What Every Serious Oil Painter Needs to Know About Artist Oils
Oil paints are made up of pigment which has been ground into an oil base, also called the vehicle. The most commonly used vehicle is cold-pressed linseed oil, however, it can be made with walnut oil, poppy seed oil, safflower oil or other less popular ones.
Linseed oil comes from the flax seed and gives oil paints a longer drying time. This allows the paint to be worked with for longer periods of time, sometimes even up to several months. The advantage of a longer drying time means the artist can develop a painting by making changes and corrections at the artists leisure. A disadvantage of longer drying times, is the painting might take months or years to completely dry depending upon how thick the paint was applied to canvas. This might be an issue if you have a customer anxiously waiting for the painting to dry so he/she can take possession it.
The pigment is where paint gets its color. A paint color gets its name from the pigment that is used. We first got our pigments from the earth in the form of rocks or powder, but now it is also manufactured from synthetic materials. Some of the oldest pigments known to man are made from colored earth like Yellow Ochre, Sienna and Umber. Other pigments are derived from mineral salts such as White Oxide.
What Is There to Know About an Artist’s Oil Painting Palette? You’d Be Surprised
Palette (noun):
- A thin board or slab (traditionally made of wood) on which an artist lays and mixes his/her colors.
- The range of colors used by an artist for a particular picture.
The word “palette” can be used to refer to the actual tool you use to mix your colors on or it can refer to a selection of colors used to make up a color scheme. For the purpose of this article, when I mention palette, I am talking about the surface an artist uses to mix his/her paint on.
Oil Painting Tutorial – Glaze and Mist
About Julie Duell
Julie Duell (nee Henderson) is a 6th generation Australian going back to the First Fleet of English convicts to arrive in Sydney cove in 1788. She also has a drop of American Shoshone Indian heritage for good measure! Julie was born in Sydney in 1941 and continued to reside in Sydney environs thereafter. Julie was named after the month of her birth, July.
Over many prolific artistic years, Julie has painted under the names Julie Ferguson and J. Ferguson-Duell before simply signing her works Julie Duell. As a child, she studied art at St. George Technical College, Kogarah and singing with a private teacher in Rockdale, entering numerous Eisteddfods as a soloist with some success.
Adult years saw Julie resume her art studies, once again at St. George Technical College and then numerous short courses on the Central Coast where she has been a prolific practising artist and art teacher since around 1970.
How to Paint a Landscape in Oils Step by Step
About the Artist
Ross Bowns is an artist and art instructor working in California. His interests in art are in semi-abstract figurative art but he enjoys teaching broad range of subjects from basic drawing techniques to painting the landscapes.
He received an MFA in Fine Arts from The Academy of Arts University and a BA in Studio Arts from CSU, Sacramento. Ross currently lives and works in Sacramento, California.
Visit His Websites Today:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/
Alternative Views on Artists Brushes for Oil Painting
This article describes some unorthodox methods for using paint brushes when painting in oil. None of these are intended to replace traditional advice. It is more a list of additional things to consider when painting, and hopefully get results from. It may or may not be relevant to your method, but I hope for some it is interesting, and even useful to consider. This article is perhaps more relevant to artists working in a relatively uncontrolled and rough manner.
Cheap brushes are often dismissed for failing to retain their shape, and leaving loose bristles behind in the paint. I have found most cheap brushes are ok, although some I admit are useless. Being so cheap, it is affordable to experiment with different brands and throw bad ones away, taking note not to buy them again. I have some expensive brushes that I keep separate, and use when required. But for the most part, I use cheap ones.
I’m not sure what the difference between oil and acrylic brushes is, but my favourite brushes for oil painting are acrylic brushes. They seem to last just as long, cope with oil paint fine, and are an inexpensive brand.
How to Paint a Sunset in Oils Step by Step
About Gina
Gina De Gorna comes from a family of Artists and Craftsmen. She has lived and studied extensively Fine Art both in Europe and in the US. In 2002 Gina found paradise and eventually moved to Hawaii Big Island.
Gina De Gorna received her first Art award at the age of ten and later on she has been a teacher for 11 years.
Having painted and studied for more than 25 years, Gina De Gorna finished more than 500 Art pieces. She continuously does research, reads and writes about art, tutors, experiments with color, art techniques, styles and painting subjects. In the USA Gina De Gorna launched her career as a full-time artist and as such she can offer originals of oil and acrylic paintings and variety of limited edition Giclee reproductions, cards and prints.
Gina’s fine art works and portraits have been shown in Art Galleries both in solo and group exhibitions in Europe, Canada, and the USA. Her work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including cartoons, illustrations, portraits , landscape and seascape images, together with paintings of animals, birds, sunsets, and flowers. Her paintings are recognized for their realistic and expressional values. They are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which the artist is seeking to portray personal or visionary interpretations of the world.
