Turpentine is the traditional solvent of the oil painting technique, and is a natural product. It can also be referred to as: spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, and wood turpentine. Chemically it is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene. Our rectified Brazilian gum turpentine is very pure and contains a minimal amount of the naturally present irritants and allergens. This is due to the quality of the raw material from which it is distilled. In fact, our product comes from the gum of pine trees whereas the majority of commercial products available today are made from wood pulp. A second distillation or rectification removes even more of the heavy compounds so that only the spirit remains. Use it to dissolve natural resins such as dammar, to make your own painting mediums and varnishes, to dilute your oil paints or simply to clean your tools. Like any solvent, this product should be used in a well ventilated area and tested thoroughly before selecting it for definitive use.
