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People look for a substitute for linseed oil for different reasons. Some find that it yellows their whites. Some can’t stand the smell of a solvent-and-oil medium. Some just ran out on a Sunday night and wonder whether the olive oil in the kitchen will do. The best alternative to linseed oil for painting depends on which of those problems you are actually trying to solve, and a few popular suggestions online are genuinely bad ideas.
Quick answer: For most painters, the best alternative to linseed oil is another true drying oil: walnut oil if you want a traditional, slightly less yellowing all-rounder, or safflower oil if you mainly need pale whites and blues to stay clean. If you want faster drying, an alkyd medium is the usual swap. Never use cooking oils like olive, canola or coconut oil, because they do not dry and will leave a permanently soft, sticky film. If you want to buy a bottle today, M. Graham Walnut Oil Medium is the easiest all-round swap, and Gamblin Safflower Oil suits whites and pale final layers.
Why Painters Look for a Linseed Oil Alternative
Linseed oil is the standard binder and medium in oil painting for good reasons: it dries relatively quickly and forms a strong, flexible film. Its drawbacks are modest but real.
- Yellowing. Linseed yellows more than some other oils, which shows most in whites, pale blues and pastel tints.
- Drying speed. Some painters want it faster for layering; others want it slower for wet-into-wet work.
- Odor and sensitivity. A few people dislike the smell, though most odor complaints actually come from the solvent mixed with it.
- Availability. Sometimes you simply do not have any on hand.
Sometimes the issue is the specific bottle rather than linseed itself, so it is worth comparing refined, cold-pressed and stand linseed oils before switching oils entirely.
Before swapping, it helps to know what linseed oil is doing for you, because any replacement needs to do the same job: cure through oxidation into a solid film that holds pigment.
What Makes a Good Substitute: Drying vs Non-Drying Oils
Oils fall into three broad groups based on how readily they react with oxygen and harden.
| Category | Examples | Suitable for Oil Painting? |
|---|---|---|
| Drying oils | Linseed, walnut, poppy, safflower (certain varieties), tung | Yes, these cure into a solid film |
| Semi-drying oils | Sunflower, soybean | Used in some commercial paints, but slow and softer; not ideal as a DIY medium |
| Non-drying oils | Olive, canola, coconut, mineral (baby) oil | No, they never cure and stay soft or greasy |
Commercial safflower oil sold for painting comes from seed varieties high in the fatty acids that allow drying. Food-grade safflower from the supermarket may be a high-oleic variety bred for cooking stability, which dries poorly. Buy painting oils from art suppliers.
The Best Alternatives to Linseed Oil for Painting, Compared
| Alternative | Drying Speed vs Linseed | Yellowing | Film | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut oil | Somewhat slower | Less | Good, slightly softer | General painting, brush cleaning, solvent-free studios |
| Safflower oil | Slower | Low | Softer | Whites, pale tints, final light layers |
| Poppy oil | Much slower | Low | Softest, cracks if thick | Long wet-into-wet sessions, thin final layers only |
| Alkyd medium | Much faster | Low | Tough, flexible | Glazing, fast layering, plein air |
| Solvent-free gel or fluid medium | Varies by product | Varies | Depends on base oil | Odor-sensitive painters |
| Water-mixable oil medium | Similar to the paint | Varies | Designed for water-mixable oils | Painters who use water-mixable oils exclusively |
1. Walnut oil: the closest all-round substitute
Walnut oil has a long history in painting and was widely used before linseed became dominant in some regions. It dries a little slower than linseed and tends to yellow less, while still forming a reasonably durable film. It has a thinner, smoother feel on the brush, which many painters like for detailed work.
Two cautions: walnut oil can go rancid if stored warm or open, so buy small bottles and keep them capped and cool. And anyone with a nut allergy should be careful handling it.
2. Safflower oil: for whites and pale colors
Safflower oil is pale and yellows less than linseed, which is why several paint makers bind their whites in it. As a medium, it is a sensible choice in light passages, skies and pastel tints. Its film is softer and it dries slower, so it is not ideal for underlayers that need to firm up quickly.
