Saturday, April 17, 2010

Oil Painting

Oil paints are extremely adaptable. They can be used densely in impasto or extremely thinly in glazes; they can be opaque or transparent. Here are a few tips to help you obtain the most from your oils.

Tip 1:

Always put your oil paints out on your palette in the same categorize so that, with time, you'll be able to pick up a bit of a color instinctively.

Tip 2:
The proportion of oil (medium) should be increased for each succeeding layer in an oil painting – known as painting 'fat over lean' – because the lower layers absorb oil from the layers on top of them. If the upper layers dry quicker than the lower ones, they can crack.

Tip 3:
Avoid using Ivory Black for an under painting or sketching as it dries a lot slower than other oil paints.

Tip 4:
Pigments including lead, cobalt, and manganese accelerate drying। They can be mixed with other colours to speed up drying and are ideal for under layers. (Student-quality paints usually contain cheaper alternatives to these pigments, generally labeled hues.

Tip 5:
Use linseed oil for an under painting or in the bottom layers of any oil painting done wet-on-dry as it dries the most methodically of all the oils used as mediums.

Tip 6:
Avoid using linseed oil as a medium in whites and blues as it has a noticeable tendency to yellow, which is most notable with light colours. Poppy oil is recommended for light colours as it has the slightest tendency to yellow (although it does dry slower).

Tip 7:
Don't dry the oil paintings in the dark। This may cause a thin film of oil to increase to the surface, yellowing it. (This can be removed by exposure to bright daylight.

Tip 8:
If, the same as the paint on your palette dries it forms a lot of wrinkles, too much oil (medium) has been added.

Tip 9:
If you're not sure whether a bottle of mineral or white spirits is suitable for oil painting, put a small quantity on a piece of paper and let it evaporate. If it evaporates without leaving any residue, stain, or smell, it should be well.

Tip 10:
If you want to clean away a layer of oil paint or oil varnish, use alcohol, which is a great solvent.

No comments: