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!
What is You Need to Know About Oil Painting?
Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com) asked:
Before picking up a brush, Learn what lean to fat, value, and more mean and many important terms that you need to learn. Here are terms and tips and every word you need to know about oil painting and it’s necessary termps for producing better paintings.
Long and Short Oil Paint
Oil painting mediums can be used to control the thickness, or consistency, of your oil paint.
Long oil paint means that enough medium has been added that it has very little “peak” (the ability to make small peaks or hills out of the paint) to it. It is smooth and oily. Long paint is used when you want very little brush strokes. Short oil paint is paint straight out of the tube. It is thick and has a lot of “peak” to it, stiff and buttery in consistency.
Some classic mediums are:Linseed Oil, Stand Oil, Safflower Oil, Alkyd Painting Medium etc.
Color Temperature
Color temperature refers to the color’s place on the color wheel. If you divide the color wheel at neutral purple (purple that is neither warm nor cool) and at neutral yellow the wheel will be divided into a “cool” side and “warm” side. Warm colors are colors that have a red tint to them. Cool colors have a blue tint.
Value
Value is the graduation of a color from light to dark. By varying the values in a painting you can achieve what is called contrast, or the sharp difference between light and dark. Adding contrast to a painting adds depth and interest. To see the difference in value in your subject simply put on sunglasses. Your sunglasses will keep you from seeing the actual color, and leave you with just lights and darks.
Layering
There are certain rules that should be followed when painting in oils. These rules keep you from ending up with a muddy mess of a painting.
First, you should always paint from warm to cool, meaning, lay down warm colors first, then cool. This also goes for value, always go from dark to light.
Similarly, you should always lay down your thin paint first (or long paint), getting thicker (short paint) as you go along, using your biggest brush first. Start with big, blocked in objects first, slowly working into more detail toward the end.
* Two typical layering methods for an oil painting as following:
Gesso: Gesso is used to prime a surface or canvass before painting. Basically, it makes paint stick better to the surface. It also keeps it from sinking into the surface. You don’t have to use gesso when painting, but it is worth giving a try.
Varnish: Varnish protects your painting from damage. It is only applied when the painting has thoroughly dried, around six months. Retouch varnish is temporary and can be used as soon as the picture is dry to the touch and can be removed with gum turpentine.
Other familiar ways of layering for oil painting:
1. Canvas
2. Underpainting
3. Thin, long, dark, warm paint
4. Thicker, short, light, cool paint
Now, did you have got an idea about oil painting? try it now!
Before picking up a brush, Learn what lean to fat, value, and more mean and many important terms that you need to learn. Here are terms and tips and every word you need to know about oil painting and it’s necessary termps for producing better paintings.
Long and Short Oil Paint
Oil painting mediums can be used to control the thickness, or consistency, of your oil paint.
Long oil paint means that enough medium has been added that it has very little “peak” (the ability to make small peaks or hills out of the paint) to it. It is smooth and oily. Long paint is used when you want very little brush strokes. Short oil paint is paint straight out of the tube. It is thick and has a lot of “peak” to it, stiff and buttery in consistency.
Some classic mediums are:Linseed Oil, Stand Oil, Safflower Oil, Alkyd Painting Medium etc.
Color Temperature
Color temperature refers to the color’s place on the color wheel. If you divide the color wheel at neutral purple (purple that is neither warm nor cool) and at neutral yellow the wheel will be divided into a “cool” side and “warm” side. Warm colors are colors that have a red tint to them. Cool colors have a blue tint.
Value
Value is the graduation of a color from light to dark. By varying the values in a painting you can achieve what is called contrast, or the sharp difference between light and dark. Adding contrast to a painting adds depth and interest. To see the difference in value in your subject simply put on sunglasses. Your sunglasses will keep you from seeing the actual color, and leave you with just lights and darks.
Layering
There are certain rules that should be followed when painting in oils. These rules keep you from ending up with a muddy mess of a painting.
First, you should always paint from warm to cool, meaning, lay down warm colors first, then cool. This also goes for value, always go from dark to light.
