Galkyd Gel Oil Painting Medium is a thick gel medium made with Gamsol, designed to increase transparency, gloss, and texture in oil colour. It has a fast drying rate, with layers typically touch-dry within 24 to 48 hours.
The gel consistency supports impasto effects and can also be used in higher proportions with oil colour for glazing techniques. To help limit yellowing, applications should become thinner as the proportion of medium increases.
Maintenance of Alkyd Resin Mediums
Gamblin painting mediums (Galkyd, Galkyd Lite, Galkyd Slow Dry, Galkyd Gel, and Neo Megilp) are made with alkyd resin (highly polymerised soy oil) and Gamsol, a slow-evaporating, odourless mineral spirit. Because they dry first by solvent evaporation, any airspace in a newly opened bottle allows solvent to evaporate and the medium to start thickening.
To help prevent skinning and solidification, store tubes upside down. As the tube empties, the airspace increases and drying accelerates, but upside-down storage creates the best vapour lock by limiting airflow and solvent loss, even with the cap tightly closed.
