Tips on Oil Painting – Why Paint With Oils?
December 14, 2009 by admin
Filed under Visual Art
Remi Engels, Ph.D. asked:
Because oil paints have been used for many centuries, their properties are very well known.
Oil is, even today, still one of the easiest and most forgiving mediums you can work in. Creating an oil painting is in fact relatively easy compared to other mediums such as watercolor or even pastels.
The advantages of oil are many and various. Here are some of the most important ones:
* Oil paints are easily put onto a canvas or panel. You just put some paint on your brush and rub it on the canvas or panel. The paint will generally not run or move.
* Creating a painting becomes a matter of putting the right color paint in the right place. Of course, some artists are better at this than others.
* One great property of oil paints is that they do not change color when they dry as opposed, for example, to acrylics. Oils pretty much stay the same for a long period of time.
* It is very easy to correct a mistake when you paint with oils. Just scrape the paint off with a paint knife and repaint whatever it was you scraped off.
* Oil paint dries very slowly because they consist of small pigment particles suspended in oil.
In fact, each color has its own drying time. But all paints dry slow enough so that you can remove them days and even weeks after they were applied. This is also the reason why it is so easy to correct mistakes.
Of course, the disadvantage is that they dry … slowly. That means they stay wet longer although there exist mediums that, when mixed in with the paint, can significantly speed up the drying process if that is what you want.
* It is easy to mix tube colors on a palette and is usually done with a brush of paint knife. There are mediums to thicken the paint into a pasta-like consistency and mediums to thin the paint into a water-like consistency.
* Once a color mixture formula is memorized it is easy to consistently reproduce the mixture. This is less the case with most other mediums.
* The fact that oil paint dries so slowly also gives you more time to work and rework a painting. You have enough time to sleep on certain decisions you need to make. Acrylics, for example, dry much faster and give you less time to ponder your masterpiece before action is required.
* Oil paints are also easily blended. So, it becomes relatively easy to render smooth transitional areas between different colors or values.
* Oils are also amenable to a whole series of techniques each of which yields a different look and feel. One example of such a technique is glazing. In de glazing technique several thin layers of transparent paint are put on top of each other. Each layer must be thoroughly dry before the next one is applied. Once done light is reflected off each layer resulting into an unusual luminosity and brightness.
* Oil can be used on any number of grounds: canvas, panel canvas, glass, wood, paper, etc. each, when done correctly, with excellent and durable results.
These are some of the more important and interesting properties of oil paints that have given this medium the enduring popularity that it has.
Because oil paints have been used for many centuries, their properties are very well known.
Oil is, even today, still one of the easiest and most forgiving mediums you can work in. Creating an oil painting is in fact relatively easy compared to other mediums such as watercolor or even pastels.
The advantages of oil are many and various. Here are some of the most important ones:
* Oil paints are easily put onto a canvas or panel. You just put some paint on your brush and rub it on the canvas or panel. The paint will generally not run or move.
* Creating a painting becomes a matter of putting the right color paint in the right place. Of course, some artists are better at this than others.
* One great property of oil paints is that they do not change color when they dry as opposed, for example, to acrylics. Oils pretty much stay the same for a long period of time.
* It is very easy to correct a mistake when you paint with oils. Just scrape the paint off with a paint knife and repaint whatever it was you scraped off.
* Oil paint dries very slowly because they consist of small pigment particles suspended in oil.
In fact, each color has its own drying time. But all paints dry slow enough so that you can remove them days and even weeks after they were applied. This is also the reason why it is so easy to correct mistakes.
Of course, the disadvantage is that they dry … slowly. That means they stay wet longer although there exist mediums that, when mixed in with the paint, can significantly speed up the drying process if that is what you want.
* It is easy to mix tube colors on a palette and is usually done with a brush of paint knife. There are mediums to thicken the paint into a pasta-like consistency and mediums to thin the paint into a water-like consistency.
* Once a color mixture formula is memorized it is easy to consistently reproduce the mixture. This is less the case with most other mediums.
* The fact that oil paint dries so slowly also gives you more time to work and rework a painting. You have enough time to sleep on certain decisions you need to make. Acrylics, for example, dry much faster and give you less time to ponder your masterpiece before action is required.
* Oil paints are also easily blended. So, it becomes relatively easy to render smooth transitional areas between different colors or values.
* Oils are also amenable to a whole series of techniques each of which yields a different look and feel. One example of such a technique is glazing. In de glazing technique several thin layers of transparent paint are put on top of each other. Each layer must be thoroughly dry before the next one is applied. Once done light is reflected off each layer resulting into an unusual luminosity and brightness.
* Oil can be used on any number of grounds: canvas, panel canvas, glass, wood, paper, etc. each, when done correctly, with excellent and durable results.
These are some of the more important and interesting properties of oil paints that have given this medium the enduring popularity that it has.
Effective Ways for Cleaning Your Oil Painting
Ben Jonson asked:
First and foremost thing you should consider before trusting any oil painting method is that it must come with disclaimer. More than any other types of do-it-yourself process, oil painting cleaning must actually be trusted to professional conservators. On the other hand, if your painting does not carry expensive tag, or it is not really old, or not too critical, there are few options to make it look cleaner and brighter yourself. In addition, modifying true antiques in fact decreases their value, whether they look better to you or not.
During 1940s, paintings made from oil on canvas were normally covered with the layer of varnish to incorporate sheen and guard the thick layer of paint, name Impasto. However, varnish usually reacts differently to the surroundings than the paint do, so such varnish seals end up cracking, staining or gumming up over time. It could make the real tint of the oil paints appear dull or discolored.
In case, it looks that your painting has gone older, assess whether your paint is in good condition but the varnish has gone old. Here, try using mild solvent name conservation liquid. Art selling stores would usually sell an “emulsion” intended to clean and take away varnish. There is forever option that this solvent would as well harm or take out the oil paint. If you are eager take this risk then wipe the emulsion with a cotton scrub very carefully. Try to do spot-testing one bend before going on to the total canvas painting. Work in an area where you find sufficient ventilation.
When it comes to recent paintings, you might come across the trouble of build-up of smoke, dust, stain, pet hair (in case you have pets at home), dander, and even fungal development. Here, you need to make sure that none of the paints is prepared to come about the board or canvas, in the sense that it does not display any flakes and cracks. After that, you could watchfully clean up the surface with very dry and soft bristle brush, may be with baby toothbrush or shaving brush.
When the painting surface is steamy, mucky and oily, you might desire to take some steps for cleaning by means of detergent solution. However, usually it is not an good idea to mix up water and oil as the moisture could damage both the impasto and canvas. Moving with caution, you can use fresh cotton cloths dipped in a mixture of dish soap and hot water. Then next you need to lightly blot the base, make sure you don’t scrub or rub on the painting. Never should you allow submerging any part of painting, nor must you let the moisture to drip or pool.
First and foremost thing you should consider before trusting any oil painting method is that it must come with disclaimer. More than any other types of do-it-yourself process, oil painting cleaning must actually be trusted to professional conservators. On the other hand, if your painting does not carry expensive tag, or it is not really old, or not too critical, there are few options to make it look cleaner and brighter yourself. In addition, modifying true antiques in fact decreases their value, whether they look better to you or not.
During 1940s, paintings made from oil on canvas were normally covered with the layer of varnish to incorporate sheen and guard the thick layer of paint, name Impasto. However, varnish usually reacts differently to the surroundings than the paint do, so such varnish seals end up cracking, staining or gumming up over time. It could make the real tint of the oil paints appear dull or discolored.
In case, it looks that your painting has gone older, assess whether your paint is in good condition but the varnish has gone old. Here, try using mild solvent name conservation liquid. Art selling stores would usually sell an “emulsion” intended to clean and take away varnish. There is forever option that this solvent would as well harm or take out the oil paint. If you are eager take this risk then wipe the emulsion with a cotton scrub very carefully. Try to do spot-testing one bend before going on to the total canvas painting. Work in an area where you find sufficient ventilation.
When it comes to recent paintings, you might come across the trouble of build-up of smoke, dust, stain, pet hair (in case you have pets at home), dander, and even fungal development. Here, you need to make sure that none of the paints is prepared to come about the board or canvas, in the sense that it does not display any flakes and cracks. After that, you could watchfully clean up the surface with very dry and soft bristle brush, may be with baby toothbrush or shaving brush.
