Description
Clove oil is a pale yellow to dark brown oil derived from the clove tree cultivated in the Moluccas or Spice Islands (now Maluka of Indonesia), Madagascar, Zanzibar, and the Philippines. The principal component of clove oil is eugenol. It is very slightly soluble in water and soluble in organic solvents.
This clove oil is obtained by redistillation of crude clove leaf oil obtained initially by steam distillation of the dried leaves from cultivated non-GMO clove trees. The oil is pure and natural, and unadulterated. Raw materials and processed oil were never irradiated. The oil was never tested on animals. Analysis of the clove oil shows that the main component of the oil is eugenol, with a concentration of 85%. Eugenol is a natural antioxidant that prevents or slows the rate of oxidation of vegetable oils.
Uses in painting
Painters use clove oil to slow the drying time of oil paints substantially. Although some artists recommend adding a drop of clove oil per inch of paint squeezed from the tube, we do not recommend its use in this manner. Although some claim that it darkens paint, using clove oil as a drying retarder in oil paint is greatly discouraged as its addition tends to weaken the dried paint film substantially.
One way to effectively use clove oil to preserve oil paint fresh on the palette is to add a few drops to a cotton ball and place the palette along with the cotton ball containing the clove oil in a sealable container, such as a Sta-Wet palette.
A drop or two of clove oil can also suppress the odour of turpentine, and even this small amount can give a pleasant odour.
Clove oil is also used as a preservative in water-based painting mediums, such as casein, egg tempera, glue (distemper), and watercolour. Add a drop to 100 ml of the paint medium, for example, to preserve the paint.
