Painter's Tips: drying additives for oil paint medium

I know I just posted but I want to respond to a question I received.

When one begins to paint in oils, you find your paintings stay wet a long while - making it hard to work with (the paints smears easily, especially if there is a lot of very fine detail) and you can't frame or mail them right away.  One solution is to add a drying agent to your paint medium.

One tip: use a good medium to mix with your paint, for example: 1/2 linseed oil or stand oil and 1/2 gamesol or other paint thinner.  (I like gamesol because it's almost odorless; even more so than some that claim to be but there are other options).   The gamesol or thinner helps the oil paint dry more quickly; the linseed oil will give it a luscious creamy flow as you apply it.  And your paint goes further. Remember to read the labels, follow safety warnings regarding toxicity etc. 

To further hasten drying time, there are other products (liquin, cobalt drier etc.).  These products should be used very sparingly.  If you use too much drier additive, the top layer of the paint will dry quickly, but the underneath layer may still be wet for awhile.  This can lead to crackling of the top layer and ruin your work.  This is not always the case; it depends a lot on how thick you are applying your paint and how much drying product you are using. 

There are dozens of mediums to use with your oil paint (mix your own or pre-mixed).  And many artists use none at all!   But if used correctly, these products can make painting with oils a lot easier.
Let me know if you have further questions.