When the painting surface is steamy, mucky and oily, you might desire to take some steps for cleaning by means of detergent solution. However, usually it is not an good idea to mix up water and oil as the moisture could damage both the impasto and canvas. Moving with caution, you can use fresh cotton cloths dipped in a mixture of dish soap and hot water. Then next you need to lightly blot the base, make sure you don’t scrub or rub on the painting. Never should you allow submerging any part of painting, nor must you let the moisture to drip or pool.
Learn Oil Painting – Basic Beginner Steps
Bryon Zirker asked:
Oil paint dries very slowly, Unlike acrylic paints which dry very quickly. Acrylic paint was initially created as an underpainting medium for oil painting.
It is perfectly stable to put a base of acrylic and then place oil paint over it. Linseed oil added to oil paint will extend color, increase flow and increase workability. Oil paint with added medium is called long, oil paint used directly from the tube is called short or stiff.
You place you oil paints on a wooden board called a palette the very best palettes are made of pear wood.
It is very important to understand your paints and know which colors are:
Transparent (see through) Semi Opaque (slightly see through) and opaque (not see through) getting started put as much oil paint on your brush for two strokes three maximum always end your brush stroke on the canvas.
Make sure that you use linseed oil only when you are painting with the wet on wet method or process.
Do not confuse yourself with all of the many other mediums. Wait to discover those when you are more experienced. If you can actually afford the professional paints, definitely go ahead and buy them. You will notice immediately that they are completely different from the student paints.
Always buy the best brushes that you can afford. The Da Vinci brand brushes are the best professional brushes. Buy long handle bushes. The technique is to hold near the end of the handle. When developing talent one point to consider is the ability to take risks. Just play around with your paint however first understand it, only paint at an easel and make sure to stand back from your painting all the time. Never put your expensive brushes in turps when you are working in a session. Go ahead and wipe them clean with paper towels or cloth wash out your brushes in turps or a similar solvent at the end of a session and then be sure to clean immediately with soapy water.
Preparing the canvas the foundation of you piece
It is quite essential that you put on the first underpainting or wash on your canvas. This takes away the glare of the white (which will reflect back at you, quite annoying) and the more layers of paint you get onto your canvas the better and the more professional looking your painting, the more luminous the paint ant the more the painting will sing out with color and texture.
Traditionally an earth color of a burnt umber or raw umber, raw sienna or an ochre was painted on as a good first underpainting. Sometimes it can be pretty exciting to paint on a bright red or dark blue as your first underpainting especially when you are in the habit of putting on three or four layers and seeing the underpainting come through your painting. Use a big wash brush to apply the first underpainting it you use acrylic as your underpaint it will dry quickly and get you started quicker.
How to apply oil paint in two methods
1. Wet on wet or All Prima (in one step)
2. Stage Painting or Glazing Fat over lean
Wet on wet is applied by using the paint stiff, which is directly from the tube Or thinned to the consistency of salad dressing with linseed oil the essential part of painting wet on wet is making your brushes and painting knives do the work for you.
You definitely want to have full control of your brushes and experiment with different brushes to see the marks and texture streaks that they make.
Never work with turps unless you are working with the glazing method.
Never ever stand your brushes in any turps working in your painting session.
Turps will burn the bristles and inevitably there will be some left in the brush when you start to use color.
This will make it difficult to keep control of the flow or thickness of paint. The glazing technique is a process of building up your painting in a series of layers of the thinned paint.
I found this specific method for the glazing technique with oil paint it is called fat over lean
A Lean 1st layer thinned with solvent
A Lean 2nd layer thinned with less solvent
A Lean 3rd layer thinned with less solvent
A Fat 4th layer straight from tube
A Fat 5th layer thinned with little linseed oil
A Fat 6th layer thinned with more linseed oil
It is very essential that you this process exactly follow or the layers of paint will dry at different levels and possibly ***** the paint. Granted, it is a slow method and you absolutely need some patience however the results are spectacular tonal values which are essential in painting. This glazing method gives you full control of creating tones in acrylic paint. Here there is no mystery about paint.
Remember that paint is just pigment with a binder. In the case of oil paint, it is just a pigment with a drying oil usually linseed oil is used for this. The very best professional oil paints you will find are Michael Harding and Old Holland. Windsor and Newton and some other makes are good as well just make sure they are called professional paints and not the lesser quality student paints.
One last thing, Oil Paint dries very slowly, have patience and enjoy the journey. Paint on.
Oil paint dries very slowly, Unlike acrylic paints which dry very quickly. Acrylic paint was initially created as an underpainting medium for oil painting.
It is perfectly stable to put a base of acrylic and then place oil paint over it. Linseed oil added to oil paint will extend color, increase flow and increase workability. Oil paint with added medium is called long, oil paint used directly from the tube is called short or stiff.
You place you oil paints on a wooden board called a palette the very best palettes are made of pear wood.
It is very important to understand your paints and know which colors are:
Transparent (see through) Semi Opaque (slightly see through) and opaque (not see through) getting started put as much oil paint on your brush for two strokes three maximum always end your brush stroke on the canvas.
Make sure that you use linseed oil only when you are painting with the wet on wet method or process.
Do not confuse yourself with all of the many other mediums. Wait to discover those when you are more experienced. If you can actually afford the professional paints, definitely go ahead and buy them. You will notice immediately that they are completely different from the student paints.
Always buy the best brushes that you can afford. The Da Vinci brand brushes are the best professional brushes. Buy long handle bushes. The technique is to hold near the end of the handle. When developing talent one point to consider is the ability to take risks. Just play around with your paint however first understand it, only paint at an easel and make sure to stand back from your painting all the time. Never put your expensive brushes in turps when you are working in a session. Go ahead and wipe them clean with paper towels or cloth wash out your brushes in turps or a similar solvent at the end of a session and then be sure to clean immediately with soapy water.
Preparing the canvas the foundation of you piece
It is quite essential that you put on the first underpainting or wash on your canvas. This takes away the glare of the white (which will reflect back at you, quite annoying) and the more layers of paint you get onto your canvas the better and the more professional looking your painting, the more luminous the paint ant the more the painting will sing out with color and texture.
Traditionally an earth color of a burnt umber or raw umber, raw sienna or an ochre was painted on as a good first underpainting. Sometimes it can be pretty exciting to paint on a bright red or dark blue as your first underpainting especially when you are in the habit of putting on three or four layers and seeing the underpainting come through your painting. Use a big wash brush to apply the first underpainting it you use acrylic as your underpaint it will dry quickly and get you started quicker.
How to apply oil paint in two methods
1. Wet on wet or All Prima (in one step)
2. Stage Painting or Glazing Fat over lean
Wet on wet is applied by using the paint stiff, which is directly from the tube Or thinned to the consistency of salad dressing with linseed oil the essential part of painting wet on wet is making your brushes and painting knives do the work for you.
You definitely want to have full control of your brushes and experiment with different brushes to see the marks and texture streaks that they make.
Never work with turps unless you are working with the glazing method.
Never ever stand your brushes in any turps working in your painting session.
Turps will burn the bristles and inevitably there will be some left in the brush when you start to use color.
This will make it difficult to keep control of the flow or thickness of paint. The glazing technique is a process of building up your painting in a series of layers of the thinned paint.
I found this specific method for the glazing technique with oil paint it is called fat over lean
A Lean 1st layer thinned with solvent
A Lean 2nd layer thinned with less solvent
A Lean 3rd layer thinned with less solvent
A Fat 4th layer straight from tube
A Fat 5th layer thinned with little linseed oil
A Fat 6th layer thinned with more linseed oil
It is very essential that you this process exactly follow or the layers of paint will dry at different levels and possibly ***** the paint. Granted, it is a slow method and you absolutely need some patience however the results are spectacular tonal values which are essential in painting. This glazing method gives you full control of creating tones in acrylic paint. Here there is no mystery about paint.
Remember that paint is just pigment with a binder. In the case of oil paint, it is just a pigment with a drying oil usually linseed oil is used for this. The very best professional oil paints you will find are Michael Harding and Old Holland. Windsor and Newton and some other makes are good as well just make sure they are called professional paints and not the lesser quality student paints.
