed in the
website
http://www.northernlightstudio.com/burnoil.php,
which is authored by Sarah Belchetz-Swenson a painter and printmaker in Williamsburg,
Massachusetts., and
Phoebe Dent Weil, an art conservator.
Part ONE of this essay gives an overview of their theory.
Part TWO gives my rebuttal showing why the theory is erroneous.
__________________________________________________

PART ONE: From their website:
Abstract ( in part)
Recent scientific investigations of Rembrandt’s pastose paint have resulted in differing
conclusions. We propose that Rembrandt used burnt plate oil, a basic ingredient of
printing ink, to produce his unique range of impasto effects in painting.

Introduction ( in part)
… sources agree generally on Rembrandt’s pigments, including his use of chalk to add
body and translucency to the paint, but they disagree on the composition and manipulation
of his medium for impasto effects.

Rembrandt’s studio: painting and printmaking ( in part)
Burnt plate oil is raw linseed (or walnut) oil that has been heated until it ignites
spontaneously (approximately 400oC), is reduced to one-half or more of its original
volume, becomes very thick and viscous, and can be pulled out in strings of twelve inches
or more.

Experimental tests and reconstructions ( in part)
To test our hypothesis we made three batches of burnt plate oil …. In each case we started
with one liter of Swedish raw linseed oil…. [the first batch was not measured as to
temperature] In our second batch we reached a maximum temperature of 388oC at
combustion. In our third batch we reached a maximum temperature of 425o C.
__________________________________________________

PART TWO : MY REBUTTAL

IT IS AN ERRONEOUS THEORY THAT REMBRANDT ADDED BURNT PLATE OIL TO HIS
PAINTING MEDIUM
I offer two rebuttals to the erroneous theory of Rembrandt using Burnt Plate oil as an
additive to his painting medium.

The first rebuttal is the scientific paper named below citing the decomposition of linseed oil
when heated above 236 degrees centigrade. The two ladies boiled their oil at a
temperature far above the safety level … 388 and 425 degrees centigrade.

The second rebuttal is based is my own testing of Burnt Plate Oil. Its extremely slow drying
is an unnecessary hindrance to painting, and there are better options in choices of oil.
Unrefined, organically cleansed, flax oil that has been sun thickened, will dry naturally
within 30 hours, compared to 5 days drying needed for Burnt Plate Oil. My tests also show
the films of Burnt Plate Oil become brittle over time, as the high heat has caused loss of
the natural pliability of the oil.

Scientific Document as rebuttal:
http://www.si.edu/MCI/downloads/articles/Tusoma_paper.pdf
Title: “The Influence of Lead ions on the drying of oils”
Authors: This academically peer reviewed and published paper is by Charles S. Tumosa;
PhD, and Marion F. Mecklenburg; PhD, and warns of OVERHEATING the oil.
[See page 41, 3rd paragraph, left side for their Quote]:
"Care must be taken since Linseed Oil starts to decompose
in the 230-236 degrees Centigrade."

Questions about oil:
What is Burnt Plate OIl? ..What is BLACK OIL?
BURNT PLATE OIL and BLACK OIL are both degraded, prematurely aged oils with a
shortened lifespan.

These oils are NOT archival permanent.
Both oils have been PREMATURELY AGED (DECOMPOSED)
by the carbonization caused by the HIGH BOILING HEAT
far beyond the safe temperature for linseed oil.

REMEMBER the disaster of MEGUILP?.
Meguilp is linseed oil BOILED with lead, then mixed with a soft resin solvent varnish. Artists
believed it was " THe secret medium of the Old Masters". The artists that used MEGUILP
argued that their paintings "looked just fine, 20 years after being finished". BUT we know
that 40 years later the paintings cracked and became dark.

My Practical Testing in the studio as rebuttal:
Unrefined, organically cleansed, flax oil that has been sun thickened, will dry naturally
within 30 hours… compared to 5 days drying needed for Burnt Plate Oil.

My Additional testing in the studio as rebuttal:
The two ladies completely ignored the most important treatment of
natural cold pressed unrefined flax oil:
That of removing the mucilage from the oil.
My website shows photos proving how mucilage
becomes brown over time.

THE OLD MASTERS' THERMOMETER
Even the Old Masters knew NOT TO OVER HEAT their oil, and lacking modern
thermometers....they used a feather, which they inserted into the oil as it was being heated,
once the correct SAFE temperature was reached, the quill would burn black, and the heat
removed.
Professor Ernst Van De Wetering's recent DVD on Rembrandt has a Demonstration of this
ancient procedure, and shows the quill becomes black at a SAFE temperature of 200
degrees Centigrade.

ALL THE IMPASTO EFFECTS ACHIEVED BY REMBRANDT
can be achieved EASILY, by using the SUPERIOR UNREFINED FLAX OIL DESCRIBED IN
THIS WEBSITE . IF and WHEN USED WITH TWO SIMPLE INGREDIENTS :
CALCIUM CARBONATE POWDER and EGG GLAIR

THESE THREE ARCHIVAL, SAFE, PERMANENT and SIMPLE INGREDIENTS ALLOW US TO
DUPLICATE REMBRANDT'S TECHNIQUE , IMPASTO, GLAZES and SCUMBLES WITH
COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE OIL PAINT MEDIUM

CONTINUE TO READ THE ESSAY BELOW,
GIVING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REBUTTING
THE ERRONEOUS THEORY.

In modern times, Rembrandt’s methods and materials have received much
attention by world renowned and lesser recognized scientists using the most advanced
equipment available. Scientists using these debatable. Scientists are human and make
errors, bad guesses, perform incomplete or defective experiments, just like persons in any
profession.

Anthony Bailey’s book on the Rembrandt Research Project discloses the effect, that ego and
the position of the scientist on the ‘pecking order’, had on settling the disagreements as the
seven members determined which Rembrandt paintings were authentic and which were not.
Later RRP groups made of different members, have reversed de-attributions made by an
earlier RRP group.

Recently, I was given a website in which two contemporary scientists THEORIZE that since
Rembrandt was an etcher, that it was POSSIBLE that he used the extremely thick linseed oil
used in etching, and mixed it with his oil painting medium. The two scientists used old
recipes and by boiling linseed oil at high temperatures they attempted to recreate what they
believe was the thick oil used by Rembrandt for his etchings. Their report calls this oil,
“BURNT PLATE OIL”. I have sent them copies of this essay, and they have not acknowledged
receipt of it.

I will be the first to say that Rembrandt’s inventive, creative approach to his use of materials in
oil painting makes the possibility of Rembrandt having made a ONE TIME ‘experiment “ a
possibility. Rembrandt was the first of the Old Masters to apply his paint in thick, high impasto
by using a palette knife. My tests of BPO, convinced me Rembrandt WOULD NOT have used
his etching oil as his grinding oil for oil painting. This essay will explain.

TESTING THE THEORY AND CONCLUSION
A friend asked me to try out the theory. I painted a painting using BPO and simultaneously
painted a painting using the ‘Calcite Sun Oil‘ (the CSO method described in my book). After
testing BPO as a painting medium, I concluded that Rembrandt would NOT have used this
medium in his oil paintings ...except for a one time experiment. A one time experiment would
have demonstrated to Rembrandt the important reasons why he would not have continued its
use. Rembrandt followed established methods of mixing smalt ( ground glass) with his paint
to accelerate the drying and Rembrandt added dry Calcium Carbonate powder to create high
thick bodied impasto textures. At the conclusion of this essay I show photos and will expand
on additional reasons supporting why Rembrandt would NOT have used BPO as his
standard oil painting medium. I begin with a review and research of BPO.

RESEARCH ON BURNT PLATE OIL
I offer the following research on the Burnt Plate Oil I purchased from a local Art store. For
privacy, I must leave out the names of the company representatives I spoke with. In fact, I was
told by one contact person , that they were not allowed to give out information on their
suppliers. It was only through perseverance and reaching a person in a higher position and
after explaining the purpose of my inquiry, I was able to get the leads I needed. I was asked
not to divulge the information.

BPO is designed for the industrial commercial Printing industry, and is used in the fine arts of
Etching, and Lithography. BPO can be bought in various degrees of viscosity from thin to
thick. Various blacks and colors can be mixed with these BPO varieties for desired colorist
effects. The Art store I purchased the BPO from informed me that they do not MANUFACTURE
the BPO but buy it from a SUPPLIER, and only resell it. I was given the names of two
Suppliers, from which they purchase the BPO. Price considerations cause this art store to buy
the #00 (very low viscosity) and the #3 ( medium viscosity) from one supplier, and the #8 ( very
viscous) from another.

I had a lengthy conversation with the representative of the supplier of the #00 and the #3 BPO.
In brief he stated (paraphrased): We do not manufacture this product. We buy it from the
manufacturer and re-sell it, but I do not have their name. We don’t call it Burnt Plate Oil, we
call it dark bodied Litho oil. Though we do not make it, I can answer some of your questions.
The oil used is linseed oil. I do not know if it is refined oil or not. Alkali refinement removes all
the fatty acids by treating the oil with a caustic chemical called Sodium Hydroxide. After it
removes the fatty acids, the chemical is washed out. This lightens the color and removes the
impurities from the oil. The oil is boiled under a nitrogen blanket to keep oxygen out. The
longer it boils, the darker and thicker it gets.

Another representative informed me of the following (paraphrased) : Burnt Plate Oil and Litho
Varnish are actually exactly the same product. We do not manufacture the BPO. We buy it from
a supplier and re-sell it. They do not have solvents or driers mixed into them. I do not know
what method of refining of the linseed oil is involved. Linseed oil is boiled and then at the end
of the process an ignition source is added to the varnish kettle to flash off (or burn) the light
ends. The light ends are the naturally occurring solvents in the linseed oil. The difference
between raw linseed and bodied linseed (which is what burnt plate oil and litho varnish are)
is the removal of the solvents – and the fact that by cooking the material for longer periods of
time, the resulting oil gains body ( viscosity). As the body of an oil increases the oil tends to
darken. Varnish kettles accommodate approximately 20-30 drums of 55 gallons each

TEST PAINTINGS COMPARING BPO and CSO
The two paintings were painted on the same date, 8/11/07 beginning at about 8AM. Each took
about 45 minutes to complete. The BPO painting was painted first. These are not works of art,
they are only demonstrations of using the materials.

Five DAYS after completion, the BPO painting was still wet in the thin blue paint area, and also
in the thicker paint, impasto areas ( on 8/16/07 at 8PM ). On 8/17/07, some areas of the paint
surface were still able to be smeared by gentle rubbing. The dry time was 5-6 days.

Thirty HOURS after completion, the CSO painting was solidified to the touch in all areas.
The drying was sufficient that gentle rubbing in all areas did not cause any smearing. The dry
time was 30 hours.

CONCLUSION:
REMBRANDT WOULD NOT HAVE USED
BURNT PLATE OIL AS AN ADDITIVE TO HIS
OIL PAINTING MEDIUM
1. Rembrandt would not have used the BPO for the following reasons:
* BPO has an extremely slow drying quality, even with thinly applied paint. Rembrandt knew
that Sun Thickened, UNREFINED cold pressed linseed oil was a sufficiently fast drying oil. It
dries within 8 to 30 hours or less, depending on the pigment choice, thickness of film, and
environmental factors.
* Rembrandt knew that the addition of driers - to unnaturally accelerate the drying of oil paint
made with linseed oil - was a dangerous practice that resulted in darkening and cracking of
the paint film over time.
* Rembrandt’s knowledge of paint application methods ( thin paint dries faster) and use of
naturally fast drying pigments ( umber dries fastest ), and his use of inert natural ingredients
that can impact drying by natural means ( smalt and Calcium Carbonate) would eliminate
Rembrandt’s use of extremely slow drying BPO as a standard oil painting medium.
* Recent scientific studies have found a protein additive to Rembrandt's paint. This could be
considered a 'secret' of Rembrandt's paint medium, as the protein additive gives the artist full
control of viscous paint.

