Painting by Oils

What are Oil Paints?

Oil paints have pigments that are ground and mixed into walnut oil, poppyseed oil, linseed oil, or safflower oil. First developed in the High Middle Ages, they can now be purchased in almost any color you can imagine. They are available in convenient tubes and can be used to create both opaque and transparent effects. Oil paints have a thick, buttery texture when used directly from the tube.

Oil paints are traditionally applied to linen canvases, but they are sometimes used on wooden panels, pressed word, cardboard, or linoleum for a more modern look. Cotton fabric canvases are becoming increasingly popular as well. Thinners and solvents must be used when diluting oil paints or cleaning brushes and other painting supplies.

As a craft, painting by oils requires a great deal of patience. Oil paint dries through oxidation, not evaporation. It can take one day to two weeks for a painting to dry to the touch. You’ll need to wait six months to one year to apply varnish to your finished painting.

Oil Painting Supplies

You can buy basic supplies for painting with oils at large craft stores such as Hobby Lobby or Michaels Crafts. However, if you prefer to shop online, oil painting supplies are also available from the following websites:

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

As you’re shopping for supplies, remember the following tips:

• Buy the best quality paints you can afford. If you’re on tight budget, it’s better to spend your money on a few primary colors and some basic brushes than an assortment of cheap paint. When you buy black, white, red, yellow, and blue paint, you can make any color you’ll need for your projects. Purchase a color wheel if you need assistance mixing your colors.
• Avoid student-grade materials whenever possible. They are often made from cheap pigments that produce substandard results. Purchasing professional-grade supplies in the beginning will reduce your frustration as you’re trying to master basic painting techniques.
• If you don’t want the brush marks to show on your painting, look for soft sable brushes. If you’re planning to incorporate brush marks and textural effects into your painting, use stiff hog-hair brushes.
• Primers made for acrylic painting dry quickly and can also be used for artists painting with oils.

How to Learn Painting by Oils

If you are interested in oil painting, it will be helpful to spend some time thinking about how you prefer to learn a new skill. For example, do you find it easier to master a concept with one-on-one instruction or do you prefer to learn as part of a larger group?

There are many different ways for you to develop your skills in painting by oils. These include:

• Independent practice
• Basing your paintings on the techniques you’ve learned in books about oil painting
• Following instructions from oil painting websites
• Watching television programs or DVDs about oil painting
• Private instruction from a more experienced painter
• Taking a class at your local community college

Additional Information

For additional information about painting by oils, check out the following helpful links:

• An Introduction to Oil Painting for Beginners
• Oil Painting Supplies
• Oil Painting Tips

You may also want to add the following reference books to your crafting library:

• The Complete Oil Painter: The Essential Reference for Beginners to Professionals by Brian Gorst
• The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist by Bill Creevy
• The Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques by Jeremy Galton