One last thing, Oil Paint dries very slowly, have patience and enjoy the journey. Paint on.
Oil Painting for Beginners – How to Get Started in Oil Painting
November 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Visual Art
Ralph Serpe asked:
One of the more frequently asked questions from beginners in oil painting is: How do I get Started? To get started in oil painting is relatively easy. There are some basic supplies that you will need and some basic guidelines to follow. This article will discuss how beginners can get started with oil painting. This article will not teach you how to become a good painter however. In fact, no one can make you a good painter. You can only be taught certain things and it is up to you to take what you have learned and apply it.
Many beginners who are new to the oil painting medium, generally have the same questions. So let’s cover those questions now so that you can begin your painting journey right away.
Oil Painting Supplies
The first thing you will need to do is purchase a few supplies. You need not spend a ton of money on expensive oil painting supplies. Start with the basics as you are only a beginner right now. The goal at this point is to get used to working with your support, brushes, paints and other materials. So expensive supplies will be wasted during this stage.
Supports
You are going to need a support to paint on. There are a number of different supports that can handle oil paint, but for now, start with canvas. Many beginners often ask if a canvas needs any special coating or priming for oil paint. The short answer is yes, but you need not worry about that either. Any local art supply store or online art supply store will have canvases that are already primed and ready to be used.
Oil Paint
Next, you are going to need paint. You do not need an expensive brand of paint. That would again be a waste for beginners. There are less expensive, good quality paints on the market that will work beautifully for your painting needs. Here are a few oil paint brands to test out: WINSOR & NEWTON Winton Oil Colours, GRUMBACHER Academy Oils and DALER-ROWNEY Georgian Oil Colours.
For those of you who may be concerned about the potential hazards associated with oil paints, have no fear. Introducing water miscible oil paints! These paints are fantastic. They can be thinned with water as opposed to using dangerous solvents like turpentine. Here are two brands to try out if you are interested: GRUMBACHER Max Water Miscible Oil Colors and WINSOR & NEWTON Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colours.
Oil Painting Brushes
Having good quality brushes is important. While a good quality brush will not make you a better painter, a cheap brush will only wind up frustrating you. When you use cheap brushes you will see why. Cheap brushes have a tendency to shed hairs that get stuck in the oil paint, which is extremely annoying. Good quality brushes should have stiff hairs and snap back into place when you run your fingers through them. They should be well crafted and sturdy.
You do not need that many brushes for oil painting. I personally only use two types of oil painting brushes: flats and filberts of various sizes. I do have a few rounds and a fan brush on hand, but I almost never use them. I would also recommend that you use hogs hair brushes as opposed to the softer synthetic hair brushes. The synthetic brushes are just too flimsy to handle the oil painting medium in my opinion.
Cleaning your brushes is important, so don’t be careless in this area, especially if you are working with high quality brushes. Many artists recommend turpentine for cleaning brushes, but I simply cannot bring myself to use this stuff. I use a much safer brush cleaning product called “The Masters” Brush Cleaner and Preserver.
I clean my brushes right after a painting session with this product and it works wonderfully. It may take some time to really get your brushes clean, but it is worth the effort. If the brush cleaner does not remove all of the paint, then I use a bit of odorless mineral spirits. I find this a much better alternative to turpentine.
Oil Painting Mediums
What about mediums? Do you need to mix the oil paint with anything or can you use it straight out of the tube? This is another common question amongst beginners. The answer? You do not need mediums to paint with. They are not a requirement, but I find them to be quite helpful.
Most oil paints that I have worked with are simply too stiff right out of the tube for my particular style of painting. Mediums will help dilute the oil paint and make the paint flow better, which means you will be using less paint. Using less paint, means you will save money.
There are many different kinds of mediums that are used for different reasons, like speeding up the drying time of paint, improving gloss, etc. Do not be overly concerned with mediums right now.
I like to start my painting using thinned down acrylic paint. I first tone my entire canvas with a neutral color. I then draw in my composition using different values of the same color. I let this initial drawing dry over night. I then apply the oil paint using the fat over lean oil painting method.
Lighting
This is a very important part of oil painting. Without proper lighting, you will not be able to accurately see your colors. The best kind of lighting is natural sunlight, so if you have the opportunity to paint in a well lit room or outdoors, that would be ideal. Of course not everyone is blessed with this type of situation, so the next best thing is to use lighting that mimics natural sunlight.
This type of lighting is referred to as “full spectrum lighting”. There are number of different full spectrum lighting products available. Just do a search on google for “full spectrum lighting” and you will find a number of websites on the topic.
Safety
Oil painting for beginners can be hazardous if you are not careful, so it is important to take the necessary precautions. Make sure you work in an area that has good ventilation and airflow. Wear disposable latex gloves while painting. Read all manufacturer warning labels carefully.
Some Final Words
As you sit down to start your first painting, remember that you are just a beginner. Your main goal right now is to have fun and get used to working with your oil painting materials. Do not be overly judgmental about your own work. If you do so, you will only wind up getting frustrated. Your first, second, third or even tenth painting may not turn out the way you wanted it to. This is completely normal so do not get discouraged. Oil painting is a difficult medium to master. It takes perseverance so hang in there. I wish you all the best! God Bless.
One of the more frequently asked questions from beginners in oil painting is: How do I get Started? To get started in oil painting is relatively easy. There are some basic supplies that you will need and some basic guidelines to follow. This article will discuss how beginners can get started with oil painting. This article will not teach you how to become a good painter however. In fact, no one can make you a good painter. You can only be taught certain things and it is up to you to take what you have learned and apply it.
Many beginners who are new to the oil painting medium, generally have the same questions. So let’s cover those questions now so that you can begin your painting journey right away.
Oil Painting Supplies
The first thing you will need to do is purchase a few supplies. You need not spend a ton of money on expensive oil painting supplies. Start with the basics as you are only a beginner right now. The goal at this point is to get used to working with your support, brushes, paints and other materials. So expensive supplies will be wasted during this stage.
Supports
You are going to need a support to paint on. There are a number of different supports that can handle oil paint, but for now, start with canvas. Many beginners often ask if a canvas needs any special coating or priming for oil paint. The short answer is yes, but you need not worry about that either. Any local art supply store or online art supply store will have canvases that are already primed and ready to be used.
Oil Paint
Next, you are going to need paint. You do not need an expensive brand of paint. That would again be a waste for beginners. There are less expensive, good quality paints on the market that will work beautifully for your painting needs. Here are a few oil paint brands to test out: WINSOR & NEWTON Winton Oil Colours, GRUMBACHER Academy Oils and DALER-ROWNEY Georgian Oil Colours.
For those of you who may be concerned about the potential hazards associated with oil paints, have no fear. Introducing water miscible oil paints! These paints are fantastic. They can be thinned with water as opposed to using dangerous solvents like turpentine. Here are two brands to try out if you are interested: GRUMBACHER Max Water Miscible Oil Colors and WINSOR & NEWTON Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colours.
Oil Painting Brushes
Having good quality brushes is important. While a good quality brush will not make you a better painter, a cheap brush will only wind up frustrating you. When you use cheap brushes you will see why. Cheap brushes have a tendency to shed hairs that get stuck in the oil paint, which is extremely annoying. Good quality brushes should have stiff hairs and snap back into place when you run your fingers through them. They should be well crafted and sturdy.
You do not need that many brushes for oil painting. I personally only use two types of oil painting brushes: flats and filberts of various sizes. I do have a few rounds and a fan brush on hand, but I almost never use them. I would also recommend that you use hogs hair brushes as opposed to the softer synthetic hair brushes. The synthetic brushes are just too flimsy to handle the oil painting medium in my opinion.
Cleaning your brushes is important, so don’t be careless in this area, especially if you are working with high quality brushes. Many artists recommend turpentine for cleaning brushes, but I simply cannot bring myself to use this stuff. I use a much safer brush cleaning product called “The Masters” Brush Cleaner and Preserver.
I clean my brushes right after a painting session with this product and it works wonderfully. It may take some time to really get your brushes clean, but it is worth the effort. If the brush cleaner does not remove all of the paint, then I use a bit of odorless mineral spirits. I find this a much better alternative to turpentine.