2. The #8 dark thick BPO has a strong odor. Though I painted in a well ventilated open
garage, the fumes of BPO gave me a headache.

3. The fine art craft of oil painting as practiced by the Old Masters required much time for
preparation of their materials. Today, we have industrialized production and readily available
oil painting materials in great quantity and variety of quality and price. One can still prepare
the very IMPORTANT Unrefined linseed oil easily and efficiently, as explained in my book.

4. Some artists want convenience. I do not fault artists for seeking easier ways to obtain their
materials or for settling for inferior products because of their personal circumstances and
needs. I support the experimentation of all art materials, as Rembrandt himself paved the way
for us to follow.

5. Some artists have found the use of BPO to be an effective and fun way to oil paint. Artists
that want an inexpensive, readily available, extremely viscous linseed oil , much thicker than
standard ‘STAND LINSEED OIL” might want to experiment with all the various viscosity
grades of BPO and with a variety of inert additives such as calcium carbonate, ground glass,
marble dust and others.
-End of essay
copyright, 2007, Louis R. Velasquez, all rights reserved, not to be used without written
permission .

REMBRANDT DID NOT USE BURNT PLATE OIL
IN HIS OIL PAINTING MEDIUM because LINSEED OIL
heated above 230-236 Degrees Centigrade becomes decomposed,
carbonized with a reduced lifespan
BURNT PLATE OIL is heated to 380 - 425 Degrees Centigrade . It is
DECOMPOSED OIL and Rembrandt knew this as did the other Old Masters

PETER PAUL RUBENS
1577 - 1640
"RUBENS' THIXOTROPIC OIL PAINTING METHOD REVEALED"

I PROPOSE
RUBENS USED PINE TREE TAR TO GET HIS
GOLDEN GLOWING BROWN UNDER PAINT
= NOT to be confused with petroleum based ASPHALTUM =
PINE TREE TAR IS A PINE RESIN
.

RUBENS’ ‘LOST’ THIXOTROPIC OIL MEDIUM REVEALED
by Louis R. Velasquez
September 25th, 2010
Copyright,2010, Louis R. Velasquez, all rights reserved

PART ONE
RUBENS’ THIXOTROPIC OIL PAINTING METHOD

INTRODUCTION
Peter Paul Rubens is Europe’s most famous painter of the 17th century. He was born in 1577 and died in 1640 in Northern Europe in the tradition of the FLEMISH painters. Many artists and researchers have
given their opinions on Rubens’ so called ‘lost’ oil painting medium. This essay offers an explanation though I know ONLY Rubens knew WHAT his materials were, HOW he mixed them, and HOW he used
them.

RUBENS’ EXTRAORDINARY OIL PAINTINGS
Rubens was able to completely finish a complex oil painting with at least three separate LAYERS OF OIL PAINT within a matter of hours. The question of how he was able to do this has excited and confounded
artists for centuries. Since the disappearance of the Old Master studios in the late 18th century, artists have sought Rubens’ ’ lost oil painting medium‘. Famous artists such as Joshua Reynolds [1723-1792]
and Eugene Delacroix [1798-1863] tried and failed as they experimented with Asphaltum-Bitumen, Wax, and mixtures of various other ingredients. Famous researchers and teachers such as Charles Eastlake
[1793-1865] and Max Doerner [1870-1939] also unsuccessfully tried to solve the question with experiments using resins in various mixtures. In the 20th century, Jacques Maroger [1884-1962] created the
infamous Marogers Medium [ which is a Meguilp medium] a mixture of leaded linseed oil with a spirit varnish made of mastic resin with turpentine,. It failed miserably as paintings made with it decomposed.
Maroger’s experiments inadvertently but concretely proved that Rubens did not use a soft resin MEGUILP medium.

PETER PAUL RUBENS’ THIXOTROPIC METHOD OF OIL PAINTING
This essay will explain how Rubens was able to use a THIXOTROPIC PAINTING METHOD to finish a complex multi-layered oil painting in a matter of hours. I remind the reader that different Masters used the
same materials in uniquely personal ways. I also remind the reader that ALL masters made changes to their personal methods as they aged. This is easily seen in the works of Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian,
Velazquez and others. It is a fact that creative artists are constantly making changes that might be so subtle as to be un-detectible. Sometimes the changes are due to declining eyesight or poor health as seen
in the work of Hals. Creative artists are investigators and experimentalists and Rembrandt is the best example of this fact. I state the above because the analysis results of one painting by Rubens cannot be
used as proof that all his paintings must be the same in choices of materials and procedure. When working with painting materials such as the oil, the solvents, or other additives, one must accept that the
nuances of various ratio mixtures are numerous.

LIMITATIONS OF MODERN SCIENCE
Modern Conservators with the finest scientific technology warn us frequently to be cautious in making concrete determinations from scientific examinations of tiny paint samples from centuries old paintings.
Many times, scientists disagree with each other and many times, scientists reverse their previous opinions.
The scientists are also limited in their research as Museums do not allow paint samples to be removed from many masterpieces. In addition, the inability or vagueness of scientific analysis is in part due to the
evolutionary changes of organic and non organic natural materials used by Rubens .Results are also impacted by the contamination of the cleansing solvents used by latter day conservationists. These
limitations and other conditions cause scientific studies to be a continual project in progress.

RUBENS’ PAINTING INGREDIENTS
Ted De Mayerne quoted Rubens as saying he used a Balsam and Turpentine. Tests show both were necessary for Rubens' Thixotropic METHOD. However, the De Mayerne MS is an inaccurate jumbled
collection of notes, and SADLY, Ted did not record that Rubens mixed Calcium Carbonate chalk with his paint. See COMMENT #13. Later, I enclose Scientific proof that Rubens, like Velazquez and Rembrandt,
added Calcium Carbonate Chalk to his oil paint for the benefits it gives. Modern Science has filled in the facts that are missing from De Mayerne's MS and other historical records.

It was not until 1988 that science published that Rembrandt ( Rubens’ contemporary ) mixed calcium carbonate chalk with his paint. Also, science published in 1992 that Velazquez ( whom Rubens met in
Madrid in 1628 and spent 6 months with him ) also added large quantities of calcium carbonate to all the colors of his paint. In addition, recent scientific statements by Ernst Van De Wetering state that
Rembrandt also added a protein substance to his paint, and called this recent scientific discovery a true 17th century studio secret as it has not been found recorded in any documents of the period.

Velazquez’ teacher, Francisco Pacheco’s 700 page extensive book on painting methods and materials makes no mention of adding calcium carbonate to the oil paint, nor the admixture of a protein. Yet, both
were found by modern science in Velazquez’ paint. SEE COMMENT #13, For the scientific study showing Rubens added Calcium Carbonate Chalk to his paint. The Same study also shows Rubens, like
Velazquez and Rembrandt, sometimes but not always, added a PROTEIN to his paint.

I PROPOSE RUBENS USED PINE TREE TAR FOR HIS GLOWING BROWN UNDERPAINTING
Some artists and writers have ‘assumed‘ Rubens added MASTIC RESIN mixtures to his paint. Some researchers created the impermanent Mastic mixture known as MEGUILP. Since Mastic is a soft resin that
causes weak paint films and Rubens’ paint films are exceedingly tough this eliminates Mastic Resin as one of Rubens’ materials. However, it is interesting that in ancient Northern European languages, Pine
Tree Tar was also referred to as Mastic. This may explain the erroneous assumption that Rubens added a soft mastic resin to his paint. This also indicates Rubens DID USE Pine Tree Tar as the glowing
brown colored pigment we see in his under painting. This essay will provide supporting evidence of my claim in greater detail.

RUBENS’ ‘LOST’ THIXOTROPIC MEDIUM DOES NOT EXIST
There is no such thing as a lost secret Rubens painting MEDIUM.
Rubens’ was able to accomplish his quickly completed oil paintings by use of an intelligent use of a THREE PART THIXOTROPIC METHOD of painting. The Three separate parts of Rubens’ METHOD require
three separate and simple mixtures that are used together, each one on top of the former. This Thixotropic method allowed Rubens to complete a multi layered oil painting in a matter of hours.

RECREATION OF RUBENS’ THIXOTROPIC METHOD
In my studio experiments I used three materials known to have been used by Rubens as recorded by DeMayerne: (1) Pine Tree Turpentine (2) Pine Tree Balsam [ venice turpentine] (3) Sun thickened Flax-
Linseed oil. I also used two ingredients that WERE LEFT OUT by DeMayerne, left out because he really did not know EXACTLY how Rubens made his mixtures. Science has since, informed us Rubens used :
(1) Calcium Carbonate Chalk. (2) a Protein Emulsion. I ADDITIONALLY PROPOSE RUBENS USED ( 1) Pine Tree Tar Resin (2) a metallic drier.
This essay clarifies why these ingredients were indispensable to Rubens Thixotropic Method of oil painting and to be able to achieve his characteristic paint with its glowing brown monotone in the under paint
stage. The important effect Chalk has on oil painting will be explained in the COMMENTS section.

HOW RUBENS MADE HIS OIL PAINT   --- PLEASE SEE THE DVD FOR A DEMONSTRATION
Rubens made his oil paint by first grinding his dry pigments - as is recorded in the De Mayerne MS -- in turpentine to pre-wet them into a stiff paste.
This method allowed for easier and more effective grinding of the pigments with oil as well as an ingenious way to add turpentine to the mixture in a controlled fashion. The
turpentine was included as an accelerant dryer of the oil paint. [ NOTE: Rubens knew he could choose whether to pre-wet the dry pigments with either Turpentine alone, or, a spirit
varnish made of Turpentine and the Balsam.

Rubens learned the method of pre-wetting of dry pigments from the FLEMISH EGG TEMPERA METHOD that led to the development of the FLEMISH OIL PAINTING METHOD. In the
egg tempera method, the dry powders are ALWAYS pre moistened in water into a stiff paste. Then this firm wet paste is mixed with egg. Rubens knew of this method and applied it
to his OIL PAINTING METHOD. Rubens pre-moistened his dry pigments with EITHER- turpentine into a stiff paste ...or he used a SPIRIT VARNISH of Turpentine and Balsam to wet
the dry pigments. EACH gives a DIFFERENT result.

Rubens then made a SEPARATE very viscous mixture of two ingredients: (1) calcium carbonate chalk, and (2) a viscous polymerized Flax-Linseed oil. The Formula is ONE part of
the Sun Oil and THREE parts of the Chalk. Rubens then mixed this viscous mixture together with the turpentine moistened pigments. [ NOTE: Using the CSO method, today we can
closely duplicate Rubens’ paint by mixing sun thickened Flax Linseed oil and chalk into a viscous mixture --- then mixing that mixture with modern tube oil paints. The CSO method
eliminates use of solvents ].

Rubens’ oil paint was viscous because of the oil = and fast setting because of the turpentine = and full bodied because of the chalk.
Rubens’ oil paint can be applied thinly or thickly and can be easily blended. It can be applied on top of the damp OIL OUT with forceful brush strokes and unbridled energy, allowing
great control of the fluid manipulation without disturbing the brown monotone under paint layer applied just 30 minutes before. Rubens’ paint retains all the brush strokes and fine
details that are held in position without dripping or spreading. Rubens’ oil paint seen today is characterized as being full bodied and viscous, with sumptuous textures and deep clear
color. His paintings are amongst the best preserved.

The required VISCOSITY of his paint allowed THIXOTROPIC APPLICATIONS because the viscosity of the paint is a requirement for it to be possible. One cannot achieve
THIXOTROPY with oil paint ground in a thin non-polymerized oil. A ‘CO-POLY’ oil is also a possibility. See COMMENT#8 for an explanation.

