The Distinction Between Michael Harding Miracle Mediums

The Michael Harding Miracle Mediums present artists with a variety of 5 distinctive merchandise for a solvent-free oil portray follow. With interesting qualities akin to being cruelty-free, solvent-free, virtually odourless, and secure to journey with, it’s secure to say that the Miracle Medium merchandise are of curiosity to all oil painters. On this article, I’ll talk about their qualities. I’ll element the end, drying time, and dealing with of every one, to analyze learn how to get probably the most out of every bottle.

The Distinction Between Michael Harding Miracle Mediums

The Miracle Medium Vary

Michael Harding developed the Miracle Medium vary to create ‘Miracle’ oil portray mediums which are solvent-free, produced from renewable plant sources, virtually odourless, and secure to journey with. Since his model’s inception in 1982, Harding strove to create artists’ supplies of the very best high quality, with respect for conventional processes. His merchandise are developed by way of analysis into methods of the Outdated Masters and the opinions of up to date artists alike. The Miracle Medium vary represents progress in direction of the way forward for safer oil portray. So, it will likely be fascinating to see how work made with these merchandise age within the coming years.

The Miracle Medium is an innovation distinctive to the Michael Harding model, and subsequently a transparent ingredient record isn’t publicly accessible. Harding has given assurance that it’s 100% derived from crops and doesn’t include palm oil. Nevertheless it does include soy so needs to be averted by anybody with a soy allergy. The primary product within the vary is Miracle Medium (MM0) by itself. The opposite 4 include it as a key element, mixed with different acquainted artists’ mediums. On this method, MM0 takes the place of a standard turpentine.

For my first swatch, I utilized every Miracle Medium product to my oil portray paper alone, to check for staining, and sheen, and to show the feel of MM5. To their credit score, not one of the merchandise left a stain, and are distinguishable by their diversified finishes.

Stain check of all of the Michael Harding Miracle Mediums

Miracle Medium: MM0
Incorporates: Soy, and undisclosed elements (Vegan)

The bottom product of the vary is MM0 – Miracle Medium. The opposite merchandise include added elements and subsequently, have totally different properties. By itself, the Miracle Medium can be utilized to color with and as an efficient brush cleaner. All the bottled MM merchandise can be found in 100 ml, 250 ml, and 1000 ml. Of the 5 merchandise, MM0 was the one one to reach in a glass bottle somewhat than plastic. The bottles on this vary have security cap lids, which take some effort to open however are very safe for placing right into a provides bag.

On first use of MM0, I discovered it to be easy to color with, and lean in feeling. It’s not as dry as portray with a pure turpentine, because it has a lightweight oily feeling. MM0 is nearly odourless, with no scent within the air, and a really faint chemical scent in the event you actually attempt to scent it. It evaporates from the paint utilized with out accelerating drying time like turpentine does. As a consequence of this MM0 takes a substantial period of time to dry down in oil paint in comparison with turpentine, however was the quickest to the touch dry out of the Miracle Medium vary. It took about 5 days for my MM0 swatches to the touch dry, however this might range relying in your floor, the temperature, and the paint you’re utilizing.

For the entire following swatches on this article, I used MM0 as my brush cleaner, and it was very efficient. I like that while you dip a unclean brush into it, the paint doesn’t instantly disperse into the liquid, dirtying it. You may clear your brushes, while additionally protecting this cleansing medium largely paint-free, which reduces the necessity for altering jars due to contamination. I discovered it wasn’t harsh on the hairs, but additionally in a short time eliminated the paint on them when rubbed right into a rag.

Miracle Medium, Oil Paint Medium: MM1
Incorporates: Miracle Medium and Linseed Stand Oil (Vegan)

MM1 is an oil portray medium, maybe the equal of a basic combination of turpentine and linseed oil. Since this product is Miracle Medium pre-combined with Linseed Stand Oil, it’s technically “fatter” than the MM0, however in utilization isn’t thick in dealing with. It nonetheless has a slick high quality with an added sheen. Should you’d like to extend the oil content material of this product, you possibly can simply add some extra, or have full management by including your personal ratio to MM0. I feel it is extremely helpful to have a pre-mixed oil medium in a conveyable plastic bottle, because you solely must carry one factor with you for portray on the go.

MM1 is slick and runny, with a lightweight yellowish color within the bottle which disappears within the paint. It has the very faint scent of linseed oil because it’s an ingredient, which I discover nice and non-intrusive. It’s easy to disperse paint quickly and evenly with this product, which might be simple to wipe off on this early stage. Constructed up in layers this may have a beautiful delicate impact, with a number of flexibility relying on how a lot of the medium you utilize. It’s really helpful that you just sometimes use round 20% of the medium, with 80% paint, and I’ve demonstrated a couple of totally different ratios right here with the identical color. From left to proper they’re 5% medium and 95% paint, 20% medium and 80% paint, and 40% medium and 60% paint.

