Has anyone used Oil of Oregano?

Has anyone used basic odorless Paint Thinner and Titanium white as a background for a wet-on-wet oil painting?

• I'm painting my friend a Bob Ross painting for Christmas, and I don't have any Liquid White, or linseed oil to make my own. I do however have a oil paint thinner, which says it can replace turpentine, which can also be used to make a liquid base for a painting. Has anyone used this method? How well has it worked? Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks a bunch!

• Answer:

  you can do it but it makes for a fairly unstable base for your paint. It will dry very slowly and there is a danger that it can dry unevenly. If the canvas is not well grounded there is a danger that the paint can flake off over time. You see the Linseed oil acts as a binding agent which paint thinner does not do. You can, in a pinch, use a little bit of olive oil mixed in with it but then you run the risk over time that it will precipitate the growth of bacteria and the painting can actually grow mold. This is not very likely but can happen. Try a little test with olive oil (or another vegitable oil) and paint thinner and see what kind of results you get. Good luck.