Oil Painting Mediums
What about mediums? Do you need to mix the oil paint with anything or can you use it straight out of the tube? This is another common question amongst beginners. The answer? You do not need mediums to paint with. They are not a requirement, but I find them to be quite helpful.
Most oil paints that I have worked with are simply too stiff right out of the tube for my particular style of painting. Mediums will help dilute the oil paint and make the paint flow better, which means you will be using less paint. Using less paint, means you will save money.
There are many different kinds of mediums that are used for different reasons, like speeding up the drying time of paint, improving gloss, etc. Do not be overly concerned with mediums right now.
I like to start my painting using thinned down acrylic paint. I first tone my entire canvas with a neutral color. I then draw in my composition using different values of the same color. I let this initial drawing dry over night. I then apply the oil paint using the fat over lean oil painting method.
Lighting
This is a very important part of oil painting. Without proper lighting, you will not be able to accurately see your colors. The best kind of lighting is natural sunlight, so if you have the opportunity to paint in a well lit room or outdoors, that would be ideal. Of course not everyone is blessed with this type of situation, so the next best thing is to use lighting that mimics natural sunlight.
This type of lighting is referred to as “full spectrum lighting”. There are number of different full spectrum lighting products available. Just do a search on google for “full spectrum lighting” and you will find a number of websites on the topic.
Safety
Oil painting for beginners can be hazardous if you are not careful, so it is important to take the necessary precautions. Make sure you work in an area that has good ventilation and airflow. Wear disposable latex gloves while painting. Read all manufacturer warning labels carefully.
Some Final Words
As you sit down to start your first painting, remember that you are just a beginner. Your main goal right now is to have fun and get used to working with your oil painting materials. Do not be overly judgmental about your own work. If you do so, you will only wind up getting frustrated. Your first, second, third or even tenth painting may not turn out the way you wanted it to. This is completely normal so do not get discouraged. Oil painting is a difficult medium to master. It takes perseverance so hang in there. I wish you all the best! God Bless.
Oil Painting Lesson – Introduction to Oil Painting Mediums
Ralph Serpe asked:
Oil painting is a wonderful medium all on its own, but there are modifiers that you can add to the oil paint that can change its behavior. This article will give you an overview of some of the more popular oil painting mediums available to today’s oil painters. The use of oil painting mediums is really a matter of taste and not a requirement. Many artists do not use any mediums at all other then a bit of oil to make the paint more workable, as some paints are quite thick straight from the tube. Other artists swear by certain mediums. It should also be noted that artists differ on opinion when it comes to the effectiveness and quality of oil painting mediums, so you should experiment on your own and form your own opinion. Make sure before using any oil painting medium that you read all warning labels and always work in a well ventilated area. It is also recommended that you work with gloves to protect your skin.
LINSEED OIL
Linseed oil is made from the seed of the flax plant. During its early history, linseed oil had a different role then it has today. Originally it was used as a final varnish for paintings that were created using the egg tempera medium. Linseed oil is used as binder in today’s oil paints. Linseed oil dries thoroughly and forms a strong paint film. Because linseed oil dries slowly, the paint remains in a workable state, enabling the artist to continue working on the painting for some time. When linseed oil ages, it does tend to yellow unfortunately. Many painters avoid using linseed oil with lighter colors like whites and yellows. Below are a few varieties of linseed oils that are available to today’s oil painters.
COLD PRESSED LINSEED OIL
Cold pressed linseed oil is made by extracting the oils from the raw flaxseed. The oil is extracted by using pressure and not heat, thereby creating a linseed oil in its purist form. Cold pressed linseed oil can be used as a binder in oil paints, but can also be used as a medium to thin oil paints, heighten gloss and transparency, and reduce the visibility of brush strokes. Many painters and manufacturers alike feel cold pressed linseed oil is superior in quality to other linseed oils because there is no refinement made to the oil. Cold pressed linseed oil results in a low yield, so this oil does carry a heftier price tag.
STEAM PRESSED OR REFINED LINSEED OIL
When the flaxseed is steam heated and then pressed it yields more oil, thereby making refined linseed oil a more affordable medium for artists and for use as a binder in oil paints. The process of steam heating the flax seeds produces more waste, so this waste has to be removed through a refinement process. The oil is treated with an acid which removes the waste materials. The acid is then neutralized with an alkali solution. Refined linseed oil can be used to thin oil paint and increase brilliance and transparency.
SUN THICKENED LINSEED OIL
Sun thickened linseed oil is a thick bodied medium that is produced using the heat of the sun. An equal amount of both linseed oil and water are mixed together in a container and left in sunlight for several weeks or longer. The water and linseed oil eventually separate resulting in a thicker oil with a honey like consistency. Sun thickened linseed oil is not used as a binder in oil paints but as an independent medium that improves flow and increases gloss. Sun thickened linseed oil has less of a tendency to yellow and speeds drying.
STAND OIL
Stand oil is also a thick bodied medium like sun thickened linseed oil. Linseed oil is heated at a high steady temperature, in an air tight container, which results in a very thick honey like consistency. Stand oil is useful as a glazing medium when mixed with turpentine and damar varnish. Stand oil helps improve the flow and has good resistance to yellowing. Stand oil is a slow drying medium that produces a strong enamel like paint film.
POPPY SEED OIL
Because linseed oil has a tendency to yellow as it ages, other oils have come onto the market. Amongst these oils are poppy seed and safflower oil. Poppy seed oil is extracted from the seeds of the opium poppy. Poppy seed oil is a pale slower drying oil and is less likely to yellow when compared with linseed oil. It is often used with whites, blues and pale colors.
SAFFLOWER OIL
Safflower oil is similar to poppy seed oil in that they both are suitable for whites and light colors. It has less of a tendency to yellow when compared to linseed oil.
WALNUT OIL
Walnut oil is a pale oil that helps make paint more fluid and has good drying power. It has less of a tendency to yellow when compared with linseed oil. Walnut oil has to be stored properly or it can spoil.
LIQUIN
Liquin is a popular oil painting medium. Many artists swear by it and it is definitely worth a try if you have never worked with it before. Liquin improves the flow of oil and alkyd colors and helps in subtle blending and fine detail. It speeds drying and serves as a good medium for glazing.
I hope this article has served as a good overview on oil painting mediums. Remember that working with oil painting mediums is not a requirement. If you are feeling adventurous then choose one medium at a time, experiment and have fun. Happy Painting!
Oil painting is a wonderful medium all on its own, but there are modifiers that you can add to the oil paint that can change its behavior. This article will give you an overview of some of the more popular oil painting mediums available to today’s oil painters. The use of oil painting mediums is really a matter of taste and not a requirement. Many artists do not use any mediums at all other then a bit of oil to make the paint more workable, as some paints are quite thick straight from the tube. Other artists swear by certain mediums. It should also be noted that artists differ on opinion when it comes to the effectiveness and quality of oil painting mediums, so you should experiment on your own and form your own opinion. Make sure before using any oil painting medium that you read all warning labels and always work in a well ventilated area. It is also recommended that you work with gloves to protect your skin.
LINSEED OIL
Linseed oil is made from the seed of the flax plant. During its early history, linseed oil had a different role then it has today. Originally it was used as a final varnish for paintings that were created using the egg tempera medium. Linseed oil is used as binder in today’s oil paints. Linseed oil dries thoroughly and forms a strong paint film. Because linseed oil dries slowly, the paint remains in a workable state, enabling the artist to continue working on the painting for some time. When linseed oil ages, it does tend to yellow unfortunately. Many painters avoid using linseed oil with lighter colors like whites and yellows. Below are a few varieties of linseed oils that are available to today’s oil painters.
COLD PRESSED LINSEED OIL
Cold pressed linseed oil is made by extracting the oils from the raw flaxseed. The oil is extracted by using pressure and not heat, thereby creating a linseed oil in its purist form. Cold pressed linseed oil can be used as a binder in oil paints, but can also be used as a medium to thin oil paints, heighten gloss and transparency, and reduce the visibility of brush strokes. Many painters and manufacturers alike feel cold pressed linseed oil is superior in quality to other linseed oils because there is no refinement made to the oil. Cold pressed linseed oil results in a low yield, so this oil does carry a heftier price tag.