Similarly, you should always lay down your thin paint first (or long paint), getting thicker (short paint) as you go along, using your biggest brush first. Start with big, blocked in objects first, slowly working into more detail toward the end.
* Two typical layering methods for an oil painting as following:
Gesso: Gesso is used to prime a surface or canvass before painting. Basically, it makes paint stick better to the surface. It also keeps it from sinking into the surface. You don’t have to use gesso when painting, but it is worth giving a try.
Varnish: Varnish protects your painting from damage. It is only applied when the painting has thoroughly dried, around six months. Retouch varnish is temporary and can be used as soon as the picture is dry to the touch and can be removed with gum turpentine.
Other familiar ways of layering for oil painting:
1. Canvas
2. Underpainting
3. Thin, long, dark, warm paint
4. Thicker, short, light, cool paint
Now, did you have got an idea about oil painting? try it now!
How to Get the Most Out of your Oil Painting
May 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Visual Art
Ralph Serpe asked:
Learning how to become a good oil painter is a difficult undertaking. In fact, it is more than likely one of the most difficult painting mediums to master. Things like color mixing & theory, perspective, techniques and materials can really intimidate a beginner artist.
So how do you get the most out of your oil painting and become a more accomplished artist?
You must make it a point to learn the fundamentals of oil painting, practice often and have an enormous amount of patience.
You must start with the fundamentals of oil painting first. You cannot expect to produce Rembrandt quality paintings in the beginning. In fact, the first paintings you produce will probably be a lot worse than you may have anticipated. Frustration will more than likely come into the picture (pun intended). They key is to learn from your mistakes and do not let them defeat you.
So what are some of the fundamentals of oil painting? What information should you study and learn first?
Below are some topics of interest that you should definitely study further when you have time:
LEARN HOW TO DRAW
You will be amazed at how much learning how to draw will help improve your oil paintings. In fact, years ago art students were not even permitted to pick up an oil painting brush until they learned the fundamentals of drawing. My advice would be to find a few good books on drawing fundamentals and start there. Drawing is an art form all by itself and you should not be expected to master drawing as an art form, unless you want to of course.
Here is an excellent book to help you learn drawing fundamentals:
“The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence” by Betty Edwards
COLOR THEORY
You MUST learn about color theory if you plan on producing quality works of art. If you don’t understand how colors work, then you might as well hang up your brushes now. There is much to learn about colors like temperature, hue and intensity and how colors interact with one another. This is a very important aspect of oil painting and must not be overlooked.
Here is an excellent book on color theory:
“Exploring Color: How to Use and Control Color in Your Painting” by Nita Leland
PERSPECTIVE
Learning about perspective will teach you how to translate a 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional canvas or other support. Learning perspective is a necessary ingredient toward producing convincing oil paintings.
Here is an excellent book on perspective:
“The Art of Perspective: The Ultimate Guide for Artists in Every Medium” by Phil Metzger
MATERIALS
Materials to an oil painter are like what a guitar is to a guitarist. A guitarist cannot play without his instrument nor can he play without understanding how his instrument works. Your painting materials are your instruments. They are what enable you to express yourself, so learning more about them is pretty good idea. Get to know the different kinds of brushes and what they do. Know your paints. Not all colors behave the same. Some are more transparent or opaque than others. Know your supports and the difference between them. The list goes on.
Here is an excellent book for learning more about oil painting materials:
“The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today’s Artist” by Bill Creevy
TECHNIQUES
There are a myriad of oil painting techniques that you can utilize to create your paintings. So much so, that it is beyond the scope of this article. Techniques like wet on wet, glazing, alla prima, knife painting, etc. should all be explored. Working with various techniques will help you develop your own unique style.
Here is a great book on oil painting techniques:
“The Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques: A Unique Step-by-Step Visual Directory of All the Key Oil-Painting Techniques, Plus an Inspirational Gallery Showing How They Can Be Put into Practice” by Jeremy Galton
LEARN FROM THE MASTERS
Masters like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn , Johannes Vermeer and many more, were all able to successfully translate our 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional surface in such a way that it grabs the viewers attention and keeps it there. Their paintings engage the viewer and bring them back time and time again to look some more. Why? What is it that these paintings have that make them so popular? Well, one way to find out is to study them. If at all possible, make it a point to visit a museum as often as possible and study the works of the masters. Find paintings that grab your attention and draw you in. Then, when you have time, try to find books and other resources on those artists so that you can learn more about them and their techniques. When you are ready, pick a painting that you are quite fond of and try to reproduce it.
