After talking with Robert Doak, I followed his recommendation and purchased some of his Painting Goop. I shouldn’t have. I normally stay away from thick painting mediums, but I enjoyed my far-ranging conversion, and everything I’ve purchased before was top-quality, I thought, “Why not?”
Goop is thick, resembling toothpaste. When thinned with turp and worked with a brush, it becomes flowing and malleable. In this respect, it reminds me of other jelly-like mediums. Goop-loaded paint floats above the canvas surface; I can see why some artists might like it.
Goop has two shortcomings that render it useless for me. It lacks body. This might surprise readers unfamiliar with jellied mediums. You might assume that it would be too thick–have too much body. Nope. After it breaks down, Goop is very thin.
Worst, though, is the odor. It smells harshly of chemicals. Doak also sales PARALOID B-67 which is an alkyd-compatible acrylic resin. B-67 is supplied mixed with mineral spirits, or naphtha/Xylene. While I’m not sure what the ingredients are (Doak’s site doesn’t address it), based on the harsh smell, I assume Goop is made with B-67.
While I can see where some artists might find Goop useful, it’s not for me.