STEAM PRESSED OR REFINED LINSEED OIL
When the flaxseed is steam heated and then pressed it yields more oil, thereby making refined linseed oil a more affordable medium for artists and for use as a binder in oil paints. The process of steam heating the flax seeds produces more waste, so this waste has to be removed through a refinement process. The oil is treated with an acid which removes the waste materials. The acid is then neutralized with an alkali solution. Refined linseed oil can be used to thin oil paint and increase brilliance and transparency.
SUN THICKENED LINSEED OIL
Sun thickened linseed oil is a thick bodied medium that is produced using the heat of the sun. An equal amount of both linseed oil and water are mixed together in a container and left in sunlight for several weeks or longer. The water and linseed oil eventually separate resulting in a thicker oil with a honey like consistency. Sun thickened linseed oil is not used as a binder in oil paints but as an independent medium that improves flow and increases gloss. Sun thickened linseed oil has less of a tendency to yellow and speeds drying.
STAND OIL
Stand oil is also a thick bodied medium like sun thickened linseed oil. Linseed oil is heated at a high steady temperature, in an air tight container, which results in a very thick honey like consistency. Stand oil is useful as a glazing medium when mixed with turpentine and damar varnish. Stand oil helps improve the flow and has good resistance to yellowing. Stand oil is a slow drying medium that produces a strong enamel like paint film.
POPPY SEED OIL
Because linseed oil has a tendency to yellow as it ages, other oils have come onto the market. Amongst these oils are poppy seed and safflower oil. Poppy seed oil is extracted from the seeds of the opium poppy. Poppy seed oil is a pale slower drying oil and is less likely to yellow when compared with linseed oil. It is often used with whites, blues and pale colors.
SAFFLOWER OIL
Safflower oil is similar to poppy seed oil in that they both are suitable for whites and light colors. It has less of a tendency to yellow when compared to linseed oil.
WALNUT OIL
Walnut oil is a pale oil that helps make paint more fluid and has good drying power. It has less of a tendency to yellow when compared with linseed oil. Walnut oil has to be stored properly or it can spoil.
LIQUIN
Liquin is a popular oil painting medium. Many artists swear by it and it is definitely worth a try if you have never worked with it before. Liquin improves the flow of oil and alkyd colors and helps in subtle blending and fine detail. It speeds drying and serves as a good medium for glazing.
I hope this article has served as a good overview on oil painting mediums. Remember that working with oil painting mediums is not a requirement. If you are feeling adventurous then choose one medium at a time, experiment and have fun. Happy Painting!
Art Education: Basic Techniques of Classical Realism Oil Paintings
October 31, 2009 by admin
Filed under Online Education
Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com) asked:
What is oil painting? Oil paints on the canvas. It’s an indisputable definition. I thought that oil painting is more than that.
Any kind of figurative art (including oil painting) is thought of beforehand. The basic rules of studying drawing and painting are very closely connected with the laws of the discipline.
Tip 1. Brushes
You should have many brushes so that not to lose time washing them while working. Take a new brush for every new mix. Use round kolinsky brushes, No.1 to No. 10. To cover larger surfaces, you will need a few #20 to #35 brushes. For final strokes PRIPLAVLENIYE (final blending) you will need a few very soft round and flat average size squirrel brushes. Brushes should be treated very carefully. After every session they should be washed in turpentine and after that in warm water with soap.
Tip 2. Canvas
The canvas should be primed additionally a few more times and in conclusion it should be ground with fine sandpaper. After that the canvas should be scraped with a razor to remove the canvas texture till smooth dead surface similar to the egg’s surface is achieved.
Tip 3. Palette
The palette must be made of hard dark wood, best of all, of pear wood. After work wash the palette with turpentine and scrape it with a razor. Before work wipe the palette with linseed oil.
Tip 4. Paper
The
drawing is made on paper life-size to the smallest details. Then it is transferred to the canvas by carbon-paper. After that the drawing is outlined with brown ink because the first oil layer – IMPRIMATURA (transparent coat that is equal to the middle tone of largest, lightest object in painting) – will wash away the pencil, but the ink will remain visible almost through the last layers.
Tip 5. Still Life Objects
It is very important to have objects for still life in the studio. Don’t be stingy at garage sales and flea markets, you may regret it later.
Tip 6. Lacquer
The lacquer for
IMPRIMATURA is made of 2% of dry DAMAR CRYSTALS and 98% of turpentine. The lacquer for painting is made of 5-10% of dry resin and 90-95 % of turpentine. A couple of lavender oil drops are added directly to the oil-can. Scientists say lavender oil stimulates the brain. However, I think that old masters added it to eliminate the heavy turpentine smell. The lacquer for the final step consists of 30% of DAMAR CRYSTALS, 3% of linseed oil, and 67% of turpentine.
Tip 7. Canvas Cleaning
Before each new layer the canvas (ideally dried during 7 weeks) is carefully wiped with a half of an onion (in order to prepare the dried surface to absorb better) and then with linseed oil. After that the canvas is wiped with a soft piece of cloth.
Tip 8. Mixture
IMPRIMATURA, or the first paint layer. The canvas is covered with a liquid mixture based on Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre Light and Ivory Black (the mixture should have an olive hue).
Tip 9. Basic Set of Paints
The basic set of paints is the following: “Rembrandt” oil colors: Flake White, Yellow Ochre Light, Red Ochre, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber Ivory and Lamp Black (7 Basic Colors), and 4 extra colors (when necessary) which I use in the last layers: Flake Yellow (instead of it also can be used Cadmium Yellow Deep), Madder Lake Deep, Chinese Vermilion, Prussian Blue. But be careful to use these last 4 colors very sparingly.
Tip 10. TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK
The
first and the second TEL’NII (flesh tones: main life colors) PODMALYOVOK (5th and 6th layers). The first TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK is made half a tone lighter and two tones lighter in colors; and half a tone darker and two tones lighter in shadows. The same is true of the second TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK.
Tip 11. PODMALYOVOK
The dead layer – the fourth PODMALYOVOK – is made with white lead, light ocher, red ocher, and burnt bone. The aim of this PODMALYOVOK is penumbra. The picture must look as if its objects were lit with moonlight – olive cold gray color. Colors are applied thickly, half a tone higher, shadows are very transparent, half a tone lower.
Tip 12. LESSIROVKA
The seventh layer — LESSIROVKA : Details of textures, thickly applied highlights, bright reflections, and signature. In this layer you may use additional paints: Prussian blue, red cinnabar, yellow flake (cadmium yellow deep), madder lake deep.
Tip 13. Shadow PODMALYOVOK
The shadow
PODMALYOVOK (the process of creating intermediate layers) is made with Burnt Umber in two layers (2nd and 3rd layers). In the second layer all details are made excluding the texture. In the third layer LESSIROVKA of the main tone masses is made with a big brush.
Tip 14. Music
Many painters get an energy charge from music. Stop listening to any modern music and begin listening only to classical music. Try to begin loving it.
Last, stop looking at modern art and stop loving it. Modern bright colors and hue contrasts destroy the subtle vision of the painter who took risks to study classical painting in our time.
From the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century artists used the seven layer technique. Like music where there are seven notes, seven keys, and within each there are seven more. 7 days in a week. 7 Layers of Paint. Each layer in oil painting must dry for seven weeks. The energy which we receive from old paintings in museums, like ghosts in old castles with old paintings, is related to this magic figure.
What is oil painting? Oil paints on the canvas. It’s an indisputable definition. I thought that oil painting is more than that.
Any kind of figurative art (including oil painting) is thought of beforehand. The basic rules of studying drawing and painting are very closely connected with the laws of the discipline.
Tip 1. Brushes
You should have many brushes so that not to lose time washing them while working. Take a new brush for every new mix. Use round kolinsky brushes, No.1 to No. 10. To cover larger surfaces, you will need a few #20 to #35 brushes. For final strokes PRIPLAVLENIYE (final blending) you will need a few very soft round and flat average size squirrel brushes. Brushes should be treated very carefully. After every session they should be washed in turpentine and after that in warm water with soap.
Tip 2. Canvas
The canvas should be primed additionally a few more times and in conclusion it should be ground with fine sandpaper. After that the canvas should be scraped with a razor to remove the canvas texture till smooth dead surface similar to the egg’s surface is achieved.