FINAL DETAILS AND TOUCHES
Rubens’ intelligent THIXOTROPIC PAINTING METHOD also allowed Rubens to add additional WET LAYERS on top within 15 to 30 minutes IF HE PRE-MOISTENED his dry
powdered pigments with the Spirit Varnish made of Turpentine and a Balsam, instead of just Turpentine. Surely Rubens intimate knowledge of his materials allowed him to use both
mixtures as he deemed needed. The already rich viscosity of his viscous sun oil oil paint was increased by the evaporation of the Turpentine in the paint. This would have been
even more noted on the evaporation of the turpentine in the Balsam-Turpentine Spirit Varnish. The evaporation of a solvent creates a TACKY LAYER that allows over painting
without disturbing any of the THREE LAYERS already in place. Yes, skill is needed for applying this FINAL FOURTH LAYER, but it can be done.

VALIDITY OF MY RECREATION OF RUBENS” THIXOTROPIC METHOD
Only Rubens would know how accurate my recreation of his method is. I not only wanted to learn of Rubens’ method, but, I wanted to also prove that by using Rubens’ knowledge
and procedures, modern painters today could achieve the very same results as Rubens without the Hazardous, Carcinogenic materials he used by using the CSO/ EMULSIONS
METHOD OF OIL PAINTING.
With the CSO METHOD, we eliminate ALL solvents, resins, varnishes and metallic driers such as Lead and Lead white pigment. My creation of CALCITE SUN OIL can achieve the
very same results as Rubens. The only difference is that Rubens could finish a multi layered painting in one day or a matter of hours. The CSO method requires two days. However,
if one uses the CSO-EGG TEMPERA or the CSO CASEIN TEMPERA as the under painting, one can ALSO finish a multi layered oil painting in one day.

PART TWO : COMMENTS
COMMENT # 1 RUBENS‘ OIL, FLAX-LINSEED vs WALNUT
The question is often asked if Rubens used Flax-Linseed oil or Walnut oil. The answer is simple. All the Old Masters used oils that were available to them in a moment of need. Also,
all the Old Masters experimented with ALL the various oils known to them. Also, the Old Masters were cautious of economic conditions just as we are today. Rembrandt is known to
have patched canvas pieces together to make a larger canvas, just to save money. Science shows the Old Masters used less expensive paint in the under painting stages of a
painting. Science shows that the Old Masters sometimes used walnut oil for mixing with white and blue colors. But not always as Rembrandt normally used flax-Linseed oil in his
whites and walnut oil was once found in his black paint. Science shows that Flax-Linseed oil is unquestionably tougher than walnut oil. Rubens himself wrote in a letter that sun
exposure will bleach any yellowing from his oil paintings. Rubens also knew that Walnut oil will not bleach when used in oil painting. This is indirect evidence he used Flax-Linseed
oil. Rubens’ contemporaries, Rembrandt and Velazquez (Velazquez was Rubens friend) both used Flax-Linseed oil as their main oil and science found rare instances of walnut oil
use in their paintings. The Old Masters all knew that Flax-Linseed oil was without question the preferred oil for oil painting because centuries of studio oral knowledge had proven
that Flax-Linseed oil was the most durable of the oils. Leonardo Da Vinci loved to experiment for the sole joy of learning. His Last Supper Fresco is completely decomposed due to
an experimental medium. His oil painting of the Mona Lisa is in a bad state of preservation, and Da Vinci painted it with walnut oil. The Van Eyck paintings that pre date Da Vinci’s by
50 years, are in a remarkable state of preservation. They were painted with Flax Linseed oil.

COMMENT #2 RUBENS‘ TWO ‘OIL OUT‘ MEDIUMS
RUBENS’ THIXOTROPIC METHOD of oil painting required an ‘OIL OUT’ medium to lubricate the surface. I have formulated TWO workable ‘OIL OUT’ mixtures that equal Rubens’
‘OIL OUT’ medium, and which may be the very same as his. ONE medium I formulated is named “AGUADO’ and is fully described in my books and DVD’S. The word, ‘AGUADO’ is a
Spanish word that means a liquid is soupy and thin. My formula is thin but also viscous and stable. AGUADO is the opposite of a thick mixture that will not spread easily. The two
required ingredients are: (1) A highly viscous polymerized Flax-Linseed oil, and (2) Calcium Carbonate Chalk. The formula was made to create a fluid medium that would be easily
applied, but it must be applied in an ultra thin layer. For the OIL OUT medium to be effective a STABILIZER of CHALK was added to the viscous Flax-Linseed oil so it would not drip
and so any paint applied to it would HOLD its clarity of brush marks. The calcium carbonate CHALK dry powder was abundantly available to Rubens and was used by Rubens in the
making of his Hide Glue GESSO. THE SECOND MIXTURE is named the, 'VISCOUS-EMULSION. This mixture contains GLAIR as the protein. GLAIR is the distilled white of an egg.
GLAIR is an ancient paint binder and fully archival. See my book and DVD for instructions.

COMMENT #3: THE OIL RUBENS‘ USED
Rubens’ MAIN oil was FLAX-LINSEED oil that was obtained COLD PRESSED without any additives. Rubens knew the oil contained MUCILAGE and that if not removed from the oil, it
would cause the colors to darken over time, even to the point of making them brown and this would be an IRREVERSIBLE condition. The yellow color of Flax Linseed oil is not a
permanent condition. Rubens and modern science both demonstrate that exposure to sunlight will COMPLETELY BLEACH the yellow color from a thin layer film of FLAX LINSEED
OIL. The simple procedure to remove the mucilage from the oil is described in my books and DVD’S in great detail.

COMMENT #4: THE SOURCE OF RUBENS’ OIL
Rubens lived in Flanders in Northern Europe [ now called Belgium]. It is a cold damp rainy land. Rubens lived and studied in SUNNY Italy for 6 years in his early career. There, in
the sun and heat, Rubens saw and used the finest Flax Linseed oil available to artists for centuries. It is simply, SUN THICKENED OIL. In cold Northern Europe, the less fortunate
and less affluent artists would heat their oil on a stove. This procedure would cause the oil to polymerize and thicken, and it caused inherent moisture natural to the oil to evaporate.
This artificial heating procedure resulted in a thick, fast drying, and hard drying oil, but it was yellow colored and UNBLEACHED. Rubens was Europe’s richest and most famous
artist of the 17th century and was wealthy enough to afford the purchase of Italy’s finest oil for his use.

COMMENT # 5: CREATIVE EXPERIMENTATION OF PAINTING MATERIALS
Rubens, like Rembrandt, Velazquez ,Titian and all the great masters were men of high intelligence and artistic genius. All creative artists experiment CONTINUOUSLY with their
materials as well as with their methods of paint application. CREATIVE PAINTING is DYNAMIC and not STATIONARY. All the masters painted paintings in a variety of techniques as
part of their growth, interest, exploration and learning. Other factors enter into the choice of materials and methods of application. In his old age HALS painted loosely which is a vast
difference from his early work. The same is seen in the work of Rembrandt, Titian, Velazquez and Rubens. My formulations of AGUADO, CALCITE SUN OIL, and others are born of
years of experimentation, and trial and error testing. The vast number of variables is astounding as one tries to formulate workable mixtures.
An example of making a formula is: One has ingredient A and B to make a mixture. Then one adds ingredient C. This changes the results. Then, varying the ratio quantities of each
of A and B and C change those results. The process seems never ending. Yet, one does achieve awareness by following this methodology. This is the methodology of the Old
Maters as they experimented with the materials at hand, to see ...what would happen and what the result would be.

COMMENT #6: RUBENS TEACHERS AND TRADITIONS
Rubens (1577-1640) was born into the FLEMISH TRADITION and method of oil painting as perfected by Jan Van Eyck (1395-1441) and others. In the mid 1400’s the FLEMISH
method was learned by the ITALIAN artists. Then in the early 1500’s TITIAN (1490-1576) modified it to paint faster and larger paintings on canvas. This is called the ITALIAN
VENETIAN METHOD of oil painting because Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and other great masters lived in Venice, Italy. Rubens studied the great masterpieces while living in Italy for
6 years. Rubens was a brilliant intellectual and artistic genius. He assimilated the known knowledge of his teachers both FLEMISH and ITALIAN and through diligent effort, created
his own personal and brilliant THIXOTROPIC METHOD OF OIL PAINTING. This essay describes Rubens’ method of oil painting.

COMMENT # 7: RUBENS’ PAINT CHARACTERISTICS AND EXTRAORDINARY SPEED OF PAINTING
The paint we see in Rubens’ paintings has unique characteristics. Rubens used a highly viscous polymerized oil paint that holds all his brush marks yet allowed easy blending, and
fluid applications of thin and thick paint. One sees distinct and separate layers of paint, one on top of another. One sees thin glazes and thick impasto touches. One sees lustrous
paint with color depth, opacity, great translucency and clear transparency. Rubens controlled and applied the paint for effects he desired. In his paintings we see an extraordinary
sureness of touch and a fluid manipulation of the paint. Contemporary reports describe the large number of paintings he could finish in a matter of weeks. This demonstrates he
used a THIXOTROPIC method that allowed the speed with which he was able to complete a complex multi layered oil painting within a day.

COMMENT # 8: CO-POLY OIL
ALL creative Artists have ALWAYS experimented with ALL facets of their materials. Centuries of oral traditions and knowledge prevented Rubens from having to re-invent the many
processes. A ‘CO-POLY’ oil is an oil made of two oils that have a different degree of polymerization. By mixing different RATIOS of a polymerized oil with an oil that has NOT BEEN
polymerized, one achieves a COMBINDED OIL [ co-poly] that will behave in a unique way. It may dry faster or slower, or it may allow finer lines and details, or may improve or retard
Thixotropy.

COMMENT # 9: TEMPERA   AS AN UNDERPAINTING FOR OIL PAINTS
In his youth, Rubens was not the only artist seeking a way to paint a complex multi-layered oil painting in one day. Artists knew that if an artist only used oil paints, that a day or more
of drying time between layers was required. For that reason some added excessive amounts of harmful metallic driers to their paint thinking the more Lead drier one added the
better it was. Modern science proves differently. BEFORE Rubens WAS BORN, artists found an economical and acceptable fast method of finishing an oil painting by using one of
the quick drying water based Tempera methods as a foundation for oil paints. There are three main water based tempera methods that Rubens knew of : (1) Egg Tempera (2)
Casein Milk Tempera (3) Hide Glue tempera. Artists found that the water based Tempera methods dried to the touch quickly within minutes to an hour. One main concern in this
method was the need for the water content to be allowed to evaporate sufficiently before oil paints were applied on top. In the cold humid environment of Northern Europe where
Rubens lived, the water evaporated quite slowly from the Tempera paint. For reasons of permanence, the tempera was allowed to dry hard overnight or longer. Rubens solved the
water evaporation issue by NOT using a water based Tempera for under painting. Rubens developed the NON-AQUEOUS MIXTURES I have described, and most certainly learned
some of them from the Italian artists who may have known older artists who had worked with some of the great VENETIAN MASTERS.

COMMENT # 10: THIXOTROPY
Thixotropy has been widely discussed by today’s SCIENTIFIC researchers and artists since the study of Rembrandt’s paintings began in great earnest in 1968 by the Rembrandt
Research Project. My experience with THIXOTROPY reveals important information as viewed by an artist and not as described by a scientist.
THIXOTROPY is defined as: The ability to apply a wet layer of oil paint on top of a wet layer of oil paint, without disturbing the lower wet layer.
I have determined that Rubens used distinct approaches to achieve Thixotropy.
Rubens’ first form of Thixotropy is achieved by applying a wet oil paint on top of a wet ‘oil out’ film that was applied on top of a semi dry layer of paint.
Rubens’ second form of Thixotropy is achieved by apply a wet paint on top of a wet paint layer. For this to be possible, the wet layer in place MUST be of a viscous nature and
TACKY DRY. The wet layer being applied on top must be skillfully applied with a DEFT TOUCH and this paint can be less viscous than the paint of the lower layer.
[NOTE: It is also possible to paint on top of a wet oil paint film with an aqueous media, such as EGG TEMPERA].

