Oil Painting Fundamentals

Materials to oil paint:

·      Canvas (stretched or panel)

·      Brushes – various sizes and textures

·      Oil paints – your brand of choice, but I recommend professional-grade brands such as Williamsburg, Michael Harding, Winsor & Newton, and Old Holland. W&N and Gamblin also offer student-grade lines (Winton and Gamblin 1980) but are less saturated because they have less pigment content and more fillers.

·       Mediums/solvents – linseed or walnut oil, Gamsol (solvent), and/or gels.

·       Palettes – glass or wood

·      Reference to paint from – printed photo or image on iPad

 

 Methods of painting:

  • Fat-over-lean (thick over thin, slow-drying over fast drying)

    • This method prevents cracking.

    • Creates a sound structure to ensure the paint will properly adhere to the surface.

    • ‘Lean’ paint = paint thinned down with solvent (Gamsol or turpentine) or lavender spike oil (natural alternative)

    • ‘Fat’ paint = paint with a high oil content (used out of the tube or with added oil like linseed or walnut)

    • Why follow this rule? When the paint is polymerizing (essentially fusing with molecules to create a solid paint film), it will expand then contract as the unsaturated fatty acids link up to absorb oxygen.  You want to ensure that the base layers of your painting do not impose stress on the top layers by changing dimensionally under paint that is already dry. In this way, we can think of each new layer being more flexible than the one before it.

  • Alla prima (direct method)

    • Also known as wet-on-wet painting

    • A relatively fast way of working

    • Everything is painted into each other and does not require previous layers (or layering at all).

  • Indirect method

    • Requires an initial underpainting (grisaille or imprimatura) to establish values.

    • Layers or glaze (transparent paint) on top of the underpainting to slowly build up color.

    • You also don’t need to solely use transparent paint when building up color. I work in stages, where I let each layer dry before I continue but I still use fairly thick paint. See what works for you!

Guide on Mediums:

Mediums are for modifying the flow of your oil paint (to be thicker or thinner).

  • Solvent = can be used to both clean your brushes and be mixed with your paint. Should be only used in the beginning layers of the painting (as it makes ‘lean’ +fast-drying paint). It takes around a day to fully dry.

    • Turpentine (distilled from pine tree resin) = very fast dry rate. Toxic to inhale so I don’t recommend using it, but you can if you’re in a well-ventilated space (away from children and pets!).

    • Odorless mineral spirits (OMS) (Petroleum distillate) = gives more of a watery flow than turpentine. Since it is odorless (and more refined), it is less harmful than turpentine but still toxic.

    • Lavender spike oil = A natural alternative to turpentine and OMS. Does have a strong scent so it’s always a good idea to paint in a space with good ventilation.

  • Oils = increases flow and transparency, slows drying time, creates ‘fatter’ paint.

    • Refined linseed oil = most commonly used medium. Great durability and increases gloss. Can cause paint to yellow over time.

    • Cold-pressed linseed oil = shinier and harder finish to paint than refined linseed. Dries slower than refined (4 days to be touch dry).

    • Linseed stand oil = very thick (consistency is like honey)

    • Walnut oil = less prone to yellowing than linseed oil. Slow drying

    • Poppyseed oil = very slow drying

    • Cold wax = thick paste that mattifies paint and gives texture. It builds a stiff body in the paint which you can apply with a stiff brush or a palette knife.

 

Key Points with Oil Painting:

 

Light and Shadow

  • One of the most important aspects in oil painting.

  • Value/tonal value – intensity of lights and darks

  • Key for developing realism.

Simplifying Values

  • Clearly indicate where the highlights (light), shadows (dark), and mid-tones are.

  • Three core values: brightest value, medium value, and darkest value.

 

Color

  • Hue = category of color (ex. red, orange, blue, etc.)

  • Chroma = intensity or saturation of color

  • Tonal value = how light or dark a color is (ex. Navy Blue has a dark value while Sky Blue has a light value)

  • Temperature = warmth or coolness of a color

    • Red/orange/yellow = warm

    • Green/blue/violet = cool

    • This is not set in stone, as a green mixed with more yellow will be a “warmer” green and red mixed with more violet (like alizarin crimson) will lean more “cool.”

 

Tips for beginner painters:

 

  • Don’t get caught up with tiny details! Focus on large, clear shapes – it will make your painting easier to read. A way to do this is to use bigger brushes than you’re used to.

  • Practice, practice, practice! It’s the only way you’ll improve and get a better grasp of the medium. Focus on the process, not the product.

  • Experiment. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because mistakes are how you learn.

  • Create drawing studies of your subject before you begin your painting session.

  • View tons of paintings and study from the greats. Visit art museums or find art books at your library. The internet is also a great resource to find new artists. Get inspired! This is also a way for you to develop your own aesthetic and find what makes you happy with art.

5 qualities in great realism:

  • Values are correct

  • Not over blended or overworked

  • Abstraction of shapes everywhere

  • Subtle not over defined

  • Natural color

 

Art terms to know:

 

·      Chiaroscuro = strong contrast between lights and darks (very bold)

·      Sfumato = hazy blended technique (softening transition between colors)

·      Imprimatura = earth toned underpainting

·      Grisaille = grey-toned painting or underpainting