Tip 3. Palette
The palette must be made of hard dark wood, best of all, of pear wood. After work wash the palette with turpentine and scrape it with a razor. Before work wipe the palette with linseed oil.
Tip 4. Paper
The
drawing is made on paper life-size to the smallest details. Then it is transferred to the canvas by carbon-paper. After that the drawing is outlined with brown ink because the first oil layer – IMPRIMATURA (transparent coat that is equal to the middle tone of largest, lightest object in painting) – will wash away the pencil, but the ink will remain visible almost through the last layers.
Tip 5. Still Life Objects
It is very important to have objects for still life in the studio. Don’t be stingy at garage sales and flea markets, you may regret it later.
Tip 6. Lacquer
The lacquer for
IMPRIMATURA is made of 2% of dry DAMAR CRYSTALS and 98% of turpentine. The lacquer for painting is made of 5-10% of dry resin and 90-95 % of turpentine. A couple of lavender oil drops are added directly to the oil-can. Scientists say lavender oil stimulates the brain. However, I think that old masters added it to eliminate the heavy turpentine smell. The lacquer for the final step consists of 30% of DAMAR CRYSTALS, 3% of linseed oil, and 67% of turpentine.
Tip 7. Canvas Cleaning
Before each new layer the canvas (ideally dried during 7 weeks) is carefully wiped with a half of an onion (in order to prepare the dried surface to absorb better) and then with linseed oil. After that the canvas is wiped with a soft piece of cloth.
Tip 8. Mixture
IMPRIMATURA, or the first paint layer. The canvas is covered with a liquid mixture based on Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre Light and Ivory Black (the mixture should have an olive hue).
Tip 9. Basic Set of Paints
The basic set of paints is the following: “Rembrandt” oil colors: Flake White, Yellow Ochre Light, Red Ochre, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber Ivory and Lamp Black (7 Basic Colors), and 4 extra colors (when necessary) which I use in the last layers: Flake Yellow (instead of it also can be used Cadmium Yellow Deep), Madder Lake Deep, Chinese Vermilion, Prussian Blue. But be careful to use these last 4 colors very sparingly.
Tip 10. TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK
The
first and the second TEL’NII (flesh tones: main life colors) PODMALYOVOK (5th and 6th layers). The first TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK is made half a tone lighter and two tones lighter in colors; and half a tone darker and two tones lighter in shadows. The same is true of the second TEL’NII PODMALYOVOK.
Tip 11. PODMALYOVOK
The dead layer – the fourth PODMALYOVOK – is made with white lead, light ocher, red ocher, and burnt bone. The aim of this PODMALYOVOK is penumbra. The picture must look as if its objects were lit with moonlight – olive cold gray color. Colors are applied thickly, half a tone higher, shadows are very transparent, half a tone lower.
Tip 12. LESSIROVKA
The seventh layer — LESSIROVKA : Details of textures, thickly applied highlights, bright reflections, and signature. In this layer you may use additional paints: Prussian blue, red cinnabar, yellow flake (cadmium yellow deep), madder lake deep.
Tip 13. Shadow PODMALYOVOK
The shadow
PODMALYOVOK (the process of creating intermediate layers) is made with Burnt Umber in two layers (2nd and 3rd layers). In the second layer all details are made excluding the texture. In the third layer LESSIROVKA of the main tone masses is made with a big brush.
Tip 14. Music
Many painters get an energy charge from music. Stop listening to any modern music and begin listening only to classical music. Try to begin loving it.
Last, stop looking at modern art and stop loving it. Modern bright colors and hue contrasts destroy the subtle vision of the painter who took risks to study classical painting in our time.
From the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century artists used the seven layer technique. Like music where there are seven notes, seven keys, and within each there are seven more. 7 days in a week. 7 Layers of Paint. Each layer in oil painting must dry for seven weeks. The energy which we receive from old paintings in museums, like ghosts in old castles with old paintings, is related to this magic figure.
Tips on Oil Painting – Solvents Mediums and Varnishes
October 21, 2009 by admin
Filed under Visual Art
Remi Engels, Ph.D. asked:
If you paint with oils you will need a solvent to clean your brushes and thin your paints. Of course, if you paint with water soluble oils then your solvent will be water.
Turpentine is a standard solvent used to thin ordinary oil paints. You can purchase turpentine in any art supply store or hardware store. In some cases, the kind of turpentine you buy in a hardware store may be fresher because of the shorter turnaround time.
Some artists work with mineral spirits. These are also available in hardware stores. To save money, buy the largest available quantity and use a smaller container when you do your actual painting.
Tube oil paint (i.e., oil paint directly from the tube) can be difficult to manipulate. Some colors are stiffer than others and may be hard to evenly distribute over your canvas. To solve this problem, artists often need to mix their tube paints with a so-called painting medium.
A painting medium is a liquid solution that makes the oil paint smoother and easier to manipulate. Adding any one of a number of different painting mediums changes the consistency of the paint. Some mediums are meant to make the paint thinner for glazing and others are meant to make the paint thicker for impasto painting. There are also mediums to shorten or lengthen the drying.
The most basic medium is regular turpentine. Adding a little turpentine thins oils paint. Another frequently used medium is linseed oil, which makes the paint more fluid but, over time, it also tends to yellow the paint. The most commonly used medium is a combination of turpentine and linseed oil, sometimes with the addition of a little damar varnish.
Begin by experimenting with a half-and-half mixture of turpentine and linseed oil. Because linseed oil slows down the drying process, you may want to increase the proportion of turpentine. A good mixture is three parts of turpentine to one part of linseed oil.
Once you find the medium you like, mix a batch and store it in a tightly sealed jar. As you paint, dip your brush into the medium, then add a little paint, then mix them together on your palette (mixing surface).
Preliminary compositions can be drawn on your canvas with a so-called thin turp wash, i.e., a little bit of paint with a lot of turpentine. A turp wash evaporates very quickly, so you can quickly paint over them.
In general, the more turpentine you use the matter the finish will be and the more linseed oil you use the glossier it will be. If you like robust, permanently visible brushstrokes, you may want to use less medium. Dry brush is one technique where you do not add any medium at all.
Special painting mediums are also available that change the oil paint in different ways. The most common are those that shorten or lengthen the drying time of the oil paint. Check your art supply store or the Internet to see the available types of mediums. All medium bottles will show instructions on how best to use the particular medium.
Oil paintings must be varnished to protect them from undesirable elements such as dirt and toxins. Varnish is a clear solution made from a resin and turpentine or some other solvent.
In art-supply stores you will see two major types, retouching varnish and picture varnish. Depending on the paint layer thickness, it can take six months or more for an oil painting to dry. In the meantime, the surface of the painting needs to be protected with a coat of retouching varnish. After the varnish is applied, the turpentine evaporates, and leaving a thin protective coat. You can apply retouching varnish as soon as the paint feels dry to the touch.
Picture varnish contains more resin than retouching varnish. It should be applied about six months after you complete a painting. If you paint with impasto-like brushstrokes, you may have to wait as long as a year before applying the final coat.
Both types of varnish are applied in the same manner. Using a broad, flat nylon brush, apply the varnish evenly using horizontal strokes. You can also use retouching varnish to brighten dry dull patches in your painting.
If you paint with oils you will need a solvent to clean your brushes and thin your paints. Of course, if you paint with water soluble oils then your solvent will be water.
Turpentine is a standard solvent used to thin ordinary oil paints. You can purchase turpentine in any art supply store or hardware store. In some cases, the kind of turpentine you buy in a hardware store may be fresher because of the shorter turnaround time.
Some artists work with mineral spirits. These are also available in hardware stores. To save money, buy the largest available quantity and use a smaller container when you do your actual painting.
Tube oil paint (i.e., oil paint directly from the tube) can be difficult to manipulate. Some colors are stiffer than others and may be hard to evenly distribute over your canvas. To solve this problem, artists often need to mix their tube paints with a so-called painting medium.
A painting medium is a liquid solution that makes the oil paint smoother and easier to manipulate. Adding any one of a number of different painting mediums changes the consistency of the paint. Some mediums are meant to make the paint thinner for glazing and others are meant to make the paint thicker for impasto painting. There are also mediums to shorten or lengthen the drying.
