Oil Painting

About Oil Paints

Oil paints contain pigments that are ground and mixed into linseed oil, walnut oil, poppyseed oil, or safflower oil. When oil paints where first developed in the High Middle Ages, an artist needed to mix his own pigments to create the appropriate color. Today, however, you can purchase oil paints of almost any color you can imagine in convenient tubes. Depending upon how they are applied to the painting surface, they can be either opaque or transparent.

Oil paints can be used on wooden panels, pressed word, cardboard, or linoleum, but most artists prefer to paint on canvas. Traditionally, an artist’s canvas is made from linen. However, the less-expensive cotton fabric canvases have become more popular in recent years.

One of the biggest differences between working with oils and other types of paints is the time it takes the paint to dry. While most paints dry by evaporation, oil paint dries through oxidation. It takes one day to two weeks for a painting to dry to the touch and you must wait six months to one year to apply varnish to the painting. However, many art conservators believe a painting must be 60 to 80 years old before it can be considered completely dry.

Supplies for Oil Painting

Basic painting supplies can be purchased from major craft stores such as Hobby Lobby. However, you can also buy supplies online from the following websites:

• Dick Blick
• Mister Art
• The Art Store
• Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff

As you’re purchasing your supplies, you may see paints and brushes that are labeled as either student-grade or professional-grade. Supplies intended for art students are generally cheaper, but they are most often made from low-quality materials. If you’re serious about oil painting, purchase the best paints and brushes you can afford.

Painting Tips

As you’re completing your first project, remember the following tips:

• Remember that many of the supplies used in working with oils are flammable and/or toxic. Always work in a well-ventilated area and read the product labels to see what safety precautions you must take.
• Oil brushes are long so that you can paint further away from the canvas. Don’t hold the brush like a pencil; keep your hand toward the middle of the handle.
• Pigments containing lead, manganese, and cobalt accelerate drying. They are ideal for the under layers of a painting and can be mixed with other oil paints to speed up drying time.
• When the upper layers of a painting dry faster than the lower ones, the painting can crack. To prevent this problem, follow the rule of “fat over lean” and increase the proportion of oil medium in each subsequent layer of the painting.
• Don’t let your paintings dry in the dark. Oil paintings need to be exposed to bright light to prevent yellowing.
• When you make a mistake, don’t try to cover it up by applying another layer of wet paint. Scrape the paint off with a palette knife, scrub away the residue with a solvent, and then start over.
• If you want to wipe away a layer of paint or oil varnish, remember that alcohol is a powerful solvent.

Additional Information

If you’re interested in learning more about painting with oils, check out these helpful websites:

• The History, Definitions, and Techniques of Oil Painting
• Oil Painting Techniques
• Online Art Demos
• Oil Painting Tips
• Fight Painter’s Block

You may also want to consider adding these reference books to your crafting library:

• Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter by Steve Allrich
• The Oil Painting Course You've Always Wanted: Guided Lessons for Beginners and Experienced Artists by Kathleen Staiger
• Problem Solving for Oil Painters: Recognizing What's Gone Wrong and How to Make It Right by Gregg Kreutz
• Fill Your Oil Paintings with Light & Color by Kevin D. MacPherson