3. Poppy oil: slow and pale, but use sparingly
Poppy oil is the slowest of the common drying oils and stays pale. That long open time is useful if you like blending wet-into-wet across several sessions. The drawback is a weaker film that is more prone to cracking, especially if used in thick or lower layers. Keep it to thin, final applications.
4. Alkyd mediums: when you want speed
Alkyd mediums are synthetic resins modified with oil. They are not a direct oil substitute, but they replace linseed oil in its role as a painting medium. They speed drying, often to overnight for thin layers, level well for glazes and tend to resist yellowing. They are a common choice for painters who want to build layers on a schedule.
Most alkyd mediums contain solvent, so ventilation still matters. They also become tacky on the palette within an hour or so; mix small amounts.
5. Solvent-free mediums
Several brands sell gel or fluid mediums designed for solvent-free studios. Many are based on safflower or another drying oil with added resins or thickeners. These work well for painters whose real problem is solvent odor rather than linseed oil itself.
6. Water-mixable oil mediums
If you paint with water-mixable oils, use the linseed or safflower-based mediums made for them. They keep the paint compatible with water cleanup. Traditional linseed oil can be added to water-mixable paint in small amounts, but large amounts reduce its water-mixability.
Linseed Oil Alternatives You Can Buy on Amazon
Walnut and safflower oil only work as substitutes when they are refined for artists, not pulled from the grocery shelf. The bottles below are sold specifically as oil painting mediums. We picked them from Amazon listings checked in October 2026, judging what each listing says about the oil, how well it matches the goals in the table above, and how widely Amazon buyers review it. We have not painted with them, so the notes rely on listing details and the long-established behavior of each oil.
| Product | Best For | Key Spec | Price Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| M. Graham Walnut Oil Medium (8 oz) | Solvent-free painting and brush cleaning | Walnut oil, 8 fl oz | $$ |
| Natural Earth Paints Refined Walnut Oil (8 oz) | Glazing, blending, mulling your own paint | Refined walnut oil, 8 fl oz | $$ |
| Gamblin Safflower Oil (8.5 oz) | Whites, pale tints, final layers | Low-viscosity safflower oil, 8.5 oz | $$ |
1. M. Graham Walnut Oil Medium (8 oz) — Best for Solvent-Free Painting
M. Graham sells this walnut oil as a painting medium, not a food oil. Its listing describes it as nontoxic and solvent free, says that adding it to color increases flow and slows drying, and notes that it lifts color out of brushes without creating a solvent hazard. That last point is why many painters reach for it when they want to clear turpentine and mineral spirits out of the studio altogether.
M. Graham grinds its own oil colors in walnut oil, so this medium sits naturally alongside that line, but walnut oil also mixes with ordinary linseed-based tube paint.
Best suited for: painters moving to a solvent-free setup who want one oil for thinning paint and cleaning brushes.
Key features:
- 8 fl oz bottle
- Listed as solvent free and nontoxic
- Increases flow and slows drying when added to color
- Made in the USA
Pros:
- Doubles as a brush-cleaning oil
- A true drying oil, so it cures like linseed
- Listing emphasizes a non-yellowing film
Limitations:
- Slower drying than linseed, so layers stay tacky longer
- Walnut oil can turn rancid if stored warm or left open; keep it capped and cool
- Adding extra oil to lower layers works against the fat-over-lean rule
Buying consideration: If you only want to try walnut oil, the same medium is listed in a 4-ounce bottle, and studios that clean a lot of brushes with oil can step up to the 32-ounce size.
2. Natural Earth Paints Refined Walnut Oil (8 oz) — Best for Glazing and Making Your Own Paint
Natural Earth Paints lists this refined walnut oil as an archival medium for mixing pigment, glazing, blending and extending drying time. The title also calls it a non-yellowing binder, which matters if you grind dry pigment into paint yourself rather than only thinning tube colors.
The listing leans on marketing terms such as “museum-quality,” so treat those as claims. What you can rely on is the oil itself: a refined walnut oil behaves like the walnut entry in the comparison table, a little slower and less yellowing than linseed.
Best suited for: painters who glaze, blend wet-into-wet, or mull their own paint from powdered pigment.