The most basic medium is regular turpentine. Adding a little turpentine thins oils paint. Another frequently used medium is linseed oil, which makes the paint more fluid but, over time, it also tends to yellow the paint. The most commonly used medium is a combination of turpentine and linseed oil, sometimes with the addition of a little damar varnish.
Begin by experimenting with a half-and-half mixture of turpentine and linseed oil. Because linseed oil slows down the drying process, you may want to increase the proportion of turpentine. A good mixture is three parts of turpentine to one part of linseed oil.
Once you find the medium you like, mix a batch and store it in a tightly sealed jar. As you paint, dip your brush into the medium, then add a little paint, then mix them together on your palette (mixing surface).
Preliminary compositions can be drawn on your canvas with a so-called thin turp wash, i.e., a little bit of paint with a lot of turpentine. A turp wash evaporates very quickly, so you can quickly paint over them.
In general, the more turpentine you use the matter the finish will be and the more linseed oil you use the glossier it will be. If you like robust, permanently visible brushstrokes, you may want to use less medium. Dry brush is one technique where you do not add any medium at all.
Special painting mediums are also available that change the oil paint in different ways. The most common are those that shorten or lengthen the drying time of the oil paint. Check your art supply store or the Internet to see the available types of mediums. All medium bottles will show instructions on how best to use the particular medium.
Oil paintings must be varnished to protect them from undesirable elements such as dirt and toxins. Varnish is a clear solution made from a resin and turpentine or some other solvent.
In art-supply stores you will see two major types, retouching varnish and picture varnish. Depending on the paint layer thickness, it can take six months or more for an oil painting to dry. In the meantime, the surface of the painting needs to be protected with a coat of retouching varnish. After the varnish is applied, the turpentine evaporates, and leaving a thin protective coat. You can apply retouching varnish as soon as the paint feels dry to the touch.
Picture varnish contains more resin than retouching varnish. It should be applied about six months after you complete a painting. If you paint with impasto-like brushstrokes, you may have to wait as long as a year before applying the final coat.
Both types of varnish are applied in the same manner. Using a broad, flat nylon brush, apply the varnish evenly using horizontal strokes. You can also use retouching varnish to brighten dry dull patches in your painting.
Tips for Maintaining Good Oil Painting Habits
vijay asked:
Following are the tips for you to maintain good oil painting habits:
Tips for saving color:
• Clean away any mixtures near heaps of colors you are setting up to keep.
• Keep a habit to put colors in same place on palette – used up areas must be worn out & wiped for new oil paint for next painting session.
• For disposable palettes scoop off mounds of paint you desire to maintain with your knife and move them to a fresh sheet; if a skin shapes, stab and take away the skin and work with the new color under.
• If you are not regular on painting for a week – cover palette with plastic cover & place in freezer.
• When you desire to clean your palette clean off central mixing area of wooden/acrylic palette, when you are done with your oil painting,
• For caring for tube keep tubes clean, wipe necks & caps.
Caring for your brushes:
• Wipe to take away surplus paint on rags, newspaper, etc.
• Rinse in container of solvent not advisable to soak.
• Clean your oil painting brush with rags, newspaper to immerse up solvent
• You can also use mild soap (shampoo or dawn), put dab in palm of your hand, foam brush in palm moving in circle to work foam into bristles.
• Lather & wash it in lukewarm water until soap suds are snow white, & rinse with clear water; bristles might discolor.
• Press bristles into tidy, solid shape while moist.
• Let it dry and store in jar bristle-end up.
Safety precautions:
• Read labels on oil paints and mediums – some are gently toxic (cadmium colors), so you need to careful with it.
• Avoid consumption of food or smoking while you paint
• Wash hands carefully after oil painting reproduction session; try using lotion to hands before hand, paints would wash off easier
• Some solvents don’t create deadly fumes, any how, must be used in well air room – open a window
• Some solvents are combustible also and toxic (gasoline, kerosene) – stick to turpentine and petroleum stuff made for artist’s use.
Following are the tips for you to maintain good oil painting habits:
Tips for saving color:
• Clean away any mixtures near heaps of colors you are setting up to keep.
• Keep a habit to put colors in same place on palette – used up areas must be worn out & wiped for new oil paint for next painting session.
• For disposable palettes scoop off mounds of paint you desire to maintain with your knife and move them to a fresh sheet; if a skin shapes, stab and take away the skin and work with the new color under.
• If you are not regular on painting for a week – cover palette with plastic cover & place in freezer.
• When you desire to clean your palette clean off central mixing area of wooden/acrylic palette, when you are done with your oil painting,
• For caring for tube keep tubes clean, wipe necks & caps.
Caring for your brushes:
• Wipe to take away surplus paint on rags, newspaper, etc.
• Rinse in container of solvent not advisable to soak.
• Clean your oil painting brush with rags, newspaper to immerse up solvent
• You can also use mild soap (shampoo or dawn), put dab in palm of your hand, foam brush in palm moving in circle to work foam into bristles.
• Lather & wash it in lukewarm water until soap suds are snow white, & rinse with clear water; bristles might discolor.
• Press bristles into tidy, solid shape while moist.
• Let it dry and store in jar bristle-end up.
Safety precautions:
• Read labels on oil paints and mediums – some are gently toxic (cadmium colors), so you need to careful with it.
• Avoid consumption of food or smoking while you paint
• Wash hands carefully after oil painting reproduction session; try using lotion to hands before hand, paints would wash off easier
• Some solvents don’t create deadly fumes, any how, must be used in well air room – open a window
• Some solvents are combustible also and toxic (gasoline, kerosene) – stick to turpentine and petroleum stuff made for artist’s use.
Oil Paints – Make a Masterpiece of Your Home
August 19, 2009 by admin
Filed under Home Improvement
Benjamin Van De Weyer asked:
When most people think about oil paints, the first thing that comes to mind are canvas paintings, for example the famous Mona Lisa. With the advent of cheap, modern, chemical paints, oil paints have somewhat been left by the wayside for almost any applications apart from art, but what most people aren’t aware of is oil paints supremacy in many ways an applications as an exterior surface paint. Although cheap, quick drying and easy to apply, most chemical paints don’t have anywhere near the longevity, flexibility or come close to the environmental friendliness of most oil paints.
Usually made from linseed oil, oil paints as surface protection on interior and exterior surfaces are most effective on wood. Being long lasting, waterproof, durable, increasing the longevity of wood (as opposed to encouraging rot like many chemical based paints), oil paints are often 100% natural (pigments/oxides included). Having been used in Scandinavia as a structure and surface paint since the 18th century, oil paints as a long-lasting and solvent free Linseed based product penetrate and protect wood extremely well, often better than many highly engineered modern chemical paints. Oil paints developed for exterior surfaces also often lead the eco friendly paint industry. Made with no un-natural or chemical ingredients or processes the pigments in oil paints are generally sourced from natural and mineral sources and can be applied to more than just wood, suitable for metals and concrete too.
Oil paint is slow-drying and consists of small pigment particles suspended in oil that dries over time. In regard to its use on canvas, oil painting allows an artist to use layers to create a depth within the painting whilst its slow drying time allows the artists to mix on an easel giving birth to impressionist work and enabling the artist to leave the studio and run out into the wilderness.
Oil paint is also extremely long lasting and during both application and drying has a smell most find both pleasant and natural, as opposed to the noxious and irritating chemical smells most are familiar with from modern chemical paints, often rendering rooms or entire houses inhabitable during the process. Surfaces painted with oil paints are also able to breathe freely preventing wood from decay and rot underneath. This results in a far simpler maintenance schedule requiring a simple application of a new coat after a light clean, as opposed to a difficult and time consuming removal of all previous coats down to the original surface. Drying to a somewhat rubbery surface means that oil paint stays flexible and allows it to move with the surface it’s applied to. This results in no cracking and peeling commonly caused by movement or temperature change (expansion contraction), in chemical paints.
The quality and makeup of oil paints can vary substantially from manufacturer to manufacturer as with many products. Being comprised of pigments suspended in a binder (generally linseed oil but sometimes other natural oils), stabilizers, dryers and other ingredients are often added to manipulate the viscosity and/or drying time of the product in order to customise the product more to a specific application, or make it more versatile. If you’re searching for a completely environmentally friendly or natural product be aware that these additives can be natural or chemical, so be sure to read the label or query the supplier on the ingredients beforehand.
