Knowledge List of Oil Painting

22 Mistakes to Avoid When Painting

from:portraityourlife

This list of commonly made creation tones in paintings comes from Canadian artist Brian Simons, who works in acrylics. Brian says: "I first began to emulsion stuff approximately 20 years ago, when we moved from Alberta to Vancouver Island. Prior to that I focused mostly on drawing and sketching. Being a self-taught artist, I have derived much of my copy point from the ‘Group of Seven’ ,the French Impressionists, and the writing of Baha’i Faith. From the regular classicalitys I teach I’ve seen how beginners (and not-such-beginners) repeat the same mistakes, time and again. My hope is that this list will help stop you making these Protect pet portraits in your paintings."


1. Using repetitive brush strokes: these put the viewer to sleep. Use a variety of brush strokes.
2. Applying photos into painting, dry, scumbled strokes: these look cheap, afraid, stingy, not masterful.
3. Tippy-tapping paint and poking it on the oil protrail: this is not bingo and your brush is not a bingo dobber.
4. Concentrating on one area of the canvas while neglecting the rest: the whole of the canvas is important.
5. Mixing paint on the canvas: finalise your colours on your palette.
6. Not taking the time to study your subject: if you don’t know your subject, how can you paint it?
7. Using too many colors: use three or four with white and see how many variations you can arrive at.
8. Adding detail: this cheapens the work and you end up talking down to your painting from the photo.
9. Painting what you know and not what you see: remember mistake number six.
10. Stealing small pockets of time: allow yourself ample time to work, otherwise you may lose your initial inspiration.
11. Listening to admirers: paint alone as much as possible and avoid seeking others opinions until you find your own.
12. Being stingy with paint: use lots and, yes, you will waste some.
13. Changing to small brushes: stay with the larger brushes as long as possible.
14. Using too much white: this makes paintings chalky and cold.
15. Adding bits and pieces in your composition: keep things in larger groups.
16. Putting paint on simply because you don’t want to waste it: you’ll waste your painting this way.
17. Scrubbing the paint on: instead, lay it on and leave it.
18. Fixing every ‘mistake’: good paintings are full of wonderful accidents that the artist refused to ‘fix’.
19. Thinking too much: painting is a doing, feeling thing and not a thinking, intellectual thing.
20. Losing the ‘big shapes’ and values: remember mistake number six.
21. Trying to paint like somebody else or another painting you saw: be yourself and be honest. You can’t hide anything in a painting.
22. Worrying about the results: trust your instinct and trust yourself.
This list of commonly made painting mistakes is an extract from Brian Simon’s book 7 Steps to a Successful Painting, and used with permission (thanks Brian!). The book evolved from Brian’s years of teaching people from all walks of life to paint with acrylics. He says: "It represents the heart of my 18-hour workshop program and is enormous fun for young and old."

 Abstract Painting: Rich in Content

from:paintingtechnique
Written by Staff Writer

Abstract painting should contain subject matter that will hold the attention of the beholder and should evoke an emotional response. Abstract art evokes many different types of reactions in people that include derisive remarks such as even a ten year old could have done that. To this the artist may retort that it requires some degree of mental ability to appreciate abstract paintings.
Abstract Painting Technique One needs to comprehend the elements as well as color and textures used in the abstract painting and also understand how all these elements interact with one another. Viewers of abstract paintings should try to figure out what the painting represents or looks like instead of finding something that ought to emerge out of the painting Also worth considering is whether the title is appropriate to what the painting is all about..
Thought Provoking Work of Art, But Frequently Depicting Beauty as Well
The abstract painting artist should worry about making the painting look beautiful as well as making the intentions of the abstract painting convey something special. The abstract painting should also be able to get the beholder to view the abstract painting and extract a meaning from it and also try to get the anticipated interpretation of the painting conform to the title.
It may not be widely known but abstract painting is not an invention of the twentieth century, as one would imagine. Early Jewish as well Islamic religion prohibited depicting human beings. This resulted in Jewish as well as Islamic cultures developing a different standard of decorative arts and calligraphy is one example of this.
Abstract painting artists have been influenced by theosophy that concerns itself with thought forms used to illustrate the psychic forces that are a result of emotions, music and other events.
Abstract painting artists place emphasis on visual sensations in their abstract paintings frequently through included harmonious arrangements of colors.
Abstract painting is a form of art in which the objects in the real world are not depicted and instead use is made of color and form in non-representational ways. Abstract paintings may elucidate real forms in simplified or reduced ways that keep only the illusion of the original subject and are often claimed to set in color something of the immutable and intrinsic aspects of the depicted object.

