Oil Techniques

[after-dark]

I thought we could all share our oil painting techniques - what steps we take to create our oil paintings..

For more traditional detailed works I start with a basic under-painting to block in areas and build up the detail slowly over many sessions. I also like to use liquin with my oils to help blend it in and give it that vibrant appearance.:rolleyes:

[dave]

I tend to do the same Daniel, block in large areas with thinned oil paint, usually darks first, wait for that to dry and then start the serious painting. Once I'm happy with that, if needed, I add a few tonal glazes to get the wow factor.
I have a number of artist friends who paint from start to finish wet on wet; some work thick, some thin. They can get a painting finished in a day, where as it takes me ages. I must admit I admire the way they can stop the paint from turning into a muddy mess.

[after-dark]

I have a number of artist friends who paint from start to finish wet on wet; some work thick, some thin. They can get a painting finished in a day, where as it takes me ages. I must admit I admire the way they can stop the paint from turning into a muddy mess.

That's actually exactly how I paint now - I give myself a 2 hour time limit per painting. Heaps of fun. Though the portrait I'm painting at the moment, I'm painting the old school slow method..

[inkgal8290]

i paint....thick and thicker....almost finishing a picure in one sitting.

[V-Mak]

Hi everyone,
I too tend to work in layers and wait for my oils to dry in each session especially before I go into finer details as I hate when my oils mix into mud - guess I have a heavy hand - my paintings take weeks to complete like this too !

[Jewels]

I tend to paint like Daniel and Dave, using raw umber as my base, but also I can do what you do V-Mak, it all depends what I am painting, I have painted several roses using two colours of paint on the one brush,and they have turned out really well much to my surprise. Sometimes I paint wet on wet,but havent mastered this yet, and I think the secret is using clean brushes all the time, did a painting like this once and it was okay but didnt like all the brushes I had to clean up at the end of the day, I love painting fine detail, which is a real challenge for me, so I really need for paintings to be nearly dry for me to do this, but I have been doing a bit of everything lately, not sure which way I like painting the best yet.

[Bob Abrahams]

I thought we could all share our oil painting techniques - what steps we take to create our oil paintings..:rolleyes:

This promises to be an interesting thread and I hope to learn much

I have purchased a few books and DVD's on the subject this year, some quite recently to keep me occupied during convelesence

"Traditional Oil Painting" Bok by Virgil Elliott
Advanced Techniques and Concepts from the Renaissance to the presesnt

and

"Richard Schmid Paints the Landscape" No 4 in a DVD series. His DVD's are expensive to buy in Australia but in my opinion worth the outlay if you really want to see a "master" at work. He cover both plein air and painting from photographs (computor screen) in these two series
I also have books and DVD's by Kevin McPerson on plein air landscape painting that are very inspiring.

I have developed two appoaches to my paintings and can be in either oils or acrylic


Firstly the "ala prima" approach. Finished in one session. (or at least I try to) This approach is also used for my plein air landscape paintings, still life and studio studies, the sizes range from 15x20cm to 30x40cm panels or stretchers. I want them to be spontaneoeus and fresh. Not all of these painting make into frames, but I keep many of them because they have are provided worthwhile learning and colour notes and records. I aim to complete two or three of these a week because the more you do the faster you learn.

The more formal and traditional approach is addressed in the above book by Virgil Elliott that I hope to study and practice in the coming months. However already I see that it is not a competition between different painting approaches. They are interelated and complimentary. For instance Richard Schmid is trained in the traditional manner but manages to apply the same principles in his paintings.

