Oil Painting

Oil painting
Introduction
Oil painting was introduced in 15th century and became the most popular painting medium
among the artists around the world. Painting simply meant ‘oil painting’ for people until acrylic
was invented in 1950s. Oil paint is the combination of pigments and drying or semi drying oil,
for example linseed oil, nut, poppy, safflower, and turpentine was used as diluent. The visual
effect of the wet paint remains constant till it dries. Oil paint is very flexible to manipulate and is
viscous enough to retain brush or knife marks.
Supports and grounds

Wooden panels and honeycomb aluminums are rigid supports for oil painting. Similarly glue
sized paper and canvases are flexible supports where canvas is popular for its advantages as it is
very portable and good for large scale works. Gesso ground is also an oil painting support which
is the mixture of gypsum and glue size. Gesso ground can be modified by adding washed sand
call mom carving with knife on the thick gesso ground and dripping thick gesso on the gesso
ground which embosses 3D form. Acrylic primer(emulsion) ground and toned ground
(imprimatur) are also its supports. Toned ground is done with acrylic wash or is very transparent
oil paint and turpentine solution wash which is rubbed off with clean cotton rag after a few
minutes.
Brushes
Synthetic to soft hair to bristles are used for brushes. The choice of brush depends upon various
things such as viscosity of paint, nature of support, degree of finishing required, scale of work
and style of painting.
Techniques
Color mixing
Physical mixing of color is done on the palette whereas visual or optical mixing are done using 3
techniques: glazing, scumbling and juxtaposing. Glazing is a transparent paint film of one over
another as in watercolor. Scumbling is loose brushing of opaque or semi opaque paint film over
another color. Juxtaposing is small dabs of different colors close together.
Painting
Alla Prima
Alla Prima is a direct painting method which is done wet on wet. It is the toughest method of
all. Confident choice of color, tone and expression in each stroke is required along with it
relating to another stroke next to it. Mistakes can be scraped off and corrected in this
technique. It works best for small-scale, one-session paintings.
Painting in Layers
It is an indirect painting technique that follows the "fat over lean" rule. It includes overlaying
opaque or semi-opaque paint films on previously dried or semi dry layers.
Underpainting
Underpainting is a painting technique typically executed in monochromatic colors, which can be
transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque. Other styles of underpainting include impasto,
pointillism (optically mixed colors), and Sgraffito.
Blending
The blending technique is achieved using a soft filbert or fan brush. It is used to secure smooth
edges, gradual tonal transitions, and a dimensional look in the painting.
Preserving Paints
Excess oil paint on the palette can be preserved for later use. It can be stored in a container
under water or placed in the freezer at sub-zero temperatures.
Acrylic
Introduction
Acrylic painting was introduced in 1950, although it originated in the 1930s. The first synthetic
paint was called duco. Acrylic pigmented colors are mixed with acrylic polymer emulsion in this
type of paint. It is water-soluble when wet but becomes waterproof when dry. It is permanent
and generally resistant to weathering and fading. Acrylic paint does not undergo yellowing or
hardening due to chemical changes. The paint tends to dry slightly darker than when wet.
Different acrylic mediums are manufactured to achieve various visual finishes, such as glass,
matte, or texture paste, which add depth to acrylic paintings.
Drawbacks
Acrylic paint dries quickly, leaving less time for manipulation compared to oil or watercolor
paints. The range of colors available in acrylic paints is more limited than in oils or watercolors,
as the pigments are synthetically made. However, metallic colors such as silver, gold, copper, or
bronze have been recently added to the range.
Precautions
It is advisable to avoid cheaper ranges of acrylic paint, as they may contain harmful volatile
organic compounds and weak PVA resin-based acrylic emulsion. To prevent wastage, only a
limited amount of paint should be squeezed out. Brushes should be washed immediately after
use.
Supports and Grounds

Acrylic painting works well on both rigid and flexible canvases. Unlike oil painting, acrylic does
not require sizing if the supports are clean, non-oily, and dust-free. Primer is applied to the
support using a brush, and scraping the primer onto the support is a quicker method than using
a brush. Thin primer can also be sprayed using a spray gun. If a toned layer is desired, a dark
primer can be used.
Brushes and Palettes
When using brushes, it is important to consider a few factors. Synthetic hairbrushes are
generally preferred over sable brushes. Brushes should be chemically safe with mediums.
Palettes can be like those used in oil painting or can even be disposable plastic-coated plates,
plastic sheets, or glass sheets.
Techniques
There are four main techniques:
 Transparent Washes: This technique is like watercolor and can be done wet on wet or
wet on dry. Acrylic paints, being flexible, are more effective than watercolors.
 Opaque Layer or Impastos: This technique is like oil painting. However, due to the rapid
drying nature of acrylics, there is less time for manipulation.
 Wash and opaque mixed: This is more convenient technique of painting
semitransparent paintings.
 Underpainting: Underpainting is as important as that in oil painting since it provides
good mood and reflection to the final work as required.
 Other techniques: Other techniques includes Sgraffito, air brush or spray gun and even
stenciling and masking out.

Oil Painting

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Supports and grounds

Supports and Grounds

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