Oil Painting Tips

from:oilpaintings

Before you even begin to paint, be familiar with the materials (see Oil Painting Supplies) you're working with; that is, storage conditions, disposal, et cetera. Paints and other substances you'll be working with are toxic and hazardous, so be careful when handling them.
It is better to pick out a few expensive, high-grade oil paints (see Oil Painting Supplies) with pure pigments than buy many cheap oil paint hues whose colors fade quickly.
Leave a border around your painting to give an allowance for framing or even experimentation.
You can save oil paint thinner by letting the muck settle to the bottom of your container, leaving you with clean thinner at the top.
Whatever the oil color arrangement is on your palette, simply remember to keep those hues in the same place next time you paint so that it will be a lot more comfortable for you.
Use a knife for mixing oil colors, and not brushes, since they're much easier to clean. Cleaning a palette knife, in turn, can be done by scraping off paint using a razor blade after dipping the knife in paint remover fluid.
You can clean your brushes with kerosene after after (a round of) oil painting.
Fill thinner waste with water then keep it closed airtight. Place oil painting supplies such as this one in a cool place to avoid them suddenly igniting.
It is said that when artists once mixed acrylic oils with oil paints, they got ill and even died. Remember that oil painting has some serious hazards when handling the needed materials and supplies.

How To Prime a Canvas For Acrylics or Oils

from:portraityourlife

When you've stretched a canvas, the next step is to prime it so you can paint on it. With a ready-made Protect pet portrait photos into painting suitable for both acrylic and oil painting, this is easy.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Depends on the size of canvas
Here's How:
Make sure you buy a bottle of gesso that's suitable for both acrylic and oil painting. This dries very fast and is painted directly on to the stretched canvas.
Shake the container very well before using. Do not skip this step!
Decide whether you're going to apply one or a few coats of gesso. One coat gives a rougher finish. If you're applying only one coat, use the gesso as it comes out of creation tone and emulsion stuff.
If you're going to apply several coats, dilute the gesso with a mixture of half acrylic gloss medium and half water.
Using an old, wide brush, apply the gesso directly to the stretched canvas in even strokes. Work from the top to the bottom of the canvas, in parallel strokes from one edge to the other.
When you're done, wash your brush out immediately with soap and water. Once gesso has dried on a brush, it won't come out.
Tips:
A cheap decorating brush works well, but wash it several times before you use it as the hairs tend to fall out. If you want the brush to be thinner, cut off some of the hairs with a pair of scissors.
Instead of diluting the gesso, you can sand down the canvas between coats if you want a smoother finish.
Gesso thinned with water only, rather than gloss medium and water, tends to crack.
Gesso can also be used to prime oil protrail and painting from the photo.

Oil Painting Techniques Section

from:how-to-draw-and-paint


Oil painting techniques have been practiced by countless artists for hundreds of years.
Centuries ago, only the most dedicated professionals - or those with money and time to spare in abundance - used oil paints. Until the nineteenth century, if you wanted to develop your oil painting techniques, you first had to mix your own paints.
This meant acquiring the basic pigments and then laboriously grinding them down to a powder, before mixing with oils and other additives. Incidentally, that's why, even today, colors with names like umber, ultramarine and ochre are still used, as are terms like 'earth colors'.
They were and are still made from natural products found in the ground. It was only about 150 years ago that oil paints became available in tubes, for the first time making it feasible for the keen amateur to indulge themselves in this wonderful pastime.
On these pages, you're just a couple of clicks away from a whole series of articles on oil painting which will help you get started in this classic painting medium.
Find out which colors are the best ones to start with. Paint skies, trees, flesh tones, water, buildings - anything you want to.
Paint thick or thin, detailed or impressionist. You'll find each tutorial will be full of hints and tips and put into practice via a simple but complete painting exercise which you can produce yourself from start to finish. So you'll improve your oil painting techniques almost without realising it!
You can find out about the different properties of oil painting additives, which brushes to use; what should I look for in oil paints, and artists canvasses and so on, from the informative pages elsewhere on the site which provides a wealth of detail written in a non-technical style.

