“Isn’t Oil Paint Hard to Work With?”
Maybe you’ve been at an art store and wondered about all of the different kinds of paints on display. Which one is the easiest to use? Which one makes the best paintings? What’s the difference between oil paint and acrylic paint? How would I even start oil painting?
It’s a lot to take in for somebody new to painting! And it can feel so intimidating. What do you choose and would you even be able to figure it out? You’ve heard of oil paint and its long tradition in the studios of famous artists, so would you have any chance at doing anything good with it? Maybe you’ve tried it and found it to be difficult to work with. Bob Ross makes it seem so easy!
It’s true that oil paint has a long and storied tradition in the world of painting, but much of that is because many artists over the past millennia have found it to be a flexible medium to work with. It doesn’t dry as fast as tempera (eggs) or acrylic paint, it has a mix of opacity and transparency, and, with the right approach, it can last for a very long time. I personally enjoy the feel of oil paint on my brush, the freedom in blending that it produces, and the incredible amount of versatility it offers.
First, Some Basic Knowledge
The first thing to understand about oil paint is that it is like any other paint, in that it is made up of pigments that are bound together by a binding agent. These pigments are what we see as the color of the paint. Many of the pigments come from minerals or metals that are ground up into a powder. For example, the earliest Ultramarine Blue pigments came from Lapis Lazuli, a semi-precious stone that is rare and required Italian traders to sail to Afghanistan to acquire (hence the name ultramarine). These days there are synthetic ways to produce a wide variety of beautiful colors.
The binding agent in oil paint is, you guessed it, oil. Often this is a form of linseed oil, specially crafted for painting purposes. It may also be safflower or walnut oil, among others. Some oils have a tendency to turn yellow over time, especially noticeable when mixed with white pigments. There are many studies about this that turn up complex results, so I won’t go into any of that here. Just be aware that it can happen and has been a problem for hundreds of years!
A word about the surface you paint on – it needs to be primed. This is not usually an issue, as you will probably start painting with a pre-stretched canvas from the store. These come with at least one layer of “gesso”, an all-purpose primer that creates a perfect ground for your oils. If you were to paint directly on canvas, without gesso, the oil would be difficult to work with and the canvas would eventually rot. So don’t do it!
“Oil takes a long time to dry!”
In fact, oil doesn’t exactly “dry”, but it oxidizes and sets into a semi-solid state. It often takes days to set-to-the-touch and months to fully set, becoming ready for varnishing. This is important because it gives us artists a big insight into the medium that we are using. It also explains some of the reasons why we paint differently with oil than we do with other mediums.
Oil paint’s reluctance to set quickly opens it up to easier blending and mixing of paint colors. For those familiar with acrylic, this might be a tough shift at first. Give it some time, though, and you may appreciate the added flexibility. You will also now have an opportunity to blend colors on your canvas itself, something tricky or impossible to do with other mediums.
Because the binding agent is oil, most experienced painters will employ solvents and additional oils depending on their needs. Solvents, like turpentine or odorless mineral spirits, break down the oil and leave the pigments less bound together, thinning the paint. This is often used sparingly or with great intention (and in very well-ventilated spaces! The fumes can be extremely harmful.). Additional oil mediums can do a number of things, including speeding drying time, helping the paint flow better, or adding heft to the paint for impasto textures. There are many ways to customize your oil painting experience.
The Key to Oil Painting? Fat Over Lean.
If you’ve ever seen an old oil painting, you may have noticed little cracks all throughout the surface. This can happen when the oil sets up in a way that is too brittle. The flexible canvas underneath may shrink and stretch over time and is susceptible to vibration. In many ways, cracking is difficult to prevent, but there are methods that will make your experience with oils much easier and less prone to cracking.
The best method is called painting fat-over-lean. Each successive layer of paint should have more oil introduced, making for a top-level surface that is more flexible and less pigment-heavy than lower layers. There are other reasons to add oil to your paint, like aiding pigments that are more oil-absorbent, but that is a bit advanced for this introduction. Just try to incorporate a fat-over-lean approach as you get more comfortable with the paint.
A really nice by-product of painting fat-over-lean is control over your composition and colors. Starting your painting with a thin and sketchy monochromatic (one color) first layer is referred to as doing an underpainting. This can help guide the rest of your painting, acting as a framework. As you add more detail, you can use more paint and different colors, being careful to avoid or incorporate blending as you go.
But Now I’m Having a Problem…
It is helpful to keep in mind that different paints serve different purposes. While you may be able to take some of your acrylic or watercolor skills over to oils, you will have to learn some new things. Note that even very advanced oil painters run into issues and challenges. It is only through more experience that we improve and get the results we want!
One tendency for beginners is to use way too much paint too fast. This is usually because they are used to acrylic paint. Using less paint at first and slowly building is a much better approach. It will keep you from making messes and muddying up your colors. In conjunction, you should work dark to light or start with your mid-tones before moving up or down in value. Don’t be afraid to have lot of paint on hand, just don’t go crazy with it too quickly!
Another thing I see a lot of beginners do is having way too many colors on a palette. This is a recipe for disaster as these colors will not harmonize easily. Keep it simple! Use a limited palette. Limit yourself to only using white, one red, one yellow, and one blue. See how many colors you create with just those. You will surprise yourself! If you need a place to start, go with Titanium White, Alizarin Crimson, Lemon Yellow, and Ultramarine Blue. These will combine to make so many beautiful and saturated colors. Then start experimenting with different combinations, trading out Alizarin Crimson for Burnt Sienna, Lemon Yellow for Yellow Ochre, and Ultramarine Blue for Phthalo Blue or Payne’s Gray (or even Ivory Black). Color is relative and what matters most is harmony!
Now You are Set!
There really is nothing stopping you from learning how to paint with oils now. Go pick up some small tubes of paint (go with a large tube of white) and a few brushes of different sizes and shapes. Experiment with what looks fun! To be more frugal, skip the pre-stretched canvases for now and get a pad of canvas paper. I like to use them for studies. Tape a sheet to a drawing board and you’re set!
If you’re feeling old-fashioned (like me), get a wooden palette. They are really nice for weighing your values and they hold up really well to repeat uses (as long as you clean them). Go the less expensive route with a pad of palette paper, a waxy kind of paper that works really nicely, too. I personally have used them many times and prefer them far more than plastic palettes.
And, with that, you should be very ready to begin oil painting (after you read the little bit of safety advice I have below). I hope you enjoy getting to know how to paint with oils. It really is a fantastic way to improve your abilities, your understanding of art, and your patience. Just know that nobody is born with a complete mastery of painting. You grow equal to the amount of time you put into it. Have fun!
One last word of advice: know how to clean up your paint in a healthy way.
- Be aware that you cannot pour solvent down a drain or into the ground (very illegal and bad for the earth). Best to use it sparingly and let the small amount you use evaporate over time (in a well-ventilated area!), leaving whatever solids behind that you can then dispose of safely. Again, only use solvent in a well-ventilated area (I cannot say that enough!).
- Oil is very flammable. A normal painting experience shouldn’t end up with any excessively oily rags or paper towels, but if you do, do not wad them up or pile them together. It should be easy to either let the paint dry enough to dispose of later or prevent yourself from ending up with a whole bunch of excess paint.
- Clean your brushes with soap and warm water immediately after you are done using them. If you do not want to get too much oil paint on your hands, use gloves while painting or cleaning. Paper towels are enough for cleaning them while painting.
- If you have any other safety concerns, make sure to do your research before you begin, so you can have peace of mind and enjoy the experience.