Painting can be done in many different ways. One of those ways is painting with oil paint. Oil paint has specific properties that make it especially suitable for certain techniques. Whether painting with oil paint is for you, you'll discover in this blog, so keep reading.

What do you need for oil painting?

To paint with oil paint, you'll need the following: oil paint, several brushes, a palette, palette knives, a surface to work on such as canvas or paper, solvents such as turpentine, and cleaning materials such as rags or paper towels. You can use a painting easel if you're working on canvas, but this is not necessary.

What kind of surface to use oil paint?

Oil paint should be applied to an absorbent and sturdy surface. Commonly used surfaces include primed canvas, wooden panels, and specially prepared paper. These surfaces are often pre-treated with a primer like gesso to ensure optimal paint adhesion and durability.

The characteristics of oil paint

 Proper preparation is half the battle. Painting haphazardly with oil paint has a low chance of success. So, prepare yourself well. Understanding the characteristics of oil paint will help you determine how and what to paint.

Here are the most important characteristics of this paint:

1. Slow drying time: Oil paint is known for its slow drying time, which can range from several days to even weeks, depending on how thickly you apply it. This allows you to refine your artwork over time.
2. Rich colours and texture: Oil paint has a high pigment concentration, resulting in rich, vibrant colours that remain well after drying. The paint can be applied in thick layers for extra texture or thinned for finer details.
3. Mixability: The composition of oil paint allows you to mix colours on the canvas or palette, creating endless shades and tones. This mixing can be a significant advantage in achieving realistic effects and depth in a painting.
4. Durability: Oil paintings are highly durable and can last for centuries without losing much of their colour intensity. This makes oil paint a popular medium for works destined for museums and collections.
5. Flexibility: Oil paint can be used on various surfaces, such as canvas, wood, and even metal, provided it is properly prepared.

What painting styles can you create with oil paint?

Oil paint is a very versatile medium suitable for a wide range of painting styles and techniques. This allows you to use oil paint for a wide range of different projects:

• Portrait painting: Oil paint is ideal for portraits because it allows you to create a wide range of tones with different colours, and therefore, you can accurately depict skin tones, including shadows and folds.
• Landscapes: Oil paint is ideal for capturing scenic views in landscape paintings due to its vivid, intense colours.
• Still life: Oil paint is perfect for still life compositions where the texture and realism of objects (such as fruit, flowers, and household items) can be emphasised. The control that oil paint offers over light and shadow is ideal for creating the illusion of depth and volume in still-life compositions.
• Abstract art: Oil paint is also popular among abstract artists due to its flexibility in application and texture. Artists can experiment with thick, textured layers of paint or opt for thinly stretched colour planes.
• Impressionism: Oil paint was widely used by impressionist painters who were interested in capturing light and colour rather than detailed lines. The paint can be applied relatively quickly and in loose, visible strokes, which is ideal for capturing the essence of the subject.

How to: Painting with oil paint

Looking for a step-by-step guide to help you get started with oil painting? We've got you covered!

Preparing your materials and workspace

• Choose your materials: Make sure you have all the necessary supplies, such as oil paint, brushes, a palette, medium, solvent, canvas or paper, and optionally an easel.
• Set up your workspace: Ensure you have a well-ventilated area and cover your work surface to protect it from spills.

Getting started with painting

• Sketch your composition: Use a thin pencil or diluted brown or grey oil paint to create a basic sketch of your composition on the canvas.
• Block in the primary colours: Start applying the most prominent shapes with diluted paint. These initial layers should be relatively thin (with less oil and possibly more solvent).

Building up the painting

• Add details and textures: As the layers build up, reduce the use of solvent and add more medium to create richer, thicker layers. This is in line with the 'fat over lean' principle.
• Refine colours and shadows: Work on refining the colours by mixing them on the palette or directly on the canvas. Use different brushes for different colours to prevent unintended mixing.

Refining and adding details

• Detail work: Use finer brushes to add details. This can include facial features in a portrait, small objects in a still life, or fine branches and leaves in a landscape.
• Glazing: To add depth and richness, you can apply thin layers of diluted, transparent paint (glazes) over drier layers. This can help enhance the lighting effects and add rich texture.

Finishing touches

• Final adjustments: Assess your painting from a distance to see if further adjustments are needed. Sometimes, it's necessary to increase contrasts or define certain elements more.
• Drying and varnishing: Let your painting dry completely. This can take weeks or even months, depending on the thickness of the paint layers. Once dry, consider applying a layer of varnish to protect the paint and enhance the colours.

Safety and maintenance

• Clean your tools: Clean your brushes and palette after each painting session to ensure they last longer, and prepare them for your subsequent use.
• Health and safety: Wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area to minimise exposure to harmful fumes.

 Tip! Watch the video below for 10 additional tips before you start painting.

What is the 'fat over lean' principle?

The "fat over lean" principle is a term commonly used in painting, especially in oil painting. It refers to the technique in which each new paint layer contains more oil -or fat- than the previous layer.

This principle is important because it helps prevent cracking and tears in the painting over time. Oil paint tends to shrink and expand as it dries. If the top layer contains more oil than the underlying layer, the top layer can dry more smoothly and flexibly than the underlying layer, thus preventing cracks.

Applying the "fat over lean" principle requires using more thinner (lean) in the initial layers of your painting, such as turpentine or an oil-free medium, and adding more oil (fat), such as linseed oil or an oil painting medium, in subsequent layers. This makes the paint increasingly fatter as the painting progresses, which contributes to the stability and durability of the work.

Painting with oil opens up a world of creative possibilities, but it also requires knowledge and skill. Whether you're a beginner taking your first steps into the world of oil painting or an experienced artist looking to refine your technique, we hope this blog has provided valuable insights and practical tips. From choosing the right materials to mastering advanced techniques like the 'fat over lean' principle, you now know everything you need to create the most beautiful oil paintings. So grab your brushes and let your creativity flow!

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