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To
begin painting in oil colour, you need three simple
things:
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Some good beginners’ materials
•
A subject to paint
• A basic technique
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A
beginner’s palette of oil colours could consist
of the following colours:
•
Cadmium Lemon Hue
• Cadmium Yellow Hue
• Cadmium Red Hue
• Permanent Rose
• Permanent Alizarin Crimson
• French Ultramarine
• Phthalo Blue
• Viridian Hue
• Raw Umber
• Yellow Ochre
• Burnt Sienna
• Titanium White
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Brushes
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Surface to paint on – paper
/ canvas
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Palette
•
Palette knife - to mix paint and for application of
oils straight onto canvas. Can also be used for moving
the paint around the surface.
•
Charcoal – for drawing an outline of the subject
before you begin to paint.
•
Easel
• Solvents such as English distilled turps and
white spirit can be used for thinning oil colour for
painting. It can also be used for cleaning brushes &
equipment.
• Old jam jar - for holding your solvents and washing
out brushes.
•
Dippers – artists often clip dippers onto the side
of the palette to hold solvent and painting medium.
•
Overall
•
Cloth
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Early
History
The
history of oil painting goes back to prehistoric times when man
endeavoured to capture his world and experiences in paint. It was
deep in the caves of Southern Europe when man mixed animal fats
with earth and soot to form what can be considered the first oil
paints. The paint was then transferred onto the walls of the cave,
with the primitive images of the hunters and the animals hunted
becoming the earliest artistic creations of humankind.
The
medium evolved when in the 15th century, Jan van Eyck the famous
Belgian artist found that linseed oil and oil from nuts could be
mixed with pigments to create brilliant oil colours. Though there
is evidence that some English artists from the 13th Century used
oils, van Eyck remains the inventor and first exponent of oil painting
technique, as we know it today.
In
modern times, oil colour is one of the most popular choices of expression
by artists worldwide, because it offers great variety & technique,
strong depth of colour vibrancy and permanence that enable paintings
to last thousands of years.
It
is also one of the most forgiving mediums – the paint can be
easily manipulated on the canvas and if you make a mistake you can
always wipe the colour off the canvas (with a cloth dipped in turpentine),
due to the length of drying time.
The
extraordinary flexibility of oil colour lends itself perfectly to
the traditional painting techniques of blending and glazing, impasto
and scumbling on a multitude of surfaces, giving the artist excellent
results.
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main practice is to maintain a broad palette of about twelve colours
and add to it for specific requirements. Once you have this initial
palette, the next stage is to find suitable brushes and surfaces.
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Hog brushes have corrosion resistant ferrules and the natural curve
of the bristle is utilised to retain the shape and point for fine
detailed work. Most beginners need four brushes to start painting
in oils. |
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Brush
Type
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Brush
Use
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A
large or medium sized FLAT brush
Nos. 6 (medium),10 or 12 (large)
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For
large areas of colour. The tip can also be used for thin narrow
lines.
Also useful for blending and manipulating the colour around
the canvas.
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A
medium sized ROUND brush No. 6 (medium)
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For
broad areas of colour.
Also good for scumbling and dabbing on small patches of colour.
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A
small sized ROUND brush No.2
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For
fine detail and highlighting.
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Paper
Oil Colour Paper has a traditional canvas textured surface which
is specifically designed for use with oils and acrylics. With a
specially formulated primer applied during the sizing process it
has the right degree of absorbency for oil application.
Canvas
Stretched canvas has been the most common support for oils since
the 17th century. The weave of the cloth combined with the spring
of the stretched material are the features that maintain its popularity.
Canvas
Board
Canvas boards have traditionally been used for sketching outdoors.
Boards take up less room and are less easily damaged than stretched
canvases.
Other
surfaces
Often artists like to use alternative surfaces rather than canvases
and papers. Oil can be applied to MDF, wooden furniture & panels,
glass, hardboard, walls and plaster. When painting on an unconventional
surface it is important to ensure the surface is prepared properly
with a suitable primer.
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Finding
a subject
Many
artists find it difficult to be inspired by the ordinary everyday
things. However, you can turn the very ordinary object into something
special by simply looking at it creatively. You do not have to travel
to find the perfect view or the ideal image – simply look around
and decide what you want to paint and PAINT it.
Painting
an oil colour landscape
Landscapes
are arguably the easiest for beginners and the following basic technique
can be applied. The general principles that apply when painting
a landscape are your view and the aerial perspective. Colours become
less vivid the further away they are and as objects recede their
tones become paler and less contrasted.
