It is a wonderful and versatile medium. Oil paint is usually applied in a thick, buttery way and then thinned down to a watery consistency this site. The versatility of the paint opens up a variety of other techniques. I prefer to start my oil paintings by sketching the composition first using acrylic or water-soluble oils paints. The most popular oil painting technique is to use turpentine to thin the paint before applying your first layers. Turpentine is toxic and I don’t like to use it. We find that acrylic or oil-soluble paints are more pleasant to use when they’re thinned down with water.
Oil painting can also be started by first sketching out the composition. Many drawing media work well with oil paints. My 3 favorite drawing mediums are vine charcoal, water-soluble pencils and a combination of both. I prefer vine charcoal because it doesn’t smudge like other charcoals and also erases easier. The water-soluble colored pencils can be used just as you would any other pencil. They are also able to be spread with the use of a dampened brush. You might not be a patient person, but you may want to give the Alla Prima technique a try. Alla Prima is when you paint the entire painting in one go, rather than waiting for it to dry. Although I prefer to paint THE painting in layers, sometimes my wife and i enjoy this fun AND spontaneous way of oil painting.
Glazes are a good option for painters who take their time and paint carefully. The use of glazes has declined in recent years, partly due to the time required to complete this kind of painting, as well as its difficulty. However, your results this year are unique to any other painting technique. The compositions are first painted with an opaque monochrome, often in shades of grey. After the initial underpainting has dried, thin oil glaze layers are applied. The colors aren’t mixed immediately but in layers.
You can also try out a set of knives or painting brushes if you’re an adventurous person. Knives can produce some very unique results. This is not possible with brushes. Oil paint can be applied thickly AND scraped away with ease. The thing that we enjoy the most about using knives is their tendency to ignore small details. I am now required to paint in a more relaxed manner. This creates an impressionist style of painting. Get a collection of painting knives AND TRY TO COMPLETE A WHOLE PAINTING WITH ONLY YOUR KNIFE. You may find it difficult to determine if you are meant for brushes at first, but this is a fun exercise.
You may want to give your painting more texture AND body. Try the impasto technique AND apply your paint in thick, heavy strokes. This will leave evidence of all those wonderful brushstrokes. View a Van Gogh work AND watch this program in action. Oil painting has become a popular choice for artists. There’s so much that can be distinguished in oil painting. It is impossible to get bored with all the wonderful tools, media AND techniques.