Home > Art Painting > Oil Painting

Oil Painting

February 16th, 2006 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Tips on Oil Painting - Solvents Mediums and Varnishes

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.

About the Author

Remi Engels, Ph.D., is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter. He is also the author of a popular Pencil Portrait Drawing Course. Get Your Free copy here: Remi's Pencil Portrait Drawing Course while supplies last.

Oil Painting

CANADA ART 1875 HISTORICAL RCMP OIL PAINTING D C GROSE
CANADA ART 1875 HISTORICAL RCMP OIL PAINTING D C GROSE
Paypal   US $4,299,999.00
YA MON 2 NO STEAL DRUMS OIL PAINTING JAMACIN MUSIC DANCING CUBIST ANTHONY FALBO
YA MON 2 NO STEAL DRUMS OIL PAINTING JAMACIN MUSIC DANCING CUBIST ANTHONY FALBO
Paypal   US $1,500,000.00
OIL PAINTING RARE LARGE ONE OF A KIND FLOATING CUBISEM
OIL PAINTING RARE LARGE ONE OF A KIND FLOATING CUBISEM
Paypal   US $1,500,000.00
OIL PAINTING RARE first one of a kind FLOATING CUBISEM
OIL PAINTING RARE first one of a kind FLOATING CUBISEM
Paypal   US $1,500,000.00
VINTAGE Antique Old Impressionist Oil Painting 1884
VINTAGE Antique Old Impressionist Oil Painting 1884
Paypal   US $1,499,995.00
HISTORIC LAST SUPPER OIL 3D PAINTING
HISTORIC LAST SUPPER OIL 3D PAINTING
Paypal   US $900,000.00
OIL ON WOOD PAINTING SIGNED PAUL CEZANNE FRENCH POST IMPRESSIONIST
OIL ON WOOD PAINTING SIGNED PAUL CEZANNE FRENCH POST IMPRESSIONIST
Paypal   US $900,000.00
LISTED FAMOUS RUSSIA RARE RUSSIAN IVAN SHISHKIN FOREST LANDSCAPE OIL PAINTING
LISTED FAMOUS RUSSIA RARE RUSSIAN IVAN SHISHKIN FOREST LANDSCAPE OIL PAINTING
Paypal   US $680,000.00
Original Oil Painting by Peter Hurkos Apple Orchards
Original Oil Painting by Peter Hurkos Apple Orchards
Paypal   US $500,000.00
De Kooning Mid Century ABSTRACT OIL PAINTING large REDUCED
De Kooning Mid Century ABSTRACT OIL PAINTING large REDUCED
Paypal   US $499,999.00
17C Italian Neoclassic Original OVAL OIL PAINTING OLD MASTER IMPRESSIONIST NR
17C Italian Neoclassic Original OVAL OIL PAINTING OLD MASTER IMPRESSIONIST NR
Paypal   US $400,000.00
THOMAS KINKADE ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING CHRISTMAS TREE COTTAGE
THOMAS KINKADE ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING CHRISTMAS TREE COTTAGE
Paypal   US $349,000.00
F Lloyd Oil painting portrait on canvas Dutch girl holding flowers
F Lloyd Oil painting portrait on canvas Dutch girl holding flowers
Paypal   US $358,000.00
STILL LIFE PICTURE ARTIST BOSSE OIL PAINTING ON CANVAS SIZE 36WIDE X 24 TALL
STILL LIFE PICTURE ARTIST BOSSE OIL PAINTING ON CANVAS SIZE 36WIDE X 24 TALL
Paypal   US $255,000.00
William Verdult Oil Painting Masonite The White Bear Framed Collectibles
William Verdult Oil Painting Masonite The White Bear Framed Collectibles
Paypal   US $250,000.00
Norman Rockwell Original Oil on Canvas Painting Electric Furnace
Norman Rockwell Original Oil on Canvas Painting Electric Furnace
Paypal   US $250,000.00
WILLIAM VERDULT RUSSIAN COSSACK ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING
WILLIAM VERDULT RUSSIAN COSSACK ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING
Paypal   US $200,000.00
Jacques Laurent Agasse Figural Landscape Oil Painting
Jacques Laurent Agasse Figural Landscape Oil Painting
Paypal   US $195,000.00
Russia Russian KLEVER von Julius Sergius Oil painting Original Signed 1891
Russia Russian KLEVER von Julius Sergius Oil painting Original Signed 1891
Paypal   US $195,000.00
48 x 48 Original Schira Oil On Board Mural BIG Painting
48 x 48 Original Schira Oil On Board Mural BIG Painting
   US $189,995.00
Russia Russian MAKOVSKY Vladimir E 1846 1920 Oil painting Original Signed 1875
Russia Russian MAKOVSKY Vladimir E 1846 1920 Oil painting Original Signed 1875
Paypal   US $165,000.00
SIGNED KAREN LUDWIG OIL PAINTING DESERT SCENE
SIGNED KAREN LUDWIG OIL PAINTING DESERT SCENE
Paypal   US $159,999.00
AFTER ADOLPHE WILLIAM BOUGUEREAU OIL PAINTING CIRCA 1800s
AFTER ADOLPHE WILLIAM BOUGUEREAU OIL PAINTING CIRCA 1800s
Paypal   US $155,250.00
Leroy Neiman Original Mixed Media Oil NFL Commissioned Football Painting
Leroy Neiman Original Mixed Media Oil NFL Commissioned Football Painting
Paypal   US $145,000.00
Russia Russian LAGORIO Lev 1827 1905 Oil painting Original Signed 1866
Russia Russian LAGORIO Lev 1827 1905 Oil painting Original Signed 1866
Paypal   US $144,350.00
EDNA HIBEL ORIGINAL SANDY OF NEW ORLEANS OIL PAINTING WITH FRESCO ON CANVAS
EDNA HIBEL ORIGINAL SANDY OF NEW ORLEANS OIL PAINTING WITH FRESCO ON CANVAS
Paypal   US $142,000.00
View Page:   1  2  3  4

Oil Painting
What would you pay for a good oil painting?

If you asked an artist to paint an oil painting for whatever you wanted and tey could deliver and it turns out to be a fantastic painting. What would you pay? Considering it would be a one off and unique.

it depends in how much the painter is rate meaning 1
1how many paintings he has sold ,
2 is the painter well known?
3are his paintings on galleries?
4 and how great of a painter is he?
add a hundred for number1 add 250 for number 2 add five hundred for number 3
and if you think is great is up to you
if you answer yes on all 4 $1,000.00

Oil Painting Reviews: 30 Years War Historical Background Part 1

Share and Enjoy:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Blogplay
  1. No comments yet.
  1. No trackbacks yet.