The Essentials of Painting With Oil

What makes oil painting an outstanding medium is its ability to fuse colours or tones together while achieving great linear visuals and crisp effects.

Also, it can easily obtain a wide range of depth, from transparent to translucent and opaque, its textural variation is unmatched. Uncommonly known, oil paints are made by combining and mixing dry pigment powders with linseed oil. The technique will most likely be discussed in one of your oil painting classes. 

One important thing that every artist, even an aspiring one, should know is colour consistency; you’re looking for a smooth, buttery paste. If a more flowing consistency is preferred, a liquid painting ingredient can be added into the mixture of oil paint. Conversely, if drying has to be hastened, a liquid dryer can also be mixed. When it comes to application, you’ll want to use the top-grade brushes during your oil painting classes. There are two options to consider: red sable that is made from weasel hair, and the other is the bleached hog bristle. 

The standard support commonly used in oil painting classes is a canvas that is made of 100% linen of strong close weave and is stretched over a frame. Most often a primer or ground is applied on the canvas first in order to achieve a smoother surface. If you prefer smoothness and rigidity over texture, a processed paperboard panel can be used instead of fabric canvas.

Finally, the technical requirements of some schools that offer modern oil painting can’t be achieved by analyzing through traditional techniques. In fact, modern artists are using mixed coarse-grained mediums to create unique textures while others have used oil paints in greater thicknesses and different viscosity that’s not possible with conventional oil paints. Despite these differences in liquid paints, all artists share the same vision, that is to create a great artwork for mankind to appreciate.

If you’ve become intrigued by the fascinating world of painting, VR School of Art is your go-to destination for learning opportunities through a variety of programs. Contact us today to find out more and enroll in one of our many classes.