Here is a great book on learning from the masters:
“How to Paint Like the Old Masters ” by Joseph Sheppard
Learning how to become a good oil painter is a difficult undertaking. In fact, it is more than likely one of the most difficult painting mediums to master. Things like color mixing & theory, perspective, techniques and materials can really intimidate a beginner artist.
So how do you get the most out of your oil painting and become a more accomplished artist?
You must make it a point to learn the fundamentals of oil painting, practice often and have an enormous amount of patience.
You must start with the fundamentals of oil painting first. You cannot expect to produce Rembrandt quality paintings in the beginning. In fact, the first paintings you produce will probably be a lot worse than you may have anticipated. Frustration will more than likely come into the picture (pun intended). They key is to learn from your mistakes and do not let them defeat you.
So what are some of the fundamentals of oil painting? What information should you study and learn first?
Below are some topics of interest that you should definitely study further when you have time:
LEARN HOW TO DRAW
You will be amazed at how much learning how to draw will help improve your oil paintings. In fact, years ago art students were not even permitted to pick up an oil painting brush until they learned the fundamentals of drawing. My advice would be to find a few good books on drawing fundamentals and start there. Drawing is an art form all by itself and you should not be expected to master drawing as an art form, unless you want to of course.
Here is an excellent book to help you learn drawing fundamentals:
“The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence” by Betty Edwards
COLOR THEORY
You MUST learn about color theory if you plan on producing quality works of art. If you don’t understand how colors work, then you might as well hang up your brushes now. There is much to learn about colors like temperature, hue and intensity and how colors interact with one another. This is a very important aspect of oil painting and must not be overlooked.
Here is an excellent book on color theory:
“Exploring Color: How to Use and Control Color in Your Painting” by Nita Leland
PERSPECTIVE
Learning about perspective will teach you how to translate a 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional canvas or other support. Learning perspective is a necessary ingredient toward producing convincing oil paintings.
Here is an excellent book on perspective:
“The Art of Perspective: The Ultimate Guide for Artists in Every Medium” by Phil Metzger
MATERIALS
Materials to an oil painter are like what a guitar is to a guitarist. A guitarist cannot play without his instrument nor can he play without understanding how his instrument works. Your painting materials are your instruments. They are what enable you to express yourself, so learning more about them is pretty good idea. Get to know the different kinds of brushes and what they do. Know your paints. Not all colors behave the same. Some are more transparent or opaque than others. Know your supports and the difference between them. The list goes on.
Here is an excellent book for learning more about oil painting materials:
“The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today’s Artist” by Bill Creevy
TECHNIQUES
There are a myriad of oil painting techniques that you can utilize to create your paintings. So much so, that it is beyond the scope of this article. Techniques like wet on wet, glazing, alla prima, knife painting, etc. should all be explored. Working with various techniques will help you develop your own unique style.
Here is a great book on oil painting techniques:
“The Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques: A Unique Step-by-Step Visual Directory of All the Key Oil-Painting Techniques, Plus an Inspirational Gallery Showing How They Can Be Put into Practice” by Jeremy Galton
LEARN FROM THE MASTERS
Masters like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn , Johannes Vermeer and many more, were all able to successfully translate our 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional surface in such a way that it grabs the viewers attention and keeps it there. Their paintings engage the viewer and bring them back time and time again to look some more. Why? What is it that these paintings have that make them so popular? Well, one way to find out is to study them. If at all possible, make it a point to visit a museum as often as possible and study the works of the masters. Find paintings that grab your attention and draw you in. Then, when you have time, try to find books and other resources on those artists so that you can learn more about them and their techniques. When you are ready, pick a painting that you are quite fond of and try to reproduce it.
Here is a great book on learning from the masters:
“How to Paint Like the Old Masters ” by Joseph Sheppard