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Paint
the first layer of colour thinly for each part of the painting i.e.
the sky, the mountains, the trees etc. Allow it to become tacky
or touch dry.
Put
a second coat of colour on top of the first coat but add the light
and shade – making the picture become three-dimensional. The
second paint layer should add more depth to the subjects in your
picture.
Using
a small round brush, paint in the detail of the subject i.e. the
fine branches on trees or the jagged edges on rocks. Or if you have
a building in the painting then the chimney pots, window frames
etc.
Finish
the painting off with highlights on the edges of subjects. For example,
a fine touch of Titanium White on top of a mountain where snow has
landed or on the edge of rooftops where the sunlight catches.
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The
basic techniques featured here can be used to create different effects
in traditional and contemporary art, for any subject at anytime.
Whilst
developing
your own painting style, you could try all of these techniques in
a single painting or simply choose one depending on the effect you
are trying to achieve. Alternatively you can just paint without
using any of them - the choice is yours.
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Fat
over Lean (or flexible over less flexible)
The method of oil painting in which each layer of paint is more
flexible than the ones underneath. Adding more medium to the colour
in each layer achieves greater flexibility per layer. This technique
is particularly useful in landscape painting and for creating a flexible
multi-layered painting. |
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Thick
over Thin
The method of oil painting in which thick layers of paint are added
on top of a thin background layer to produce a 3-D effect. If you
are going to use thick oil colour in layers then you should avoid
subsequent thin layers. This technique is particularly useful for
still life and portraits. |
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Wet
into Wet
The process of adding fresh colour into existing still wet layers.
The technique can be used to bring great immediacy and interest to
the image. It can also be used as a technique for blending, and can
be accomplished with the colour in virtually any state of viscosity
(thickness), from thick and stiff to fluid. This technique is often
used in botanical painting. |
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 Glazing
A technique that builds up layers of transparent or semi-transparent
colours over dry underlayers. The effect is one of great depth and
spatial atmosphere. It is a lengthy technique, but the effects in
oil are unmatched when compared with other media. This technique is
particularly useful for painting seascapes and water. |
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 Impasto
This is a painting method where the colour is applied stiff
and thick leaving brush and knife marks as a central element in
painting. An impasto surface can be dynamic and powerful. For thick
impasto, build the texture in several layers, allowing each layer
to dry before applying the next. This technique is used in contemporary
art to create 3-D effect and texture.
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Scumbling
With
a stiff brush, work a thin film of opaque or semi-opaque colour
loosely over your painting, allowing colour from the layer below
to show through. The effect is highly atmospheric.
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 S’graffito
This is a technique of scraping into a wet oil film, usually with
the handle end of a brush, or a painting knife. It is an expressive
effect, and is also effective for defining outlines. This technique
is often used in contemporary art. |
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It
is useful to follow some helpful hints as listed below:
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Constantly refer to the subject you are painting and to your work
of art.
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Start painting from the top left (or top right if you are left-handed)
of the surface – this will save your shirtsleeves from picking
up paint and avoid accidental smudging.
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Experiment with different brushes and/or palette knives when applying
the paint to the surface.
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Look out for light and shadow and highlight with light colours and
dark tones.
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Paint loose; don’t get hung up on accuracy. Remember it is
a painting not reality.
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Be patient with drying times. Oil can take between three and six
months to dry to finally varnish and frame.
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These are just some of the oil painting techniques used by artists
worldwide. There are many styles that can be adopted using oils
such as Impressionism and Abstract.
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Give yourself time to develop your own style and try as many techniques
as possible to find which one suits your creativity.
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Finally, read any books and magazines on oil colour or watch television
programmes which feature oil painting.
The
important thing is that you enjoy it and are proud of your work
of art.
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The
information contained within this craft technique sheet is presented in good
faith, but no warranty is given, nor results guaranteed. Product quantities
and selections may vary at each HobbyCraft Superstore. Products are subject
to availability and not all ranges are available in all stores. Before making
a special journey please contact the store direct to check that they have your
required product in stock. HobbyCraft Group Ltd disclaims all liability from
any injury to anyone using this craft technique as a result of improper safety
precautions. Since we have no control over physical conditions surrounding the
application of the information herein contained, HobbyCraft Group Ltd disclaims
any liability for untoward results.
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