An Introductory Guide to Success With Oil Painting
Important things to know!
The main differences between oils and acrylics are that oil paint remains wet for a long time. It will be touch dry in a couple of days but may take weeks to dry completely, if ever. So that means the style of painting is quite different. With acrylic we can let a layer dry - then in a short time we can work on top. Although that is possible with oils, the drying time is much slower ~ so layering this way is only for the most patient artists!
Another approach is to carefully paint in sections while all the paint is wet. This style is called Alla Prima - an Italian phrase that means ‘at first attempt’. It refers to a wet-on-wet approach where paint is applied to previous layers of still-wet paint, often in a single sitting. We are able to layer with this technique, but keep in mind we may easily disturb the paint underneath ~ so should be prepared for some mixing.
Because the paint will remain wet throughout, this method requires careful management of your paint and tools. Be super tidy, use small quantities of paint, clean as you go, and place your tools carefully.
When painting in oils we really want to avoid mixing colours with our brushes, as they’re so difficult to clean. Instead use a palette knife to mix each and every colour. The palette knife can be wiped clean between EVERY action ~ kitchen roll is your number one friend! If you have blobs of colour contaminating your original mixes, that means you’re not working tidily and may lose colour accuracy and waste paint. Oil paints are more expensive, so waste is something to be more mindful of with this medium.
Planning space on your palette to mix things in is also really important. It keeps your colours pure and stops you running out of palette space too quickly.
Another significant difference with oil paint is that the colours don’t dry darker or lighter - what you see is what you get. So it’s absolutely lovely for mixing gorgeous colours that won’t change on the canvas once dry. They’re also beautifully buttery and smooth to apply and contain lots of pigment. So you can use them quite thinly and build up colour slowly.
Step by Step - Painting with Oils :
1. Set Up Your Workspace:
Set up your materials where you’ll be comfortable. Make sure your palette, brushes, and solvent are all nearby and have a good stock of kitchen roll and a clean dry cloth for wiping away mistakes.
Position your canvas on an easel, or if working on a table raise the top edge of the canvas by propping it on something to tilt it toward you. Have a place where you can rest wet brushes and palette knives in between tasks.
2. Prepare Your Canvas:
Oil paints require a primed surface. Most canvases come pre-primed for oils, but if you have an unprimed canvas, you’ll need to apply a layer of gesso to prepare it.
Make sure the canvas is clean, dry and free of any dust.
3. Sketch Your Design:
Sketch your composition lightly with chalk, pencil, charcoal, or a thin layer of oil paint. This step is optional, but it can really help with planning your painting.
4. Mix Your Paints:
Squeeze out a small amount of oil paint onto your palette. You will likely need a ratio with more white to a very small amount of each colour, as oil paint is so richly pigmented. A little goes a long way!
Mix colors using a palette knife. You can mix with solvents (like turpentine or mineral spirits) to create thinner washes or add medium (like linseed oil) to create a glossier or more transparent effect.
5. Start Painting Your First Layer (Underpainting):
Underpainting: A common technique for oil painters is to start with an underpainting. This is just a thin layer of paint to define shapes and values.
Work from light to dark. Apply the first layers thinly and simply. Gradually build up details in later stages.
5. The “Fat Over Lean” Rule:
Lean Layers: The first layers of your painting should be economical with paint and thinly spread as you block in your composition. You can thin the paint with a medium like Zest-it if you want to keep it very subtle. This allows you to work on top later, without disturbing too much of the paint below.
Fat Layers: As you add top layers, and are more confident in mark making and where you are placing your brush strokes you can use more paint, for bolder colour and thicker texture. You can also add other mediums for body if you wish to add an impasto effect.
6. Blending:
The beauty of oil paints is that you can blend colors while they are wet, so take advantage of this to create smooth transitions between shades.
If you want soft edges, you can also use a clean, dry brush to blend while the paint is still wet.
9. Details and Texture:
Use small, fine brushes for the detailed work. You can create texture by adding thick layers of paint with a palette knife or stiff hogs hair brush. Also try printing with sponges, paper, or bubble wrap.
Don't be afraid to experiment. You can also scrape off paint with a palette knife revealing some of the colour beneath. Or smooth a thin layer of paint on top. Have fun and see what happens!
10. Allow the Painting to Dry:
Drying Time: Oil paints take longer to dry compared to other mediums, anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the thickness of the paint and the environmental conditions.
If you want to speed up drying, you can use paint more thinly, or add a faster-drying medium. You could also allow each layer to dry for a few days before continuing each stage of painting. If your finished piece is in a warm, dry environment it will be significantly faster than somewhere cool and damp.
Once the painting has become completely touch dry, usually after several weeks, consider sealing the painting with a matt or gloss varnish to protect it from the environment.
Additional Tips for Oil Painting:
Cleaning Brushes:
Use Zest-it, turpentine or mineral spirits to clean your brushes after each painting session. Make sure to clean them thoroughly to avoid any paint buildup which may spoil your brushes permanently.
After cleaning with solvents, wash brushes with soap and water to remove any lingering solvent.
Avoid Overworking:
When working wet in wet, the colours can all blend together and become too similar. We call this ‘overworking’. Often this results in losing contrast between light and dark areas, or losing the vibrancy of your colours as they become diluted by the layers beneath. If you have lost the colour you were hoping to achieve, scrape or wipe some paint away, to apply fresh colour in the space.
Don’t Forget to Experiment and Have Fun!:
Oil painting offers a lot of room for creativity. Try experimenting with different techniques like glazing (transparent layers of color), scumbling (brushing a lighter layer over a dry layer), Printing, scraping or impasto (thick paint applied to the canvas).
There are many oil painting mediums available which modify the paint’s consistency. You can use them to make the paint more fluid, add gloss, add texture, or speed up drying.