Key features:
- 8 fl oz bottle of refined walnut oil
- Positioned for mixing, glazing and blending
- Described as a non-yellowing binder
- Made with eco-friendly practices according to the listing
Pros:
- Works as both a medium and a paint binder
- Listing focuses on smooth flow and brush control
- Good fit for a solvent-free studio
Limitations:
- Extends drying time, which can slow layered work
- Several listing claims are promotional rather than technical
- Too much oil in a mix can wrinkle or stay soft
Buying consideration: If you plan to make paint from dry pigment, buy a plain binder-grade oil like this rather than a pre-thickened medium, and add it to the paint a few drops at a time.
3. Gamblin Safflower Oil (8.5 oz) — Best for Whites and Pale Tints
Gamblin describes its safflower oil as a slow-drying, low-viscosity medium that increases the flow of oil colors and can be mixed with Gamsol. Safflower is the oil many paint makers favor for whites and pale colors because it yellows less than linseed, which makes it the natural pick for the “less yellowing in whites” goal in the table above.
The trade-off, as covered earlier, is a softer and slower film. Keep it for light passages and upper layers rather than underpainting.
Best suited for: portrait, still life and landscape painters who want clean whites, pale blues and skin highlights.
Key features:
- 8.5 oz bottle
- Low viscosity, increases flow
- Slow drying
- Can be mixed with Gamsol
Pros:
- Pale oil suited to light colors
- Thin consistency mixes in easily
- Pairs with a widely used odorless solvent
Limitations:
- Softer film than linseed, so not ideal in lower layers
- Slow drying stretches out layered work
- The listing gives little technical detail beyond the basics
Buying consideration: Gamblin also lists a smaller 4.2 oz bottle if you only need it for whites. Use it sparingly in final layers and keep the leaner, faster oil underneath.
What About Stand Oil, Refined Oil and Other Linseed Types?
If your complaint is yellowing or a too-thin consistency, you might not need to leave linseed entirely. Stand oil, a heat-thickened linseed oil, yellows noticeably less than raw or refined linseed and levels beautifully in glazes. Sun-thickened linseed dries faster. Switching type can solve the problem without changing how your paint layers interact. Our guide to the best linseed oil for oil painting breaks down which linseed types suit glazing, everyday mixing and fast drying, which is worth reading before abandoning linseed altogether.
Oils You Should Never Use as a Substitute
Several suggestions circulate online that will ruin a painting slowly. They may seem to work for the first few days because the paint is still wet everywhere, but they never cure.
- Olive oil. Non-drying. Leaves a permanently soft, greasy layer that attracts dust and can cause upper layers to slide or wrinkle.
- Vegetable, canola and corn oil. Semi-drying at best, often non-drying in practice. Yellow and stay tacky.
- Coconut oil. Non-drying and solid at cool temperatures.
- Baby oil or mineral oil. Petroleum oil that never dries.
- Hardware boiled linseed oil. Technically a drying oil, but formulated for wood with metallic driers and sometimes other additives; not designed for artwork.
These oils are fine for one thing in the studio: some painters use vegetable or baby oil to loosen paint from brushes at the end of a session, followed by thorough soap-and-water washing. Just do not let them anywhere near the painting.
What About Tung Oil and Hemp Oil?
Tung oil is a fast drying oil used in wood finishing. Pure tung oil can wrinkle and develop a frosted surface when it dries thick, and many products labeled “tung oil finish” are actually blends with varnish and solvent. It is not a standard painting medium, and results are unpredictable.
Hemp seed oil is a drying oil and has been used experimentally by some painters. It is not widely available in artist grade, and its long-term behavior in paintings is less documented than walnut or safflower. Treat it as an experiment rather than a reliable swap.
How to Switch Without Causing Problems
Changing oils mid-painting is possible but requires attention to the fat-over-lean principle, because different oils dry at different speeds.
- Keep slower oils on top. If you switch from linseed to poppy or safflower, use the slower oil in later layers, not underneath faster-drying linseed layers.
- Do not sandwich a slow layer. A poppy or safflower layer trapped between linseed layers can stay soft while the layers around it harden, which risks cracking.
- Use alkyd early, not late. Fast-drying alkyd mediums are safest in lower and middle layers. A very fast alkyd layer on top of slow oil layers can crack as the lower layers continue to move.