COMMENT # 11: THE FLEMISH METHOD OF OIL PAINTING = ALLA PRIMA PAINTING ON A DRAWING ON A WHITE SURFACE
The Flemish method is described as: (1) Use of a white surface, usually a wood panel covered with hide glue gesso. (2) a drawing is made on the white gesso. This drawing can be
very sketchy or very detailed. (3) The oil paint is thinly applied in most areas so the white gesso adds a lively light under the colors, making them appear jewel-like. This method is
laborious and time consuming. Most paintings were small and on wood as large wood panels were heavy and expensive. Yet, Rubens sometimes painted on huge panels made of
several pieces of wood glued together..

COMMENT # 12: THE ITALIAN VENETIAN METHOD OF OIL PAINTING = GRISAILLE UNDERPAINTING, WITH COLOR LAYERS ON TOP
This method is described as: (1) use of a canvas allowed huge paintings to be made. They could be rolled up and transported easily. (2) the canvas was given a solid layer of color
or several colors. Sometimes the color was white, pink, gray, yellow ochre or dark red. (3) many times no drawing was made as the artists drew as they painted. In order to duplicate
the brilliance of jewel-like Flemish colors, the artists under painted in what is called a ‘grisaille’, meaning they painted areas that were pure white. These areas were then painted
over with a thin GLAZE of pure colors. This method allowed artists to finish a painting in a matter of days. Rubens combined the FLEMISH and the ITALIAN VENETIAN methods to
create his THIXOTROPIC METHOD and was able to complete a painting in a matter of hours.

COMMENT # 13: CALCIUM CARBONATE IN OIL PAINTING
In 1988, the National Gallery of London published their findings on their scientific studies of several Rembrandt paintings in their collection. The MOST OUTSTANDING finding was
that Rembrandt added CHALK- CALCIUM CARBONATE powder to his oil paint. In fact, they reported that Rembrandt also used a mixture of OIL and CHALK as a paint in its own
right. In 1992, the Prado Museum in Madrid Spain, published their examinations of the many Velazquez paintings in their collection. They also stated that Velazquez added large
amounts of Calcium Carbonate CHALK and CALCITE to his paint [both are forms of calcium carbonate].

Both masters were contemporaries of Rubens. Velazquez was his friend and spent six months watching Rubens paint for the King of Spain where Velazquez was the main Court
Painter and close friend of the Spanish King.

Rubens added chalk calcium carbonate or calcite to his oil paint for its many benefits. Rubens may have been the EARLY source of Velazquez knowledge of Calcium Carbonate use
in Oil Paint via having learned of its use by Titian. In 1628, Rubens spent 6 months in Madrid, Spain as a guest of the Spanish King. There he spent time with Velazquez, the Kings
Court Painter. Modern science has proven Velazquez added CHALK and CALCITE to ALL HIS COLORS for the benefits listed below.

R1. It creates paint with a thick sumptuous translucent body.
R2. It allows use of either translucent impasto or thin transparent glazes
R3. It relieves dull colors and enlivens them by its translucent property because calcium carbonate chalk mixed with oil is 98% transparent.
R4. It is limestone dust and creates a hard durable mixture that is like cement.
R5. It is a stabilizer to stop viscous oil from dripping and spreading.
R6. It allows an artist to paint fine lines and details that will remain as painted.
R7. It allows all brush strokes and marking to remain as an artist applies them.
R8. It accelerates the drying of the oil paint.
R9. It allows application of highly textured impasto paint.

RUBENS USE OF CHALK IS ESTABLISHED BY SCIENCE
The traditional gesso made by the Northern European Artists was a mixture of hide glue and Calcium Carbonate Chalk. In Southern Europe the gesso was made from hide glue
mixed with Calcium Sulphate also called GYPSUM. These white powders become pure white when mixed with a hide glue liquid. However, when Calcium Carbonate Chalk is mixed
with OIL, it becomes almost FULLY TRANSPARENT.
Science says it is 98% transparent in an oil mixture.

When CHALK is mixed with OIL, it changes the physical property and the optical property of pure clear oil: (1) When first mixed, it gives the oil a firm, solid fluid body (2) With
passage of hours, it accelerates the solidification of the oil into a hard mass (3) When moderately thick, it creates a TRANSLUCENT body of oil (4) When very thin, it creates an
almost fully transparent film .

Science has unquestionably proven that Rembrandt and Velazquez, both contemporaries of Rubens, added CHALK to their oil paint. The addition of chalk gives the paint many
benefits not achieved any other way. The many infamous mixtures of viscous liquids to create ‘ Rubens’ jelly’ that have no solids to give the oil BODY, collapse over time. Adding
CHALK to the oil gives it a permanent cement like body. In fact, without the chalk addition, the oil paint of both great masters would pale into insignificance and would not have the
extraordinary beauty we see in their paint; its rich deep colors, fine details, sumptuous textures, and paint manipulation effects.

The majority of my research has been on the work of Rembrandt and Velazquez. My library is filled with assorted books on these two masters. Some are common low cost illustrated
books, and others are of the highest level of academic scholarship and technical study. I cannot say the same of my research of Rubens. I own but few books on this extraordinary
master. Newer books on the scientific studies of Rubens’ work have been beyond my grasp, either out of print or simply not available.

My visit to a major Art Library located an excellent Technical and Scientific study of THREE VERSIONS of a painting by Rubens. The book is titled: “ Rubens and His Workshop:
The Flight of Lot and His Family from Sodom”. It is published by The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. ISBN- 4-906536-01-8, published in 1994. The Technical study begins
on page 69 through 94. The scientist is Nobuyuki Kamba.

This scientific study concretely proves that Rubens mixed CALCIUM CARBONATE CHALK with his colored paints. The scientific study also proves that Rubens applied a thin layer of
CHALK MIXED WITH OIL between layers, as in the ‘OIL OUT’ formula I made and named AGUADO. I was not surprised to read this because Rubens’ Thixotropic   Method
REQUIRED a similar mixture to lubricate the surface before painting, with the chalk as a stabilizer to prevent the viscous oil from dripping . It is unfortunate for so many now
deceased admiring artists of Rubens work, that Teodore De Mayerne did not take better notes on Rubens’ materials and how Rubens mixed and used them.

FACTS FROM THE STUDY
Those interested need to read the entire very lengthy and thorough study. I supply only a few scientific examples of Rubens’ addition of calcium carbonate chalk to his paint. These
examples settle the question and affirm that Rubens, like Rembrandt and Velazquez, also added calcium carbonate chalk to his paint for the many benefits it offers a painter.

E1- Page 74: The red layer in the Tokyo work is a three layer construct, with an extremely thin layer of chalk applied to the top of the lead white layer of ground. As this can be
considered to be an almost completely transparent layer, we can consider that it was applied to make the white of the ground surface a bit gray. As the homogeneous chalk layer
was clearly recognized on the on the ground layer we can consider that layer was intentionally applied.
[MY NOTE: A scientist, who is not a painter, does not fully understand the need for a stabilizer to be added to the oil, when an OIL OUT is applied, so that the oil will not drip. If
Rubens wanted for the white to be toned down to a gray, he would have used a tint of charcoal as he frequently did and as is readily seen in the gray charcoal sitrations of his
paintings. The scientist forgets that Chalk mixed with oil when applied thinly as described here, is COLORLESS and TRANSPARENT ].

E2- Page 74. The paint layer on Lots cheek in the Sarasota work is a single layer construct that is made up of lead white, and vermilion, with small amounts of charcoal black,
calcium carbonate and yellow ochre added. As there is no noticeable difference between the form of this calcium carbonate and the chalk found in the ground and imprimatur
layers, there is the strong probability that the calcium carbonate is also chalk.

E3. Page 74. We can observe a five layer construct of application in the paint layer on the cheek of the Miami Beach work. Starting from the bottom, the first layer is lead white, the
second layer is lead white, calcium carbonate, vermillion, and charcoal black. The third layer is lead white, and vermilion, while the fourth and fifth layers consist of white lead,
vermilion, and calcium carbonate. The fifth layer also contains red lake. The amount of calcium carbonate mixed in, decreased as the layers moved to the surface of the work. There
is a strong possibility this is also chalk.
[MY NOTE: We know the Old Masters used various mixtures of lead white. Many times they would add chalk to it as an extender. This practice also taught them that if chalk was
added it made the white lead paint less opaque. Velazquez, Rembrandt AND Rubens used this TRANSLUCENCY to their advantage. In the THIRD EXAMPLE of the scientific study
above, it is clear that Rubens ADDED CHALK to the colors AS SHOWN IN LAYERS FOUR AND FIVE ].

E4. Page 83. Blue purple robe on the elbow, of the daughter on the right. Paint that is stained a light purple by the Fuchine 5. Indicates the existence of a medium that contains
protein, and there is a strong possibility that the medium is an animal glue.
[MY NOTE: Oil painters can use any of the aqueors liquids that will form an emulsion with oil. The most common are Egg, Milk, and Glue.]

E5. Page 85. Bluish purple robe on the elbow of the daughter on the right. 1. Coarsely ground smalt and a little red lake mixed in a rich oil medium. The oil medium is discolored to
pale brown.
[ MY NOTE: This is , in my opinion, proof of Rubens use of Pine Tree Tar in the under layers. The oil medium does not discolor. Smalt itself will lose its bluish color and become
gray, but the oil does not change. This scientist is not aware that PINE TREE TAR has a brown color, is fluid
and appears like an oil, and is mixed with CHALK to control it from dripping].

E6. Page 86. Bluish purple robe on the elbow of the daughter on the right. Enlargement of the paint layer from (l). Discolored brownish oil medium is observed as black color.
[MY NOTE. Again the scientist is in error. The oil WILL NOT discolor. What the scientist is seeing and not recognizing is the PINE TREEE TAR. Pine Tree Tar varies in color from is
dark brown to almost black when in concentration. Adding chalk lightens it up slightly. Pine Tree tar is CARBONIZED and blackened, and browned, yet it is a viscous liquid, caused
by the airtight burning procedure to obtain it from the coniferous Pine Wood. This is another example of Rubens using Pine Tree Tar in the brown monotone under painting stage of
his paintings].

E7. Page 87. Red robe of the angel on the left. Transparent chalk layer is clearly observed between the red paint layer and the lead white ground.
[ MY NOTE: Here is proof of Rubens’ OIL OUT MEDIUM: A simple mixture of sun oil and chalk like my formula of AGUADO. The purpose of the chalk is to serve as a STABILZER so
the viscous paint will not drip, and to serve as an ADHERANT to insure superimposed layers will stick.

E8. Page 98 [ Offered in part because the notes are long] …an extremely thin under layer of chalk whose purpose is not clear….
[ MY NOTES: I understand the scientist is not a painter and this OIL OUT application is not understood by him.
SUMMARY: This technical scientific examination demonstrates Rubens used: (1) CHALK in his paint.(2) A protein addition to his medium, at times (3) Evidence of Pine Tree Tar use
in the under layers.

