Megilp also known as Macgilp and McGuilpis is an

oil painting Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...

medium consisting of a mixture of

mastic Mastic may refer to: Adhesives and pastes *Mastic (plant resin) *Mastic asphalt, or asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid * Mastic cold porcelain, or salt ceramic, is a traditional salt-based modeling clay. *Mastic, high-grade con ...

varnish Varnish is a clear transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not a stain. It usually has a yellowish shade from the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmented as desired, and is sold commercially in various ...

and an oil medium: such as walnut, linseed, safflower, poppy, or black oil (linseed oil) cooked with

litharge Litharge (from Greek lithargyros, lithos (stone) + argyros (silver) ''λιθάργυρος'') is one of the natural mineral forms of lead(II) oxide, PbO. Litharge is a secondary mineral which forms from the oxidation of galena ores. It forms as coa ...

white lead White lead is the basic lead carbonate 2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2. It is a complex salt, containing both carbonate and hydroxide ions. White lead occurs naturally as a mineral, in which context it is known as hydrocerussite, a hydrate of cerussite. It was ...

. Earlier recipes may omit the mastic and substitute wax. It makes oil paint thin, glossy and easy to work, with an extremely short drying time; and depending on the formulation, the modern, premixed glazes may help produce the sensation of depth, and help the painter by producing transparency that will hold in place rather than running or sagging, while at the same time sidestepping many of the traditional problems associated with Megilp, seeing how the archival quality of the older recipes is much disputed. Some claim the traditional, hand mixed medium causes paint to become yellow and brittle, while others claim that improperly prepared paint is the cause and that the longevity of Megilp (especially in its premixed glazing form) is excellent.

Victoria Finlay Victoria Finlay is a British writer and journalist, known for her books on colour and jewels. Her most famous book is ''Colour: Travels Through The Paint Box''. Career Finlay studied social anthropology at St Andrew's University, Scotland, and th ...

cites

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...

as an example of a painter whose reliance on Megilp has detracted from the longevity of his paintings. Specifically, she indicates his painting ''Girl With a Baby'' as one which has changed a great deal over time. Megilp was also used by

Turner Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters *Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for turni ...

and Sargent.

References

Painting materials {{art-material-stub