The serious artist should be preoccupied with quality and the painting should enrich human society

[Petra Sohns]

i like painting on canvas
i always prime the canvas regardless

i usally spend a lot of time on my initial sketch on cartridge first. For time reasons i then transfer the sketch on to canvas
finally the oils come out i start my first block over the whole canvas tinned with terpentine i usally start light after 2 or three blocks i use pure hue
and from there on i start to glace the layers into there different values starting to use medium 1, 2 never used 3 yet put always follow the fat over lean

at this stage i and so far i am happy
hoping to learn more and change as needed when i feel more confident

[jannek]

I do a basic outline sketch straight on the canvas using a small brush with Ultra marine and Burnt umber and turps. I then go straight into color, usually the the darkest 1st, and paint wet on wet for as long as possible. It takes as long as it takes, but I often paint a small painting in a day.
I rarely use any medium, but mix my own.

Jk

[inkgal8290]

today i tried blocking in with some burnt umber......quiet satisifying result......i have tried this before works just great .

[dave]

today i tried blocking in with some burnt umber......quiet satisifying result......i have tried this before works just great .

Changing the topic from underpainting...this is little of topic Inkgal, but if you have an oil painting that just hasn't got any life, give a dry painting a thin wash of Burnt Sienna/ gum turps/medium and wipe it back.*
It's amazing how something a bit dead and boring can come to life.
*use caution, there is no going back if you do this.:blink:

[Jayde]

I've tried to paint quickly but find I always drift back into glazing layer upon layer. I can't help it - I just love transparency and rich, built up colour. I mainly use Liquin for glazing. So my paintings don't happen overnight and I often get bored half way through and have to put the painting aside for a while!

[inkgal8290]

my picture that i used burnt umber to block in with...turned out really good...thanks

[stefanie]

I find that I usually change the entire colour sheme of a painting before I find something I like :) It's not very sensible, but almost like glazing in a way, the colour really does build up and keep things interesting. Once or twice I have tried to sketch what I want to paint on the canvas, but that just doesnt work for me... Whilst on the easel my paintings change wayyy too much!

Oh, and I'm a fan of burnt umber too :) I also like Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre a whole lot!

[Helm]

I usually plan out my sketch on paper, then I sketch that onto a gessoed and sanded canvas (oh how I dream of linen!) then cover the whole lot with a turpsy yellow ochre solution. This kinda seals in the pencil. Then bammo I hit it with the oils. I usually go too far and turn it into a muddy mess and then sit in the corner and cry for a while heheheh

No seriously, I seem to fancy the glazing of colours to adjust or enrich the colours I initially used, I'm not sure but it's probaly because I get the colour wrong the first time heheh

What I would LOVE to learn is that gisselle technique or whatever it's called. I tried, and failed, and tried again and then kinda glazed colour on before the tonal painting had dried......darn impatience tis the curse of me.

[Lily]

As an acrylic painter....I sit in awe at all the stuff im reading about something im afraid to dabble in....OILS.

One day I will.

[emkay]

Be brave Lily! I made the change a year ago and I just can't go back. Takes a while to be comfortable though I must admit. :)

[JIM]

As an acrylic painter....I sit in awe at all the stuff im reading about something im afraid to dabble in....OILS.

One day I will.

Actually painting in oils is easier than acrylics.

Believe it or not, it can be as fast and cheaper than acrylics too.

Acrylics have little body to them and you end up using more paint. With regards to speed, there are ways of painting a relatively detailed painting in oils as fast or faster than acrylics.

[Michelle]

Lily give oils a go, they are beautiful! I only started with them a couple of months ago and absolutely love them. I'm trying every method and technique to find out what suits me...I like them all so far, wet in wet, burnt umber or paynes grey underpainting, thin layers, liquin. I'm not sure I will ever get a set style in oils because the techniques have different results and I don't know which one I like best.

I have found that I like prepared mdf with colourfix primer rather than canvas...when I use canvas I prefer it with an eggshell finish (allows the details I want).

Michelle

[Lily]

Its on the cards, I am looking forward to trying it. Ive got a couple of projects i need to finish, them im in.......

I will be reverting back to this post for all the advice, actually, im going to copy/paste it now.

x

[inkgal8290]

love oils