COMMENT # 14: JACQUES MAROGER
Maroger was a French Artist-Scientist. In 1948, his book on the secret mediums of the great masters was translated and published in English. In his lifetime, Maroger made many
wrong guesses and concocted many faulty mediums. One important erroneous guess he made was this: Maroger GUESSED that the translucent material he saw in Velazquez’ and
Rembrandt’s oil paint was WAX. Modern science has proven him wrong. In fact, science has identified that translucent material as being CALCIUM CARBONATE CHALK mixed with
oil. Maroger’s book also states that Rubens’ paint has a unique granularity in ALL HIS COLORS, but could not explain what caused it. He did not attribute it to poor grinding of the
colored pigment since he claimed the Old Masters were careful in their grinding. Actually, modern science has disproven Maroger’s claim of fine grinding of pigments by the Old
Masters as they varied the grind for reasons known only to them. My experience in working with mixtures of Viscous sun oil and Calcium Carbonate Chalk result in an oil paint that
has this same translucent granularity Maroger describes he saw in Rubens’ paint.

COMMENT # 15: EMULSIONS = THE TRUE "WONDER MEDIUM" OF THE OLD MASTERS
My book goes into great detail on the extraordinary importance of simple emulsions and how it offers the painter the greatest control of the paint application process. The DVD
demonstrates how to make and very important = HOW TO CORRECTLY APPLY IT. Improper application results in FAILURE. Science has shown that Rubens, Rembrandt and
Velazquez had used an EMULSION additive to their oil paint and AS AN OIL OUT. Jacques Maroger ALMOST DID RE-DISCOVER the VAN EYCK MEDIUM... but... he failed because
he used industrial slow drying, alkali refined flax linseed oil. See my book for a 10 page essay explaining HOW and WHY he failed. A modern scientific study showed that white spots
appearing on Old Master paintings was in fact CAUSED BY LEAD added to the paint, and were not caused by an EMULSION. SEE: http://www.rsc.
org/chemistryworld/Issues/2004/April/spotlight.asp

PART THREE :FACTS REGARDING PINE TREE TAR
FACTS REGARDING PINE WOOD TAR:
This accumulation of facts presented is from Wikipedia Encyclopedia. To read the articles in depth, the reader may search the various topics one finds contained herein.

A1. Mixing Pine Tree Tar with linseed oil or turpentine or varnish produces a permanent archival tar paint. Tar paint has a translucent brownish hue, and can be used to saturate
and tone wood and protect it from weather. Tar paint can also be toned with various pigments, producing translucent colors and preserving the wood texture.
A2. The word "tar" is commonly used to describe several distinctly different substances which are not actually tar. TRUE tar is distilled from PINE TREES.
A3. ASPHALTUM or BITUMEN is derived from coal or petroleum.
A4. True Tar is modified pitch (resin) produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine trees by destructive distillation procedure called pyrolysis.
A5. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot.
Demand for tar declined with the advent of iron and steel ships.
A6. In Northern Europe, the word "tar" refers primarily to a substance that is derived from the wood and roots of pine trees. In earlier times it was often used as a water repellent
coating for boats, ships, and roofs. It is still used as an additive in the flavoring of candy, alcohol and other foods. Wood tar is microbicidal and has a sweet musky scent.
A7. Producing tar from wood was known in ancient Greece.
A8.For centuries, tar from pine wood was among Sweden's most important exports. Sweden exported 13,000 barrels of tar in 1615.
A9.The heating (dry distilling) of pine wood causes tar and pitch to drip away from the wood and leave behind charcoal.
A10. The by-products of Pine wood are turpentine and charcoal.
A11. Tar kilns (Swedish: tjärdal, Norwegian: tjæremila, Finnish: tervamiilu) are dry distillation ovens, historically used in Scandinavia for producing tar from wood. They were built
close to the forest, from limestone or from more primitive holes in the ground. The bottom is sloped into an outlet hole, to allow the tar to pour out. The wood is split to dimensions of
a finger and stacked densely, and finally covered tight with dirt and moss. If oxygen can enter, the wood might catch fire. On top of this, a fire is stacked and lit. After a few hours,
the tar begins to pour out, and does so for a few days.
A12. Pine Wood Tar was used as seal for roofing shingles and to seal the hulls of ships and boats. For millennia wood tar was used to waterproof sails and boats. Wood tar is still
used to seal traditional wooden boats and the roofs of historical shingle-roofed churches, as well as painting exterior walls of log buildings.
A13. Pine tree Tar is also a general disinfectant. In Finland pine wood tar was once considered a panacea reputed to heal "even those cut in twain through their midriff". A Finnish
proverb states that if sauna, vodka and tar won't help, the disease is fatal.. Wood tar is used in traditional Finnish medicine because of its microbicidial properties. Wood tar is also
available diluted as tar water, which has numerous uses:

ETYMOLOGY:
E1: SANSKRIT: The expression "bitumen" originated in the Sanskrit, where we find the words "jatu," meaning "pitch," and "jatu-krit," meaning "pitch creating," "pitch producing"
(referring to coniferous or resinous trees).
LATIN: The Latin equivalent is claimed by some to be originally 'gwitu-men' (pertaining to pitch), and by others, "pixtumens" (exuding or bubbling pitch), which was subsequently
shortened to "bitumen," thence passing via French into English.
FRENCH and ENGLISH: From the same root is derived the Anglo Saxon word "cwidu" (Mastix),
GERMAN: the German word "Kitt" (cement or mastic)
NORSE: and the old Norse word "kvada".[5]
[MY NOTE] The Etymology of the word, is important because of the fact that
PINE WOOD TAR was historically also called MASTIC. This may explain the reports that RUBENS mixed MASTIC with his OIL for oil Painting. Today's term, 'Mastic' refers to the
SOFT MASTIC RESIN that IF MIXED with oil paint would create a soft paint. Rubens knew this and would have avoided soft resin additives to his oil paint. Rubens' oil paint is tough
and durable and his oil paintings are some of the very best preserved in Art history, leading one to conclude he did not use a SOFT MASTIC RESIN.
ADDITIONAL FACTS REGARDING “TAR”
The information was taken in part from Wikipedia Encyclopedia.

ASPHALTUM- BITUMEN:
The information below cites the impermanence and destructive nature of the petroleum based ASPHALTUM- BITUMEN when used as a pigment or additive to oil painting. It is
concrete evidence for not using it. Some contemporary artist-researcher- amateur chemists -product sellers, continue its use.

ASPHALT: Asphalt is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleum and in some natural deposits sometimes termed asphaltum.

BITUMEN: Petroleum based Bitumen was the nemesis of many artists during the 19th century. Although widely used for a time, it ultimately proved unstable for use in oil painting,
especially when mixed with the most common dilutents, such as linseed oil, varnish and turpentine. Unless thoroughly diluted, bitumen never fully solidifies and will in time corrupt the
other pigments with which it comes into contact. The use of bitumen as a glaze to set in shadow or mixed with other colors to render a darker tone resulted in the eventual
deterioration of a good many paintings, those of Delacroix being just one notable example.

ETYMOLOGY OF ASPHALT:
The word asphalt is derived from the late Middle English : from French asphalte, based on Late Latin asphalton, asphaltum, from the Greek ásphalton, ásphaltos (άσφαλτος), a
word of uncertain origin meaning "asphalt/bitumen/pitch" which some derive from α- "without" and σφάλλω "to make fall".[4] Note that in French, the term asphalte is used for
naturally occurring bitumen-soaked limestone deposits, and for specialised manufactured products with fewer voids or greater bitumen content than the "asphaltic concrete" used to
pave roads. Another description has it that the term derives from the Accadian term "asphaltu" or "sphallo," meaning "to split." It was later adopted from the Homeric Greeks as a
verb meaning "to make firm or stable," "to secure". It is a significant fact that the first use of asphalt by the ancients was in the nature of a cement for securing or joining together
various objects, and it thus seems likely that the name itself was expressive of this application. From the Greek, the word passed into late Latin, and thence into French ("asphalte")
and English ("asphalt").

ETYMOLOGY OF BITUMEN:
The expression "bitumen" originated in the Sanskrit, where we find the words "jatu," meaning "pitch," and "jatu-krit," meaning "pitch creating," "pitch producing" (referring to
coniferous or resinous trees). The Latin equivalent is claimed by some to be originally 'gwitu-men' (pertaining to pitch), and by others, "pixtumens" (exuding or bubbling pitch), which
was subsequently shortened to "bitumen," thence passing via French into English. From the same root is derived the Anglo Saxon word "cwidu" (Mastix), the German word "Kitt"
(cement or mastic) and the old Norse word "kvada".
ADDITIONAL FACTS REGARDING “TAR”
Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia and other Internet sources

1. Naturally occurring "tar pits" actually contain asphalt rather than tar.
2. Tar sand deposits contain various mixtures of sand (or rock) with bitumen or heavy crude oil and not tar.
3. "Rangoon tar", also known as "Burmese Oil" or "Burmese Naphtha", is actually petroleum.
4. "Tar" and "pitch" are sometimes used interchangeably; pitch is considered more solid while tar is more liquid.
5. In English, German, and French, "tar" is a substance primarily derived from coal. Tar made from coal or petroleum is considered toxic and carcinogenic because of its high
benzene content. Coal tar and petroleum tar have a pungent odour.
6. Tar-like products can also be produced from organic matter such as peat.
7. Mineral products resembling tar can be produced from fossil hydrocarbons including petroleum.
8. Coal tar is produced from coal .
9. Bitumen is a term used for natural deposits of oil "tar" - such as at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles California.
10. In American English, asphalt (or asphalt cement) is the carefully refined residue from the distillation process of selected crude oils. Outside the U.S., the product is often called
bitumen. Natural deposits terminology also sometimes uses the word bitumen, such as at the La Brea Tar Pits. The primary use of asphalt is in road construction, where it is used as
the glue or binder for the aggregate particles.

SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
Several sources describing PINE TREE TAR are available on the Internet.
Copyright laws prohibit my full copying but the same laws allow certain passages to be copied under the FREE USE CLAUSE. I encourage the readers to read the websites for themselves.

http://www.maritime.org/conf/conf-kaye-tar.htm
This website has a lot of interesting information on the PINE TREE TAR.
Pine Tar; History And Uses = by Theodore P. Kaye
See excerpts below:

E1. Wood tar has been used by mariners as a preservative for wood and rigging for at least the past six centuries. In Sweden, it was called "Peasant Tar".
E2. Swedish tar was also called Haparanda tar.
E3. In 1648, the NorrlSndska TjSrkompaniet was granted sole export privileges by the King of Sweden.
E4. The peasants used the roots of Swedish pine trees The 'dale' or burning ground, was built of logs on a slope with a spout at the lower end of the slope The wood is covered with earth to be nearly air tight.
Wood is stacked on top of the dirt and allowed to burn. Under the earth covering, the wood became charred leaving tar and charcoal.
E5. Natrochem in Savannah, Georgia is a supplier of Pine Tree Tar from Auson Chemical Industry, Gsteborg, Sweden.
E6. Auson makes tar mostly from ordinary pine wood, and controls the amount of phenolic substances (pitch, water, acetic acid, and impurities such as soot and cellulose).
E7. Auson also sells limited quantities of "peasant tar" produced in old fashioned dales. The Peasant Tar is twice the price of the normal grade, and it is not usually exported.
E8. Pine Wood Tar is a viscous, blackish brown liquid, translucent in thin layers. The chief constituents are volatile terpene oils, neutral oils of high boiling point and high solvency, resin and fatty acids. The
proportion of these vary in the different grades of tar, also according to tree species and the part of the tree used, type of carbonization oven, Etc. Wood tar made from stumps of the pine tree has always been
recognized as the best tar. However, stumps are hard to find and expensive, so ordinary pine wood is mostly used today.