Totally different ratios of Michael Harding Miracle Medium MM1 – accessible in 100 ml, 250 ml, and 1000 ml

I additionally determined to immediately evaluate MM0 with MM1, since they’re each portray mediums. Typically, there isn’t a pronounced visible distinction between these swatches other than sheen. MM1 is glossier to color with resulting from its oil content material, and this may be seen within the barely shinier dried end. MM1 additionally took a bit longer to dry down than MM0, after per week versus 5 days.

Michael Harding Miracle Medium MM1 – accessible in 100 ml, 250 ml, and 1000 ml

Miracle Medium, Fast Drying Dammar Glaze: MM2
Incorporates: Miracle Medium and Dammar Resin (Vegan)

MM2 was particularly created for including glazes to grease work. It is vitally comparable in consistency to MM1 (slick and runny), and is darker in color within the bottle as a result of dammar element. Sometimes dammar varnishes and glazes give oil work a gloss end, and that is undoubtedly true for this product. By way of scent, this product has a barely stronger linseed-like scent than MM1, however continues to be non-obtrusive.

Michael Harding Miracle Medium Fast Drying Dammar Glaze – accessible in 100 ml, 250 ml, and 1000 ml

On the product data, we will see that it incorporates a “cobalt-free drier”, and that the ratio of 1:4 medium to color is really helpful, adjusting primarily based on the extent of transparency and gloss you wish to obtain. On the next swatches, I examined a couple of totally different ratios, to see the impact on the end as soon as contact dry. From left to proper these are 2:3, 1:4, and three:2.

All of those swatches took a very long time to dry down on my oil paper and I believe they’d have dried faster on primed canvas or board. They stayed sticky for almost all of the drying time and took over per week to dry down.

Michael Harding Miracle Medium Resin Oil Wax – accessible in 100 ml, 250 ml, and 1000 ml

Miracle Medium, Resin-Oil Wax: MM3
Incorporates: Miracle Medium, Linseed Stand Oil, Dammar Resin, and Beeswax

The Resin-Oil Wax of the vary is described as a ‘mushy portray paste’. It’s made with a mixture of Miracle Medium, linseed stand oil, and dammar resin (the entire parts of the earlier three merchandise mixed), with the addition of pure bleached beeswax. MM3 has been created so as to add texture and physique to grease paint, providing artists textural flexibility with a satin sheen. In comparison with the earlier merchandise, this one is the primary to have a ‘thicker’ feeling, and is much less shiny in look. Constructed up in layers, it will be attainable to create a delicate impasto impact with this product. I feel in distinction subsequent to glossier areas painted with the opposite mediums, it might create actually fascinating visible selection inside one portray.

Michael Harding Miracle Medium Resin Oil Wax – accessible in 100 ml, 250 ml, and 1000 ml

MM3 is much like MM1 and MM2 in having a lightweight linseed scent, which isn’t noticeable except you intentionally scent it. The swatches I painted with MM3 took over per week to dry down. This can be a results of the mix of oil and wax protecting the swatch malleable for an prolonged time.

Miracle Medium, Beeswax Paste: MM4
Incorporates: Miracle Medium and Beeswax

MM4 is the one Miracle Medium product in a jar, which it’s a must to scoop out with a palette knife. Like the opposite merchandise within the vary, it’s accessible in 100 ml, 250 ml, and 1000 ml, and the most important measurement is available in a paint tin somewhat than a screw-top jar just like the smaller ones. It has a thick consistency however mixes seamlessly with oil paint. This product does have a barely chunky consistency, which provides to the impasto impact it offers in portray. This can be a good technique to lengthen your paint to construct up areas of thick impact, with out utilizing up an extreme quantity of paint.

Michael Harding Miracle Medium Beeswax Paste – accessible in 100 ml, 250 ml, and 1000 ml

For impasto painters, it’s akin to different beeswax and impasto pastes. However with the addition of the Miracle Medium it combines with little or no labour, and dries very slowly. This may give impasto painters added alternatives to control their paint for longer. All beeswax pastes will make the end of your dried portray ‘softer’ than one made with pure oil paint, and this product did take an particularly very long time to the touch dry, after about two weeks. For days after I utilized this paste, it felt principally the identical as after I first utilized it. The feel of my authentic marks have been fully preserved although, and the end is stuffed with the preliminary motion from software.

The Michael Harding Miracle Medium vary offers a compelling number of oil portray mediums to artists, with one thing to swimsuit all tastes. When mixed I feel that working between these merchandise on the identical floor would carry a variety of visible selection to your work, with a number of room for experimentation. Because the drying time is usually fairly gradual, these merchandise enable us to decelerate and regulate work with ease. Since the entire Miracle Medium merchandise include MM0, it’s additionally attainable to create your personal customized mixtures with it. For instance with an ingredient not seen within the vary like Walnut Oil, or just your personal oil ratio of desire. Total these merchandise aren’t solely nice in high quality, but additionally selection and adaptableness.