3/23/2016

Create Amazing Works With Various Oil Painting Techniques

By Susan Bell


Of all the various mediums artists use to paint, such as acrylics, tempura, and watercolor, oils are typically considered to be the among the most versatile to work with. The pigments go on the canvas with a rich, buttery consistency, and stay vibrant and true as the age. With a range of oil painting techniques, the creative possibilities are virtually endless.

Artists all over the world prefer this medium for several different reasons. For one thing, it has the broadest spectrum of color and the widest tonal range out of all the options. Another advantage is the slower drying time which allows the user to make smoother blends in their strokes and to do more intentionally precise corrections.

Another benefit of using this particular type of paint is that it is suited for all genres and most any style. It works for artists who like to do quick style paintings as well as those who prefer to take their time and do controlled detail. Using this medium, one can achieve certain nuances that are not possible with other options.

No matter one's chosen genre or style, the tools of the medium are basically the same. The necessary items include an easel or tabletop work space, canvas, paints, gesso, color palette and flat knife, a variety of brushes and towels or rags to clean with. Using these products and using one or more different applications, an artist can produce wonderful art.

Building a proper base is the key to creating a wonderful piece of artwork. Color blocking, a method by which the artist uses highly diluted pigment and small, or broad brush strokes to build a guideline for the various aspects of the work to be laid over. This generates an instant background which can be built up with thicker layers and more deliberate details.

Giving dimension to one's work can be done with a variety of applications, often being used in conjunction with each other to get some interesting results. Among these are the thickness of paint, layering, brush stroke size, contrasting colors, as well as methods such as pointillism and crosshatching. Each of these, alone or in combination, create depth and lend the feelings of movement and space.

This particular type of paint can be very successful in creating a look of transparency that appears like crystal, still waters or glass. The main aspects of accomplishing this are the purity of the pigment and its creamy smooth consistency as it flows across the canvas, along with using contrasting colors and shading. Through long, unbroken brushstrokes, they are blended so smoothly that they appear seamless and it becomes near impossible to tell where the tones actually switch, similar to a reflective surface.

There are any number of ways that an artist can use the methods, such as a range of brush strokes in different directions and sizes, keeping pigment pure, blending irregularly and varied levels of dilution to get the look they want. Using thick layers, deliberate strokes, and stippling are other avenues which bring convincing depth perception to the piece. Knowing how to implement the power of pure whites and deep blacks are also incredibly effective tools.




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