Oil paintings2

By: John Haris
from:buyoilpainting

Oil paintings come in all shapes and sizes, and may be based on a variety of themes to appeal to all tastes. They may be painted on different types of material, such as canvas or cardboard. Original classic oil paintings are among the most valuable works of art that exist; some are valued at millions of dollars. While a number of valuable oil paintings are displayed in museums, private collectors who buy art for their personal enjoyment or as an investment also own some.
For most people, oil paintings provide an affordable way to have their own replica of a favorite painting. Many companies sell oil painting reproductions, commissioning skilled artists to paint what their clients want. A client has the flexibility to choose a preferred painting size and the material that it is painted on.
One can have a cherished painting copied or a favorite photograph translated into an oil painting. Some companies commission custom works of art and portraits.
For those who are less certain about what they want, most companies have extensive online galleries that allow potential clients to browse and select paintings they would like by theme or genre.
Many art museums offer educational tours that teach people about oil paintings and how to care for them. Whatever the reason for buying an oil painting, it is important to take proper care of it. Harsh sunlight, extreme temperatures and excessive humidity can all cause damage to oil paintings.
For the budding collector, going to museums and galleries and reading books about renowned oil painters is a great way to learn more. A number of investment firms now offer investment portfolios that include valuable oil paintings. While the value of oil paintings by famous painters can be expected to steadily increase, predicting the future value of contemporary art is more difficult to do.

Oil Painting Techniques - - Fat Over Lean

FROM:painting.about
AUTHOR:Marion Boddy-Evans

What 'fat over lean' means and why it's one of the basic oil painting techniques
The principle of painting 'fat over lean' is one of the fundamental concepts of oil painting and one to follow to reduce the risk an oil painting cracking. 'Fat over lean' has got to do with the varying drying times of oil pigments (which can vary from a couple of days to a fortnight) and ensuring that upper layers of paint don't dry faster than lower ones.
'Fat' oil paint is oil paint straight from the tube. Mixing it with an oil makes it even 'fatter' and increases the length of time it takes to dry completely (even though it may feel dry to the touch, it will still be drying under the surface). 'Lean' oil paint is oil paint mixed with more turpentine (white spirit) than oil, or oil paint mixed with a fast-drying oil.
'Lean' oil paint dries faster than 'fat' oil paint.
If 'lean' is painted over 'fat', it will dry first, making the 'lean' layer of paint vulnerable to contraction (shrinking) and cracking when the 'fat' layer dries underneath it. Lower layers also tend to absord oil from the layers above them.Therefore every layer in an oil painting should be a little 'fatter' than the previous one, or have a greater proportion of oil in it.
The drying times of artist's quality oil paints will vary because they are usually made only from pigment and oil; cheaper paints may have drying agents added to make the drying times more consistent.
Paints which tend to have a low oil content, and thus dry quickly, include Prussian blue, ultramarine, flake white, and titanium white. Oil paints with a medium oil content, and which dry within about five days, include cadmium reds and cadmium yellow.
'Fat on Lean' Oil Painting Tips:
* If your oil paint has lots of wrinkles in it, you've probably added too much oil.
* If your oil paint yellows or darkens soon after it dries, try using a better quality oil.

The different directions of light that can occur in a painting

from:portraityourlife

When painting, one decision that must be made at composition stage, is where the light is going to come from as this influences the shadows, contrasts, and colours. So what are the choices?
Side or low lighting:
Where the light hits objects from one side. In nature, creation tone side lighting occurs at early dawn and sunset, producing long shadows. In a still life, you can easily set up side lighting from either the left or right side of the objects.
Back lighting:
Where the light creation tone is directly behind the object. This tends to create a dark silhouette of the object. By changing your position relative to the object, it's possible to change the lighting from back to side.
Top lighting:
Where the lights hits objects from above. In nature, top lighting occurs at midday. Shadows are small and directly underneath objects.
Front lighting:
Where the sun is shining directly on the front of an object. This eliminates fine detail, flattening the object, and creates stark constrasts between light and shade areas.
Diffused or overcast lighting:
Where the light creation tone is filtered, softening shadows and colours, and eliminating stark contrasts. In nature this occurs on overcast days where the sunlight is filtered through the clouds (or through city pollution!).
Experiment with an angle-poise lamp (if possible, use a daylight bulb) and a still-life setup, moving the lamp to the side, back, front, and into an elevated position. Put a sheet of paper over it to diffuse the light. Sketch the various scenes, taking particular creation tone of where the shadows falls and where the highlights are. Look at the colours and how the different directions of light influence this and the appearance of the objects. This knowledge will enable you to apply a light source consistently and effectively when painting from your imagination.