Genuine Pine Tar 588
General: A dark colored, old fashion type of pine tar obtained as a byproduct through destructive distillation of pine wood in the manufacture of charcoal. Thinned with turpentine to a standard viscosity.
Technical data
Density at 20oC        1.05
Water content:        max. 0.5%
Volatile matter        max. 6.0%
Ash content:        max. 0.5%
Viscosity at 50o C        approx. 380 cP
Acidity (as acetic acid)        max. 0.3%
Flash point:        approx. 120oC
Thinner:        Turpentine

Kiln burned Pine Tar 773
General: Golden brown pine tar produced according to the old kiln method from stumps of the pine tree Pinus Silvestris,. Also known as "peasant made" tar. This type of tar is characterized by high resin content
( rosin acids and retene), low content of pitch and high purity, i.e. free from soot and other impurities.
Technical data:
Density at 20oC        approx. 1.05
pH value:        approx. 3.5
Reaction with Ca (OH)2        positive
Water content:        approx. 1%
Solubility:        soluble in ethanol, ether and in fixed and volatile oils; slightly soluble in water

The following websites offer interesting facts about Pine Tree Tar.
http://pinetarworld.com/
http://www.noxudolusa.com/noxudolstore/ccp0-catshow/PineTar.html
This company sells two grades of Pine Tree Tar. THIS IS THE COMPANY I PURCHASED MY PINE TREE TAR FROM.
I recommend only the highest quality ; KILN BURN PINE TAR

Kiln Burn Pine Tar - 1 QT/1 Liter
Kiln Burned Pine tar is a pure natural product produced by the old fashioned kiln burning of pine tree stumps. This type of tar is characterized by high resin content, low content of
pitch and high purity. Kiln Burned Pine Tar is a high performance tar especially for medical purposes but also for veterinary use as well as for wood and wood preservation.
Common uses: Shampoos, soaps, expectorants, ointments against allergic rash, psoriasis and eczema.

Genuine Pine Tar - 1 QT/1 Liter
Genuine Pine Tar is produced from resinous pinewood. It is used for wood preservation of cottages, splint roofs, boats, bridges etc. An old recipe is equal parts Genuine Pine Tar,
gum turpentine and linseed oil, raw or boiled. Common uses: Soaps, Wood products, Shampoo, Bats, Fences, Water repellent, veterinary purposes
END OF ESSAY -copyright 2010, Louis R. Velasquez, all rights reserved

PART FOUR -RUBENS’ THIXOTROPIC METHOD   - A STUDIO LESSON
THE RUBENS DVD is now available on AMAZON and all online bookstores
On3/6/11 I reached the defining point in my efforts to better understand RUBENS' methodical USE of the PTTR. The effective USE of the PTTR had stumped me from the ONSET
because the PTTR dries so slowly. Now, I humbly state I believe I now know EXACTLY how Rubens USED the PTTR in his Thixotropic method.
In my use of this missing link, one can see how Rubens was able to COMPLETE a multi-layered oil painting in such a short time, and the extraordinary part
is that he could apply the paint slowly, although we know his virtuosity was incredible. This method of USE is extraordinary and fascinating.

The DVD has two NON TOXIC recipes and two TOXIC recipes.
I humbly believe one of these was Rubens' , 'method of use 'of the PTTR. The multi-layered painting I made yesterday using one formula dried in four hours from beginning to end.
The painting has the known RUBENESQUE FLEMISH appearance of the paint. Its Thixotropic application is extraordinary, the control of the paint is extraordinary.
The end result is enamel-like with lustrous deep color, great clarity of color, ease of blending of thin or thick luscious impasto, and micro-fine lines if wanted.
This method of USE has the MISSING KEY that eluded me for these past 5 months of testing. The DVD will have ALL THE INFORMATION. I estimate it will be available online at
AMAZON by the end of March , or, the first week of April.

DVD TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1. Rubens and PTTR
Part 2 . The PTTR monotone recipes
Part 3 . CSO- a 21st century advancement
Part 4. CSO-Casein Tempera
Part 5. Old Master procedures
Part 6. Research notes :
1. Espeso, a new 'oil out' medium based on Rubens.
2. PTTR experiments
3. The DeMayerne manuscript [ brief details]
4. Ernst Van De Wetering- Rembrandt expert [ brief note]
5. Scientific proof of Rubens use of Chalk and Protein
6. [more]

JACQUES MAROGER --- is INfamous for creating MAROGER'S MEDIUM.
His book written in French was translated into English and published in 1948. Here are three pages from his book regarding Rubens and Van Dyke.
Maroger saw a thin translucent material in Rubens' paint and guessed it was WAX. Science has proven Maroger's GUESS that Rubens and Rembrandt, and Velazquez added WAX to
their paint was wrong . Science shows no wax in any of the paintings. What Maroger did not know..is that the translucent material was CALCIUM CARBONATE CHALK. Science has found
the chalk in all three of these masters, IN ALL THEIR COLORS, not just the white. CHALK gives the paint a soft granular appearance that Maroger also noted. Still, Marogers close look at
Rubens' paint surface tells us a lot about how it looks.

BELOW are some TESTS.

The DRY PIGMENTS are PRE-MOISTENED
with a solvent, or, a Spirit Varnish
THEN mixed with the CSO mixture,
as explained in the essay.

WARNING; RUBENS'
METHOD USES
DANGEROUS
SOLVENTS. YOU
MUST USE HIS
METHOD AT YOUR
OWN RISK

THE CSO METHOD CAN ACHIEVE RUBENS'
EXACT PAINT AND APPLICATION. BUT FOR
HISTORICAL REASONS, RUBENS METHOD IS
PRESENTED

PHOTO RIGHT SHOWS
Use of a ceramic plate - NON ABSORBENT [ as
Rubens' made sure his canvas or wood panels
were fully sealed with HIDE GLUE- to prevent
absorption of oil from the paint causing
weakening of the paint film ].

THE LEFT side of the plate [ your left] shows the
VENICE TURPENTINE Rubens said he used. On
the right is the Turpentine Rubens said he used.

I mixed dry pigment with these but the VENICE
TURPENTINE is so thick it needs to be thinned
with Turpentine. Its easy. It requires NO
HEATING. Just a little rubbing together. A
mixture of Venetian Turpentine [ its a BALSAM]
and turpentine creates a SPIRIT VARNISH.

In minutes the Turpentine EVAPORATES. The
mixture on far right becomes powder again. BUT
the mixture of the SPIRIT VARNISH remains
adhered to the plate. BUT since it has no oil, it
powders slightly on rubbing with a finger. STILL.
it is adhered because the BALSAM is sticky!!

5o minutes later..I rubbed my finger with
pressure on both yellow mixtures. The far
right-yellow pigment mixed ONLY with
Turpentine, easy came off.
The near right- shows how, even under pressure
--it remained stuck to the plate- a vitrious slick
ceramic surface!!

NEXT PHOTO: I then re-moistened the yellow
dry pigment as before.
Then I mixed CSO and I ground a bit of CSO
50/50 with the two piles of PRE-WETTED DRY
PIGMENT
.
Rubens could add chalk and oil in two ways. He
could have made a CSO mixture of CHALK and
SUN OIL
and ground that CSO with the pre-wetted
pigments ...or

he could have ground the pre-wetted pigment
with sun oil THEN added dry chalk.
BOTH METHODS WORK WELL

In fact.as time goes on during painting, one can
add either more oil alone -- a drop at a time --
or one can add dry chalk a bit at a time

DO NOT FEAR THE BEIGE COLOR of the CSO ,
it is harmless. CSO has NO TINTING strength.
As you see- it has an imperceptible impact on
the HUE or the CHROMA of the bright yellow
pigment.

NEXT PHOTO
I promise to buy a better more modern camera.

ON THE left side [ your left]
is the CSO MIXTURE of the pre-wetted dry
pigment containing the SPIRIT VARNISH --- it is
standing up firm..this is RUBENS impasto paint
--soft and firm, luscious and deep color
saturation, and holding its place.

TO YOUR FAR RIGHT is the dry pigments pre
wetted with ONLY turpentine, then mixed with
CSO.
IT DOES NOT hold a firm body,.
but RUBENS knew this and would make it for
special applications where only smoothness was
wanted.

THE CSO METHOD can duplicate Rubens'
effects. BY THE simple grinding in of the
GLAIR-OIL viscous emulsion with the CSO, as
described in my book and DVD , the paint can
be made to stand firm just like Rubens'
WITHOUT USE OF THE BALSAM or the
TURPENTINE.

The chalk of the CSO is a stabilizer to make sure
it does not drip. See the dry chalk nearby.

all photos are copyright protected..

JAMES GROVES' is a fine painter and researcher.

His website REPEATEDLY denigrates use of adding CHALK
with oil paint. He emphasizes that it will cause the paint to
become BROWN over time. He is wrong.

Science has demonstrated without a doubt that the 350 year
old oil paintings of RUBENS, REMBRANDT and VELAZQUEZ
added CHALK into their oil paint , AND to ALL THEIR
COLORS, not just in the white lead paint.
The CHALK HAS NOT CAUSED ANY BROWNING
of the oil paint in the paintings of these great masters.

Mr. Groves offers no science to back his claims.
WHO would you trust?
RUBENS, VELAZQUEZ, REMBRANDT
...or..groves?

Mr. Groves champions walnut oil saying it will not wrinkle.
Years back, I bought Walnut oil directly from Mr. Groves.
His claim that it will not wrinkle is wrong.
Using his walnut oil, I sent him a photo of his wrinkled walnut
oil. ALL oils will wrinkle IF NOT APPLIED CORRECTLY, and
like any other vegetable oil used in oil painting, WALNUT OIL
will wrinkle..

FEB.6,2011:
RUBENS METHOD UPDATE:
During the filming of the live demonstrations the fumes of the solvents made me ill. If you look at one of
Rubens' last self portraits [ he died at age 63] he looks to be in poor health. True, they did not have modern
medicine and we know he suffered from gout. But, his facial features show him to appear much older than
his age. How much of this was caused by inhaling so many hazardous solvent fumes, no one knows. I have
visited his home and studio in Antwerp. His 17th century studio had no exhaust system except for opening
windows, and in the Northern European winters, it must have caused many problems.

CALCITE SUN OIL has none of those health issues. Even if CSO does not allow the speed of Rubens
method, it is much preferable on many counts- health of the artist being the most precious and important. In
the DVD , in addition to demonstrating how one can safely use PINE TREE TAR RESIN, I also demonstrate
how one can combine CSO-CASEIN TEMPERA as the under painting, with CSO CALCITE SUN OIL as the
oil over painting, and one can finish a completely finished detailed layered painting in a matter of hours.

The Rubens materials can cause illness. The Pine Tree Tar has an extraordinarily STRONG ODOR that
permeates the entire house. It smells like a MEAT SMOKING BBQ RESTAURANT . It has a very strong
odor and can be overpowering and disagreeable to many people- including your neighbors.

Although I experienced chest congestion, and very puffy eyes I have used Rubens' materials for the
HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE of understanding how he constructed and painted his marvelous masterpieces.
CLEARLY I am NOT in Rubens' league in virtuosity, so please spare the comments.

I RECOMMEND YOU VIEW THE DVD FOR MANY REASONS
One: Rubens used a brilliant method in using his materials and artists can learn much from him.
Two, The DVD teaches the making and use of CSO-CASEIN TEMPERA. It was this newly development on
the ancient CASEIN TEMPERA MEDIUM that allowed me to formulate a NONTOXIC formula for PTTR.
Third: The DVD makes a STRONG CASE for using CALCITE SUN OIL [ CSO] and the EMULSIONS.
They are fully SAFE, FULLY PERMANENT, EASY TO USE, have NO HAZARDOUS FUMES and no
objectionable odors like those materials of Rubens.
[ CSO- oil and glair smell like a regular kitchen as the oil and the egg are indeed FOOD].

IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING RUBENS' METHOD AND MATERIALS:
After having used these materials I offer this for others who wish to pursue Rubens' methods and materials.
1. Our Turpentine today is so refined it is not the same as Rubens crude distilled Turpentine.
This means his Turpentine had more resin in it. Yes, it is easy to mix Balsam with turpentine and achieve a
resin turpentine. This is effect, a SPIRIT VARNISH= a mix of Balsam and Turpentine.

2. DeMAYERNE was wrong on many counts. He left out that Rubens mixed chalk with his paint.
Perhaps his observation of Rubens painting was a limited one time visit of very short time.
He also missed that Rubens added a protein in his medium. Again, De Mayerne just did not really
understand the complexity of Rubens methods and materials, just as today's conservationist scientists ALSO
DO NOT understand what an OIL OUT will or will not do, how or why it is used, nor the make up ratios to
create it, much less the required APPLICATION method that is crucial.

3. After trying out Rubens hand ground , solvent pre-wetted paint, it becomes very very unmanageable
within minutes, even when oil is added to it. THE ONLY solution to make it more manageable is NOT TO
ADD MORE SOLVENT [ as De Mayerne wrote] BUT TO ADD SOME OIL..preferably a mix of sun oil with
chalk to act as a stabilizer, so the paint would hold in place. Only a drop is needed.

SWEDEN ALSO PRODUCES " TALL OIL" from Pine Trees.
DO NOT CONFUSE THIS INDUSTRIALLLY PROCESSED SUBSTANCE FROM THE 21ST
CENTURY--with RUBENS' 17TH Century PINE TREE TAR that had been used for thousands of years
before Rubens was born.
PLEASE read about the ' KRAFT' process of refinement . See it on Wikipedia.
I enclose here TWO ARTICLES from the Internet to give basic information of this PINE OIL...IT IS NOT
THE SAME AS ...PINE TREE TAR.
SOURCE: Sci-Tech Encyclopedia
TALL OIL IS: A by-product from the pulping of pine wood by the kraft (sulfate) process. In the kraft
process the wood is digested under pressure with sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. The volatilized
gases are condensed to yield sulfate turpentine. During the pulping the alkaline liquor saponifies fats
and converts the fatty and resin acids to sodium salts. Concentration of the pulping solution (black
liquor) prior to recovery of the inorganic pulping chemicals allows the insoluble soaps to be skimmed
from the surface. Acidification of the skimmed soap yields crude tall oil. Crude tall oil from southern
pines contains 40–60% resin acids (rosin), 40–55% fatty acids, and 5–10% neutral constituents.
Abietic and dehydroabietic acids comprise over 60% of the resin acids, while oleic and linoleic acids
predominate in the fatty acid fraction. Fatty acids from tall oil distillation may contain as much as 10–
40% resin acids or as little as 0.5%.
SOURCE: Wikipedia
Tall oil, also called liquid rosin or tallol, is a viscous yellow-black odorous liquid obtained as a co-
product of the Kraft process of wood pulp manufacture when pulping mainly coniferous trees.[1] The
name originated as an anglicization of the Swedish "tallolja" ("pine oil").[2] Tall oil is the major chemical
co-product in a Kraft mill and the yield of crude tall oil is in the range of 30 - 50 kg / ton pulp

THEODORE DE MAYERNE MANUSCRIPT - year 1620

THE 17th CENTURY MANUSCRIPT OF Dr. THEODORE De MAYERNE
The following passages are from the De Mayerne MS in Donald C. Fels's book, and are of importance to this
research on Rubens.
These are DE MAYERNE’s WORDS, not the words of RUBENS.
To read Rubens' actual words, please see books with the collected letters he wrote to various persons.

MS Page 7: The best is linseed oil; it has the peculiarity of always brightening up the colors again after the
paints have yellowed, when the painting is left to stand in the sun. This is not the case with nut oil, nor with
poppy seed oil.
[ MY NOTE: This is prima facie proof that Rubens used linseed oil as his main oil, because Rubens' own
letter states that if his paintings had yellowed while in transit [ rolled up] they just needed to be exposed to
the sun, to bleach away any yellowing. Undoubtedly, Rubens knew what De Mayerne said about walnut and
poppy oils not having that same ' peculiarity' of being able to bleach in the sun ].

MS Page 9 verso: NB. So that your paints can be easily spread and as a consequence mix well and do not
discolor, as with azure but also as with all other paints, lightly dip your brush now and then into light Venetian
oil of turpentine that has been extracted in a water bath and with the same brush mix the paints on the
palette. marginal note: oil of turpentine. Vidi
[ MY NOTE: NB means to, ' take special note of". These words are NOT Rubens' words, but are De
Mayrerne's OBSERVATIONS of Rubens working, then, later written down in his manuscript. De Mayerne
SAW [ vidi] Rubens lightly dip his brush into some liquid which he believes was a solvent. As I wrote above-=
I disagree with what that liquid was. In actual painting practice, it could only have been a sun oil, mixed with
chalk as the stabilizer].

MS Page 9 verso: To test whether the paints will discolor after they have been applied to canvas or wood,
it is placed in the vicinity of a fireplace when it has dried and one will soon see. marginal note: M. Rubens
[ MY NOTE: Again, here De Mayerne writes down later what Rubens said to him or observed Rubens do.
De Mayerne would sometimes write the name of his information source in the margin ].

MS Page 150: The Signor Cavaliere Rubens said that it was necessary to grind all paints quickly and
process them with aqua di raggia
( that is, oil like light oil of turpentine which is produced by distilling with water the soft and white resin which
is collected from pines and is pleasant smelling ), which is better than and not as shining as spiknard oil.
[MY NOTE: One key term is ' process', which I understand as meaning the dry pigments must first be pre
moistened with the solvent here stated, which is equivalent to today's turpentine. Yet, Rubens' solvent
turpentine may have been a crude distillate containing much of the BALSAM resin's sticky property which
would promote qualities favorable to his Thixotropic method of painting, i.e. a paint with a tacky dry
condition. The other key term, ' grind all paints quickly' can be supported by the fact that once the dry
pigments ARE pre wetted with the turpentine, one has a very SHORT PERIOD of time to then mix that paste
with oil before the turpentine evaporates , causing the pigments to become powder again ].

NOVEMBER 17, 2010
INTRODUCING CSO'S ... 'ESPESO'.
THE NEW EMULSION OIL OUT MEDIUM FOR OIL PAINTING
RUBENS is quoted as having said, " Everything i touch turns to gold !". YES, he did live a GOLDEN life.
MY STUDY of Rubens' methods and materials has been a RAINBOW and I have found GOLD at its end.

At the conclusion of my filming the upcoming DVD on Rubens, I cleansed and rid my studio of all the
Hazardous materials he used. I sat sad because I was going to miss some of the fine points of his method and
materials. BUT, my health is much more important. As I pondered the loss, I received an INSPIRATION that
resulted in my creation of the new OIL OUT MEDIUM, I named..'ESPESO'. Here is the story.

I DEVELOPED THIS WONDERFUL ADVANCEMENT FOR OIL PAINTING AS A RESULT OF MY IN DEPTH STUDY OF
RUBENS' OIL PAINTING METHODS AND MATERIALS. NOW, YOU CAN ACHIEVE RUBENS THIXOTROPY QUICKLY AND
WITHOUT THE HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS RUBENS USED.

AS YOU KNOW, I PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED ' AGUADO' TO SERVE AS AN OIL OUT MEDIUM TO BE USED WITH THE
CSO METHOD FOR PAINTING LARGE PAINTINGS. THE AGUADO OIL OUT CREATES A FLUID BASE THAT ALLOWS
EASE IN PAINTING LARGE PAINTINGS. INCIDENTALLY, WHILE WORKING WITH RUBENS' FAST SETTING HAND
GROUND PAINT, I FOUND THAT ' AGUADO' WAS A PERFECT PAINT THINNER FOR RUBENS' UNIQUE OIL PAINT.

AFTER FINISHING MY STUDY OF RUBENS' MATERIALS AND METHODS, I FIRMLY DECIDED TO NEVER AGAIN EXPOSE
MY HEALTH TO THE VERY HAZARDOUS SOLVENT FUMES OF THE INGREDIENTS RUBENS USED. YET, I FELT SAD AT
LOSING SOME OF RUBENS' WONDERFUL PAINT CHARACTERISTICS. THIS CAUSED ME TO REFLECT AND I
DEVELOPED, ' ESPESO'. THE WORD, ' ESPESO' IS A SPANISH WORD MEANING ' THICK', AND IS THE OPPOSITE OF
THE SPANISH WORD , ' AGUADO'.

THE RUBENS DVD
WILL DEMONSTRATE HOW TO DO THE FOLLOWING
HOW TO MAKE 'ESPESO'

HOW TO USE ' ESPESO'

WHAT 'ESPESO' WILL DO

SUMMARY OF OIL OUT MEDIUMS
THERE ARE NOW THREE BASIC MEDIUMS THE ARTIST CAN CHOOSE TO USE FOR THE 'OIL OUT '.
EACH WILL ACCOMPLISH A DIFFERENT PURPOSE.
1. THE CSO ' VISCOUS EMULSION: Use this to paint very fine details and micro-fine lines as Van Eyck painted.
The CSO 'Non-Viscous Emulsion' is a slower drying version of the Viscous Emulsion, and is described in my book.
2. THE CSO ' AGUADO' : Use this to paint with a more fluid paint and for large paintings as Velazquez painted.
3. CSO ' ESPESO' : Use this to paint with MAXIMUM THIXOTROPY as Rubens and Rembrandt painted.

THANK YOU
LOUIS R. VELASQUEZ
11-16-2010 COPYRIGHT 2010

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON RUBENS' METHOD

My study , research, testing and painting with Rubens' methods and materials has given me an insight into the
extraordinary painting procedures of this genius level painter.

1.Because Rubens' paint becomes quickly unmanageable due to the rapid evaporation of the solvent and varnish, I
see Rubens as using a full time expert assistant nearby as he painted. This ssistant kept the paint prepared and
fluid, much like a skilled surgeon in surgury, asking the attendant for a specific knife or tool that is then handed for
use.

2. Because of the constant need for his unique and ground paint preparation, I see Rubens using a large flat table
palette, with minimal use of a hand palette. Again, the assistant insures the paint is continuously properly prepared
and ready for use.

3. I believe Rubens did not always need nor desire to paint a painting in one day. He would do so as needed for
simple portrait studies. I see Rubens NOT using the Pine Tree Tar for these quick one day paintings for several
reasons. I see Rubens using an Egg Tempera or Casein Tempera for the monotone because it dries instantly. The
Pine Tree Tar offers no advantage of SPEED under these circumstances.

4. I see Rubens using the Pine Tree Tar in larger more complex paintings where absolute speed of completion is
NOT a requirement nor goal. This then allowed him to paint the monotone using the Pine Tar's golden brown
coloring to full advantage without any addition of UMBER. Umber deadens the unique golden glowing brown of the
Pine Tree tar even so slightly. Without the Umber, Rubens then allowed the Pine Tar to dry naturally over several
days. My tests show the advantage of the use of an AGUADO "oil out" of the board, followed by the mixture of a
50/50 mixture of chalk with the Pine Tar. This procedure also eliminates the high content of Turpentine solvent in the
air, which Rubens certainly recognized as a hazard. Certainly Rubens made many tests and experiments to gain
intimate knowledge of how Pine Tar is best applied and when.