- Test first. Paint a strip on a scrap panel with the new oil and the colors you use most, and check it over a week for drying and yellowing.
- Use less than you think. Whichever oil you choose, small additions work better than generous ones.
Choosing by Goal
| Your Goal | Best Alternative | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Less yellowing in whites | Safflower oil, or stand oil | Use in the light passages and final layers |
| Faster drying | Alkyd medium | Thin layers can be dry overnight |
| Longer working time | Poppy or safflower oil | Keep layers thin; only in upper layers |
| Solvent-free studio | Walnut oil or solvent-free gel | Clean brushes with oil, then soap |
| Smoother, thinner flow | Walnut oil | Store cool to prevent rancidity |
| Glossy, level glazes | Stand oil (linseed) or alkyd glazing medium | Thin with a little solvent if needed |
Matching the Alternative to Your Painting Style
The same substitute can be perfect for one painter and frustrating for another. How you paint matters as much as which oil you buy.
Alla prima and wet-into-wet painters
If you finish paintings in one or two sessions, you want paint that stays workable. Walnut or safflower oil in small amounts extends open time without making paint sticky. Alkyd mediums work against you here, because they start to tighten on the palette and canvas within the hour.
Layered and glazed paintings
Painters who build a picture over weeks benefit from faster, more predictable drying between layers. An alkyd medium in the lower and middle layers, followed by a little stand oil or walnut oil in the final glazes, keeps the sequence moving while respecting fat over lean.
Portrait and figure painters
Skin tones rely on subtle whites and pale warm mixtures, where yellowing is most visible. Safflower oil, or a pale stand oil, in the lightest flesh passages is a common precaution, while darker shadows and backgrounds can use ordinary linseed.
Plein air painters
Outdoor painters usually want paintings dry enough to transport within a day or two. A small amount of alkyd medium is the practical choice. Slow oils like poppy can leave wet panels smearing in a carrier box.
Impasto and knife painters
Thick paint dries slowly no matter what, and slow oils make it slower. Avoid poppy and heavy safflower additions in impasto. If you want to speed thick passages, an alkyd impasto gel is designed for that job.
Common Mistakes When Replacing Linseed Oil
- Buying food-grade oils. Supermarket walnut or safflower oil may be processed differently and is not intended for painting.
- Using a slow oil in the underpainting. This makes the base layer fatter and slower than later layers.
- Assuming “less yellowing” means “no yellowing.” All drying oils change slightly with age.
- Overloading poppy oil. Its softer film is fine in thin layers but can wrinkle or crack in thick ones.
- Mixing too many mediums at once. Change one variable at a time so you know what caused any problem.
FAQs
Can I use olive oil instead of linseed oil for painting?
No. Olive oil is a non-drying oil, so it never hardens. Paint mixed with it stays soft and greasy and can cause wrinkling or sliding in later layers.
Is walnut oil better than linseed oil for painting?
Not better, just different. Walnut oil yellows less and feels smoother but dries a little slower and forms a slightly softer film. Many painters use both, with linseed in lower layers and walnut in upper ones.
What is the best linseed oil substitute for whites?
Safflower oil is the most common choice because it is pale and yellows less. Stand oil is another option if you want to stay with linseed but reduce yellowing.
Can I use baby oil to thin oil paint?
No. Baby oil is mineral oil, which never dries. It is sometimes used to clean paint from brushes, but it should never be mixed into paint on a painting.
Can you paint with oil paint without adding any oil?
Yes. Tube oil paint already contains its binder oil, so many painters use it straight or with only a solvent in early layers. A medium is optional, not required.
Is an alkyd medium safe to use with linseed-based paints?
Yes. Alkyd mediums are designed to mix with standard oil paints. Use them mainly in lower and middle layers, and keep the fat-over-lean principle in mind.
Final Thoughts
The right replacement depends on your problem. Walnut or safflower oil handles yellowing and odor. Alkyd handles drying speed. Kitchen oils fix nothing. For many painters, the simplest fix is a different type of linseed, such as stand oil, rather than a different oil entirely. To see which linseed oils are worth keeping on your shelf, read our linseed oil picks for painters.