When most people think about oil paints, the first thing that comes to mind are canvas paintings, for example the famous Mona Lisa. With the advent of cheap, modern, chemical paints, oil paints have somewhat been left by the wayside for almost any applications apart from art, but what most people aren’t aware of is oil paints supremacy in many ways an applications as an exterior surface paint. Although cheap, quick drying and easy to apply, most chemical paints don’t have anywhere near the longevity, flexibility or come close to the environmental friendliness of most oil paints.
Usually made from linseed oil, oil paints as surface protection on interior and exterior surfaces are most effective on wood. Being long lasting, waterproof, durable, increasing the longevity of wood (as opposed to encouraging rot like many chemical based paints), oil paints are often 100% natural (pigments/oxides included). Having been used in Scandinavia as a structure and surface paint since the 18th century, oil paints as a long-lasting and solvent free Linseed based product penetrate and protect wood extremely well, often better than many highly engineered modern chemical paints. Oil paints developed for exterior surfaces also often lead the eco friendly paint industry. Made with no un-natural or chemical ingredients or processes the pigments in oil paints are generally sourced from natural and mineral sources and can be applied to more than just wood, suitable for metals and concrete too.
Oil paint is slow-drying and consists of small pigment particles suspended in oil that dries over time. In regard to its use on canvas, oil painting allows an artist to use layers to create a depth within the painting whilst its slow drying time allows the artists to mix on an easel giving birth to impressionist work and enabling the artist to leave the studio and run out into the wilderness.
Oil paint is also extremely long lasting and during both application and drying has a smell most find both pleasant and natural, as opposed to the noxious and irritating chemical smells most are familiar with from modern chemical paints, often rendering rooms or entire houses inhabitable during the process. Surfaces painted with oil paints are also able to breathe freely preventing wood from decay and rot underneath. This results in a far simpler maintenance schedule requiring a simple application of a new coat after a light clean, as opposed to a difficult and time consuming removal of all previous coats down to the original surface. Drying to a somewhat rubbery surface means that oil paint stays flexible and allows it to move with the surface it’s applied to. This results in no cracking and peeling commonly caused by movement or temperature change (expansion contraction), in chemical paints.
The quality and makeup of oil paints can vary substantially from manufacturer to manufacturer as with many products. Being comprised of pigments suspended in a binder (generally linseed oil but sometimes other natural oils), stabilizers, dryers and other ingredients are often added to manipulate the viscosity and/or drying time of the product in order to customise the product more to a specific application, or make it more versatile. If you’re searching for a completely environmentally friendly or natural product be aware that these additives can be natural or chemical, so be sure to read the label or query the supplier on the ingredients beforehand.
To Clean an Oil Painting- Follow These Easy Instructions
Kathryn Dawson asked:
Compared to other mediums of painting such as water colours or acrylic or charcoal and so on, oil paintings have always been a favourite medium for artists as well as art lovers. However, the oil medium has its own peculiarities particularly with respect to how it weathers the passage of time.
For an oil painting to retain its original shine and form, the artist or the collector needs to maintain it carefully. Particularly if you are an art lover or collector who owns one or several oil paintings, the best way to maintain the paintings is to get some professional help to clean or refurbish your valuable collection.
But hiring a professional can be quite expensive and time consuming. If you follow a few simple steps carefully, you can effectively clean the oil paintings on your own. Here are some easy to follow steps, guidelines and directions on how to clean oil paintings yourself.
1. Use soft brushes
To maintain the quality of the oil painting always give stress on using very soft brushes to remove dirt. While dusting an oil painting make sure not to flex the canvas or to remove the oil paints by bumping the painting. Avoid dusting the loose flaking paint as while doing so you might damage the paint completely.
2. Use gentle solvent
If the original oil painting is in good shape but the varnish is quite aged, you can apply a gentle solvent known as conservation liquid for cleaning it. Use the solvent with a cotton swab and apply it on the paint very carefully. To be on the safer side, it is advisable to test the reaction of the solvent by applying it on just one corner before trying it on the whole canvas. Use the solvent in an area with sufficient ventilation.
3. Clean the back of the painting
You must also pay attention to the back of the painting and clean it regularly by brushing or vacuuming. But before cleaning the back, remove the painting from its frame and place it on a clean surface. You can remove the dirt by vacuuming it with the help of a small nozzle with a brush attachment. If possible you can also use a cover on the back of the painting to prevent the accumulation of dust behind the painting.
4. Stop bacterial growth
For a new oil painting, chances are high for build-up of dirt, smoke, and bacterial or any fungal growth. After making sure that the paint is not showing any cracks or flakes, cautiously dust the surface with a baby toothbrush or shaving cream brush. Also make sure that the painting is not accumulating moisture in any form as it would totally damage the painting in the long run.
5. Remove the surface dirt
If the dirt accumulated on the front surface of the painting cannot be removed by dusting, you can use cotton pads dampened with distilled water. The cotton pad must be lightly rolled on the surface to remove dirt.
6. Avoid extra decoration
Additional decorations such as placing live plants around paintings must be avoided at any cost as pests and insects can stain the oil painting and damage the frame.
7. Take help of experts
Take the help of qualified experts to clean or refurbish any oil painting which is covered in dust or has completely yellowed varnish. Such paintings cannot be cleaned properly by novices. If you try to make such a painting look brighter with some handy tips, you might damage it completely.
Follow these steps and enjoy the charm of an original oil painting for generations to come.
Compared to other mediums of painting such as water colours or acrylic or charcoal and so on, oil paintings have always been a favourite medium for artists as well as art lovers. However, the oil medium has its own peculiarities particularly with respect to how it weathers the passage of time.
For an oil painting to retain its original shine and form, the artist or the collector needs to maintain it carefully. Particularly if you are an art lover or collector who owns one or several oil paintings, the best way to maintain the paintings is to get some professional help to clean or refurbish your valuable collection.
But hiring a professional can be quite expensive and time consuming. If you follow a few simple steps carefully, you can effectively clean the oil paintings on your own. Here are some easy to follow steps, guidelines and directions on how to clean oil paintings yourself.
1. Use soft brushes
To maintain the quality of the oil painting always give stress on using very soft brushes to remove dirt. While dusting an oil painting make sure not to flex the canvas or to remove the oil paints by bumping the painting. Avoid dusting the loose flaking paint as while doing so you might damage the paint completely.
2. Use gentle solvent
If the original oil painting is in good shape but the varnish is quite aged, you can apply a gentle solvent known as conservation liquid for cleaning it. Use the solvent with a cotton swab and apply it on the paint very carefully. To be on the safer side, it is advisable to test the reaction of the solvent by applying it on just one corner before trying it on the whole canvas. Use the solvent in an area with sufficient ventilation.
3. Clean the back of the painting
You must also pay attention to the back of the painting and clean it regularly by brushing or vacuuming. But before cleaning the back, remove the painting from its frame and place it on a clean surface. You can remove the dirt by vacuuming it with the help of a small nozzle with a brush attachment. If possible you can also use a cover on the back of the painting to prevent the accumulation of dust behind the painting.
4. Stop bacterial growth
For a new oil painting, chances are high for build-up of dirt, smoke, and bacterial or any fungal growth. After making sure that the paint is not showing any cracks or flakes, cautiously dust the surface with a baby toothbrush or shaving cream brush. Also make sure that the painting is not accumulating moisture in any form as it would totally damage the painting in the long run.
5. Remove the surface dirt
If the dirt accumulated on the front surface of the painting cannot be removed by dusting, you can use cotton pads dampened with distilled water. The cotton pad must be lightly rolled on the surface to remove dirt.
6. Avoid extra decoration
Additional decorations such as placing live plants around paintings must be avoided at any cost as pests and insects can stain the oil painting and damage the frame.
7. Take help of experts
Take the help of qualified experts to clean or refurbish any oil painting which is covered in dust or has completely yellowed varnish. Such paintings cannot be cleaned properly by novices. If you try to make such a painting look brighter with some handy tips, you might damage it completely.
Follow these steps and enjoy the charm of an original oil painting for generations to come.