IMPORTANCE AND PERMANENCE OF THE “ OIL OUT”
The use of an ' OIL OUT" in painting is a distinguished and important painting procedure well documented throughout
the history of oil painting and was used by the GREATEST masters, such as Rubens, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Titian.
...YET, Ignorant ' logic thinking art experts' of the 20th century--some lacking painting experience, others ignoring the
lessons and procedures of the Old Masters, and ALL OF THEM ignorant of the superior true oil of the Old Masters
because they are accustomed to using the INFERIOR industrial linseed oil of the 19th and 20th century,… ALL
coupled with improperly interpreting SCIENCE...have ' WARNED' artists NOT TO OIL OUT. because they claim
linseed oil will YELLOW. They further WARN, ' the LESS OIL THE BETTER". This is mistaken, misguided and
IGNORANT advice from these ' experts'. It is reminiscent of the IGNORANT condemnation of the OIL PAINTING
MEDIUM by 19th century French Academics who similarly WARNED artists of their day...saying oil paintings will
yellow--as they IGNORED the perfectly preserved colors and paint of the Van Eyck paintings and other 400 year old
FLAXSEED/LINSEED OIL paintings IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES.

ART TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY OF THE “ OIL OUT”
Art terms from different cultures and languages are used interchangeably and with cultured respect for words of
NATIONAL LANGUAGE ORIGIN. Sfumato, Mische, Mahlstick Sgraffito,Aguado, Espeso, Frottage ... ALL have
meaning to an artist.
Yet some MAL INFORMED English speaking artist-authors refer to an OIL OUT...as a COUCH. The proper term is
COUCHE [ accent on the last letter] , a French word that means , ' a thin film of oil'.
It is ironic that these mal informed artists sit on their COUCH furniture as they write their art essays.
THE TERM, "OIL OUT" is instructive: It is short for 'OIL rubbed in and oil wiped OUT'
This process gives the ultra thin layer that is needed for masterful control of the oil paint.

HOW TO PREPARE WOOD PANELS AND RAW CANVAS WITH
OLD MASTER HIDE GLUE SIZING and...GESSO

1. Buy only top quality, good weight, TIGHT weave Cotton or Linen canvas. HOLD IT UP TO THE LIGHT--IF YOU CAN SEE
THROUGH IT--DON'T BUY IT. Or, use only high quality hardwood plywood.
2. Mix and stir well, 1 volume ounce of dry Rabbit Skin Glue granules in 10 fluid ounces of water. Allow to stand in a capped jar
overnight. The glue forms a rubbery solid packed gel. ANY EXCESS water will float on top of the glue gel.
3. Next day, pour out any excess water that may be floating on the gel. —
IMPORTANT: DO NOT STIR IT INTO THE GEL. Let it drain out. The solid gel remains in place.
4. Remove the jar’s cap and place the jar of gelled glue in a pot of COLD water. Do not let any water get into the jar.
5. Light the stove to a moderate high flame. In 8 minutes the water will be boiling. The solid glue gel will become fluid. Stir the glue for
an additional 3 minutes more or less until it is fluid and HOT. Touch the glue. It should not BOIL. It should be HOT, not warm, not cold
nor cool. Place some in your hand and rub it around. You will notice it will be very STICKY and VISCOUS.
6. FOR CANVAS stretch and tack the raw canvas to its stretchers. Use a wide brush and briskly pounce a LIBERAL amount into the
canvas with force. Make sure it completely penetrates the canvas all the way through to the other side. If you wish, apply a SINGLE
coat to the back to insure the threads are fully saturated with glue. Use the palm of your hand to smooth the glue to make sure the front
coat of glue is thin but fully covering the canvas. Keeping the canvas vertical helps for excess to flow downwards to avoid puddles.
7. Place the wet canvas in a well ventilated and dry warm area and allow it to dry hard.. It takes less than an hour. Then reheat the
glue as before. Apply a second liberal coat and let this dry well and hard. You will notice the second coat will be much more shiny than
the canvas with only one coat.
8. FOR WOOD, apply two liberal coats of the hot glue, allowing the first coat to dry hard.
9. NEXT STEP: You can do a number of different things at this time.
[A] If you will begin by painting with any type of TEMPERA as an under painting for oil paint, you must apply a coat or two or more of
thin gesso made of chalk with the glue. DO NOT seal this glue gesso so the tempera can adhere..
[B] If you will begin with oil paints, you can apply one coat or more coats of glue gesso. IMPORTANT: You must then seal the glue
gesso with a thin coat of hot glue before oil painting.
[C] You can choose to apply a coat of oil paint instead of a glue gesso, and wait for it to dry before beginning the oil painting. Some
masters painted on the sized canvas without having applied an oil paint primer. There are many reasons for using an oil primer of any
color or color mixtures, be it white, light or dark and as a single coat or a double coat of oil paint.

IMPORTANT TECHNICAL POINTS ON WHEN TO SEAL THE GESSO

1. DO NOT SEAL THE GESSO with a glue coat if you will NOT BE USING using oil paints during any of the painting.
BEGIN by sealing the support with glue and applying a glue gesso. If the goal is to SOLELY paint with an Egg tempera or a Casein tempera paint ....the gesso MUST
remain absorbent for the TEMPERA PAINT to adhere.

2. DO NOT SEAL THE GESSO with a glue coat if you WILL BE APPLYING tempera paint and then will be applying oil paints on top of the Tempera paint. If you are using
any TEMPERA PAINT as the under painting for eventual OIL PAINT over painting, do not seal the gesso with glue. Allow the gesso to remain absorbent so the TEMPERA
will adhere. Once the TEMPERA PAINT is dried DO NOT SEAL the tempera paint with a SEALANT such as a VARNISH. Instead, IMPREGNATE the tempera paint with sun
oil to allow the Tempera to breathe and CURE over time with the oil. Once the Tempera paint is IMPREGNATED with oil, you can apply oil paints on top.

CALCITE SUN OIL
PORTRAIT OF 'VALENTINA"

Use of CSO CASEIN TEMPERA allowed me to under paint this
portrait in a few minutes. It dried instantly. Faster than Acrylics.
Then in a few hours of slow paced oil painting, I finished it with
CALCITE SUN OIL, OIL PAINT.

I left it UNFINISHED on purpose to be used as a teaching aid.
This use of TEMPERA and OIL PAINT , a mixed technique,
allows a painter to finish a fully layered painting in a few hours.

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ON RUBENS' METHOD, TEST EXPERIMENTS, EXCERPT
FROM MAROGER'S BOOK AND MORE

PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS WITH CLOSED MINDS

Dealing with ‘experienced or trained ’ artists is a challenge, especially those who have closed their
minds and are reluctant to learn of NEW knowledge. And, especially if the new information does NOT
FIT into the methods they value as important and valuable. Bob Dylan’s song, “the Times They Are a-
Changing” comes to mind when I think of this artist, whom I will discuss, but, in fairness, not name.

Having noted in the Internet this artist was dedicated to researching the work of Rubens, I initiated a
conversation. Four letters later he abruptly terminated the conversation. My contact was meant as an
educational exchange regarding the Methods and Materials used by Rubens. I discussed my new
upcoming DVD on Rubens, my proposal of Rubens’ use of Pine Tree Tar Resin, as well as other
aspects of Rubens’ methods and Materials. The artist made comments indicating he is an authority on
Rubens’ Methods and Materials and stated he has worked hard for many years trying every medium
and mixture he could … to try and duplicate Rubens’ paint effects. At the same time he admits to
having constantly changed his opinions regarding Rubens Methods and Materials as well as to
uncertainty regarding other issues of Methods and Materials Rubens used. I do not hold this against
him, because Doctors, Lawyers , and art conservators in museums are also—always revising and
changing their views on topics. Still, the indecision and changes tell me this artist is NOT an authority of
Rubens’ Methods and Materials. It would be unfair to name this artist, so I will not divulge his name.

In our letters, this artist advised me I was TOTALLY WRONG in my assessment of Rubens’ method of
procedure but he was not specific [ his opinion is assuredly made because I DIFFER with his personal
valued opinion]. My response to him was that use of the expression ‘TOTALLY WRONG’ was
inappropriate and inaccurate and certainly not academically acceptable – no one is TOTALLY
WRONG, not even he. He wrote to apologize, saying it was NOT what he meant. Forgiveness is part of
progress and I informed him I was not holding this against him. But I told him I can not counter any
critique that is GENERAL … but I can respond to SPECIFIC comments. The fact is NO ONE … not
even this artist ….really knows the NUANCES and VARIATIONS in Rubens’ creative use of Materials
and Methods he used.

Furthermore, this artist would not respond to SPECIFIC QUESTIONS I asked. Such as , ‘Have you ever
used the authentic oil that Rubens used? ‘Do you cleanse your oil?, and if you do, what method do you
use? , and, Do you hand grind your dry pigments as Rubens did? And, you say you know nothing of
GLAIR? And, have you ever used CSO, the Viscous Emulsion, the non-viscous emulsion, Aguado,
Espeso? As I stated in the beginning here, he abruptly terminated the conversation, stating we were so
far apart that any further discussion was pointless. I ask you the reader, ‘ How can ANY discussion of
issues, regardless of disagreements, be POINTLESS?”

CONCLUSION:
My MISSION is to EDUCATE ARTISTS ABOUT THE SAFETY, AND USE OF THE MATERIALS. My
goal is NOT TO MAKE friends IF it is at the expense of TRUTH , INTEGRITY, and of my stated
MISSION. I try to reach out to Fine Artists but I cannot OPEN CLOSED MINDS. - 2/10/2011

REASONS FOR RUBENS' CHOICE TO USE
THE PINE TREE TAR RESIN

1. PTTR was very abundantly plentiful and economically
low in cost. This saved more expensive Sun Thickened oil
for the over paint layers.

2. PTTR was very convenient. It is a liquid, ready-to-use
Pine Resin Varnish that is safe, permanent and
compatible with oils. Copal and Amber varnishes require
processing and additional cost.

3. PTTR is usable on flexible canvas supports as well as
on rigid wood supports. The equally fast drying TEMPERA
mediums are recommended to be used ONLY on rigid
supports.

4. COLOR: The golden glowing brown color was unique in
the 17th century and it is NOT A PIGMENT. Pine Tree Tar
Resin has no real TINTING capability. IT is a ready made
RESIN VARNISH that has a glowing golden brown to
golden brown black color.

5. ARTISTS TODAY can use Rubens' PTTR to duplicate
his EXACT results.

FIVE TEST PAINTINGS USING THE 4 FORMULAS
OF PINE TREE TAR RESIN
DESCRIBED IN THE DVD

TIME:
The 5 test paintings were done as
demonstrations regarding TIME
required to finish the multiple-layered
painting. All are 24" X 18 inches except
for the FINAL ONE with the DARK
BLUE blouse. It is 12"X 9". All were
painted within a couple of hours.
The FINAL ONE, was completed from
the beginning to end in about 4 hours.
This began with the GLUE COATS of
the wood, and the GLUE GESSO for its
light color. The PTTR MONOTONE
took 30 minutes or less. The OIL
PAINTING was completed in an hour
and a half-- The FACE is divided in
half VERTICALLY in the middle. I used
CSO mixed with TUBE PAINTS on the
viewers right ---and used--RUBENS
HAND GROUND oil paint on the left.
THE COMPLETED PAINTING dried
hard IN FOUR HOURS IN direct sun
light. Had I wished, I could have then
applied glazes and improved the detail.

These are DEMOS--not works of art.

RENE BENEVENUTTI'S MAGICAL PAINTING
"INFAME SORTILEGIO" is described on the HOME PAGE.

This is the first painting sent to me where the artist used
the PINE TREE TAR RESIN as the monotone under
painting as described on my DVD and website.

The main focus of my work is to help artists understand
their materials, so they may make intelligent choices, as to
the available options.

RENE has used the technical information to create a very
personal painting using the methods and materials of the
greatest of the Old Masters

HAVING SAID THAT
I hold that the very greatest paintings owe their magic to
one thing and that is the artists use of DIVINE DESIGN.
NOT all artists are gifted with this unique and special talent.
I believe RENE demonstrates it here in his painting.

THIS elevates the painting to a very high aesthetic
level--regardless of style or materials used.