Thursday, June 2, 2016

The Oil Painting Techniques That Are Used Commonly

By Christine Ward


Oil painting produces some of the most magnificent pieces of art. The technique has been in existence for centuries and used pigments obtained from various types of seeds. Examples of these seeds include linseed, poppy seed, safflower and walnut among others. It is possible for the artist to prepare the oil paints themselves or to buy them from art supply stores. We will look at examples of oil painting techniques that are commonly used.

One of the most popular techniques is the use of layers. In this method, the artist will first paint one layer on the canvas and let it dry. Other colors are then applied in an overlapping manner so that they completely cover those underneath them. The general advice when this method is used is that one chooses lighter colors and then progressively moves to darker colors. Layering is preferably used for a painting that requires fine details and a fine surface finish.

Glazing is another technique that can be learned and applied easily. The technique involves the use of a transparent paint against a background of darker paints. This is usually done so as to achieve various effects that may be associated with aspects such as hue, texture and chroma. Related to the same is the creation of a transparent glass impression. To achieve this, use a pure transparent color and contrast it with darker colors.

Color intensification is necessary in most cases. It is done by diluting a given color or set of colors so as to increase the variety of shades that are available. In general, the lighter shades will be used for the background while the dark shades are for the foreground.

As is the case in other types of painting, color blocking can be done. This is achieved by using diluted brush strokes to repaint the outlines of objects so as to emphasize them. This eliminates the need for extra paint to be used for the same purpose. It is important that one uses the same color that has been used to paint the inside of the object for color blocking.

Chiaroscuro is a method that will be seen in many different types of paintings inducing those that are oil based. It is a technique that is used to demonstrate the effect of light on objects that have been included in the painting. Light and dark contrast has to be used to indicate the general direction of light. The shadows should be painted using a completely black color.

Monochromatic painting is a feature that can be easily applied here. Some subjects are only brought out by a single color. You can dilute the color chosen severally so as to achieve as many shades as possible. White paint may be helpful in adding volume and relief through the emphasis of white shades. This is done by applying thick white paint over the lighter shades. Be cautious not to overuse the white paint.

There are different brush stroke sizes that can used in defining and differentiating objects within a painting. Long strokes, short jabs and even dots can be used depending on the desired effect. Small strokes are preferred for objects that are in the foreground. Non-representational strokes can be used to produce the color and the object simultaneously.




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