How to Make Oil Paints Dry Faster
Oil paint is a slow drying medium. It behaves differently than other mediums like water based mediums for instance, as it dries by oxidation and not by evaporation. This slow drying process can be good or problematic, depending on the situation. If you are a patient artist that works at a slow pace and enoys the flexibility of being able to re work a painting, fix mistakes, etc, then the slow drying properties of oil paint are perfect for you. Sometimes however, especialy when working in multiple layers, the slow drying properties of oil paint can be a real nuisance.
The good news is that oil paint, being the wonderful versatile medium that it is, can be modified to either dry faster, or dry even slower.
In this particular post, we will be talking about the various methods and products that speed up the drying time of oil paints. Below are a number of helpful resources including videos, articles, forum discussions and product links on this particular topic. It is important to note that when we are talking about drying time here, we are referring to when the oil paint becomes “touch dry”. Oil paint takes months to fully dry. This is especially important if you plan on varnishing your paintings as you must wait for your painting to dry completely.
Landscape Oil Painting Demonstration by Kenn Backhaus
About Kenn Backhaus
Kenn was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and spent much of his childhood on the family farm near Burnett, Wisconsin. His fondness for nature became the catalyst for his art. Kenn’s parents encouraged his artistic education and following High School, he attended Layton School of Art in Milwaukee,Wisconsin. After graduation from Layton in 1973, he embarked on his professional career in Design and Illustration. As a commercial designer and illustrator Kenn received many awards at both local and national levels, which included acceptance in the Annual Society of Illustrators Show in New York. Although Kenn took pride in his commercial successes, his heart always belonged to the fine art of outdoor painting.
With developing interest in the historic Plein Air style of painting, Kenn decided in 1984, to devote more time to his passion for painting and the love of the outdoors. He found that capturing true color, value and the mood of a subject was best done on location or through direct observation. His passion for painting has broadened his subject matter to include not only landscape, but also figurative, portrait, still life and wildlife.
Kenn’s works have been juried into many shows across the country, including the Oil Painters of America National Shows. His works have received many awards including the Collector’s Choice Award at the Seventh Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational 2005, Artist’s Choice Award at the First Annual Telluride Plein Air Exhibit and Sale, 2004, Fredix Artist Canvas Best Landscape award at the 2004 Oil Painters of America National Show, Kirkland, Washington, Tara Best Landscape award at the 2003 Oil Painters of America National Show, Taos, New Mexico, Second Place Award in the Crystal Cove Invitational Exhibition 2003, 1999 Finalist winner The Artist Magazine, a Best of Show in the 1999 Invitational American Plains Artist Show, Midland, Texas, Award of Excellence in the 1998 Regional Oil Painters of America Show, Arlington Heights, IL.
Oil Painting En Plein Air – Video Demo by Paul Taggart
Below is a wonderful video demonstration created by Paul Taggart. This is a demo done “en plein air”. Its a fairly quick, energetic and sketchy painting, the point of which, is to demonstrate that oil painting does not always have to be a long drawn out process that takes days or even weeks to complete.
Paul will be working in just two layers of oil for this demo. The first will be a somewhat fluid application. The second will add more texture using opaque color. The purpose of this exercise is to allow yourself to let go and paint what you see before you. As you watch the video, you will notice that Paul does not get caught up in details. He is painting shapes. Whether you are painting landscapes or portraits, it is helpful to look at things as a collection of shapes as opposed to a nose or a tree for instance. You will be amazed at just how convincing your paintings will turn out when you look at objects this way.
There are lots of excellent tips and techniques that Paul will be sharing in this lengthy video. Too much to discuss here. So sit back, relax and enjoy. When you are finished watching this video, be sure to head on over to Paul’s YouTube page. There you will find many other wonderful and informative video demonstrations and lessons. I guarantee you will learn a great deal from this artist. Be sure to also check out his Website Here for more excellent resources.
Counterintuitive Painting – or – The Problem Might Not Be What You Think It Is
About Karin
Karin Wells is an artist of amazing versatility. She graduated with honors from both the New England School of Art and Design, Boston, 1965, and the Butera School of Art, Boston, 1986. Karin has enjoyed a career as an award-winning graphic designer, illustrator and sign painter. She also taught Life Drawing and Painting for many years. She has most recently studied for three years at The New England School of Classical Painting in Greenfield, New Hampshire, under the direction of Numael Pulido.
To expand her craft, Karin has traveled throughout Europe studying the Old Masters. Her art reflects the deep influence of these great works. Karin demonstrates a remarkable facility for likeness and for the use of light.
The artist is a member of The American Society of Portrait Artists, Portrait Society of America, The Portrait Society of Atlanta, and The Copley Society of Boston.
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