Knowledge List of Oil Painting

Oil Painting Techniques and Terms

from:oilpaintings

Learn about the different techniques or methods used in oil painting.
Alla Prima/Direct Painting
Painting not done in layers (which is the traditional way); literally "at once" in Italian
Body Color
Adding white to the colors in the painting
Broken Color
Painting small, disjoint areas of color, as in Impressionism or Pointillism
Brush Marks/Knife Marks
Using brushes or knives to highlight surface textures
Chiaroscuro
Depicting boldly contrasting lighting in a painting; also refers to any element of light and shade in an image
Collage
Adding other types of media or materials to the oil painting
Dabbing
Using a cloth or sponge on a painting to vary its texture
Dead Color
Using tonal ground work; using black and white
Fat Over Lean
Using "lean" oil (less oil than turpentine in the paint) paint, which dries faster, under a "fat" oil paint (pure paint) layer
Frottie
Glazing with opaque colors, or a colored glaze mixed with white; using semi-transparent glaze or film
Glaze/Glazing
Applying a transparent medium that changes the color or texture of the surface, especially to regulate tones; must be completely dried up before a new layer is applied on top of it
Grisaille
Painting entirely in monochrome gray; a type of underpainting of an oil painting
Hatching
Applying cross-hatching brush strokes
Impasto
Applying thick paint such that marks and strokes by a brush or knife are visible; for textural effects and glazes
Masking
Using adhesive material to cover an area or create boundaries for where one is currently painting
Painting to Completiong in Sections
Performing Alla Prima by section; runs the risk of a disjointed-looking painting if careless
Pulling
Absorbing a surface using a cloth or sponge to "pull" back the underlying surface color
Rubbing
Using fingers to manipulate the paint on the canvas
Scoring
Scratching a painting to reveal an underlying layer; usually done to achieve the effect of skin and hair in paintings
Scumble
Creating a broken color effect by loosely dragging the paint with a brush; different from the frottie in that it is thick but broken; usually uses a fairly dry brush
Spattering
Flicking a brush to transfer the paint on it onto the canvas
Teasing
Manipulating (wet) paint on the canvas
Three-Tone
Using light, medium, and dark tones only
Tonking
Having a sheet of paper absorb excess oil in a painting; named after British artist Henry Tonks
Toned Ground
Applying a stain over a priming (i.e., ground) before one begins to paint; commonly used colors
Using Ground
Allowing a portion of the ground to see through the finished painting
Varnish
Applying a protective film over a painting that results in either a glossy or matte surface
Verdaccio
Painting in greenish-gray colors for later layers in an oil painting; a type of underpainting; effective for creating flesh tones; popular among Renaissance artists
Washing
Thinning out thicker or purer paint layers
Wet-on-wet
Literally wet paint used alongside wet paint; produces a lighter look when the colors mix; "painting from light colors up"; leaves no time for drying up and is thus a quicker method of painting
Wet-on-dry
Literally wet paint used on already dried up paint

How To Stretch Your Own Canvas

FROM:painting.about
AUTHOR:Marion Boddy-Evans

Stretching your own canvas is easier than you may think, and possibly cheaper.
Most painters will agree that there's nothing like painting on canvas. But pre-stretched and primed canvases can be expensive, which means that all too often we keep our canvases for 'good' paintings. By stretching your own canvas, you can not only save money, but get something you're willing to experiment on. You also get a canvas that's exactly the size you're after.
You'll need the following supplies from an art store:
* Unprimed cotton canvas.
* Four stretchers (the wood that makes up the frame). If you've some DIY skills, you can make these yourself.
* Staple gun and staples (or carpet tacks and hammer).
* Stretcher frame keys or corner keys (small wedges used to tighten the completed canvas).
The first step is to join the stretchers. Lay them out on the floor, then push the corners together by hand.
If necessary, tap the corners gently on a carpet or with a rubber hammer (be careful not to dent the wood). Check that they're at right angles, either with a set square if you require mathematical precision or with something that has a fairly accurate right angle on it, such as a book.
Roll out your canvas, put the frame on top of it, then cut it to size, remembering that the canvas has to fold over the outside edge of the stretchers. Rather be over-generous in the size you cut and trim off the excess when you've stretched your canvas.
Stretch Canvas with Logic, Not Randomly
The most important things to remember when attaching your canvas to the stretchers is to work from the middle outwards and in opposites. So, starting in the center on any side, staple the canvas to the back of the stretcher. Put in about three staples, approximately two inches apart. With your first few canvases, you'll probably put in more staples than you need; practice will give you a feel for this. Move to the opposite side, pull the canvas taught, and staple the middle in place. Repeat with the other two edges.
Now staple one edge from the middle to the one side. Remember to pull the canvas as tight as you can - an extra pair of hands is useful. Then do the same on the edge that is diagonally opposite. Continue like this until all the edges are in place. If you're stretching a very large canvas, don't staple all the way to the corner in one go. You'll get better tension by doing it in sections.
At the corners, fold the edges of the canvas neatly and staple the one on top of the other. If your canvas needs a little tightening, tap in the frame keys. But don't rely on these. If you find your tension isn't good, rather remove the staples and start again.
Tips for Stretching Canvas:
* Stretchers are usually sold in pairs, so by buying sets of different lengths, you can make a rectangular canvas rather than a square one.
* Get a strong friend to help you by holding the canvas in place while you staple it.
* If your local art store doesn't sell unprimed canvas by the yard, buy it from an on-line supplier. Alternately, ask your local fabric store if they've got heavy-duty, unbleached calico. Smooth any imperfections with a piece of fine sandpaper or nail file.
* You can make your own stretchers from 1"x2" wood, cutting miter corners which you join with corrugated nails.

Choosing Painting Materials

from:buddingartist

Materails Painting Acrylic Oil Image
Choosing painting materials will depend initially on what you wish to paint. Your first choice will concern which medium you wish to painting.
Paint Mediums
There are several different paint mediums that the professional artist may choose to use with many artists using different mediums at different times. The following are the main mediums, with a short outline of their properties:
* Acrylic: Acrylic is a water-soluble medium designed to act like oil paint, but with a quicker drying time. Acrylic is generally considered to be easier to use out and about as it does not rely on oils as thinners and can be removed from clothing with warm water. Acrylic can be scraped off and reworked once used. Quick drying acrylic can be easily painted over making it a faster medium to use than oil paint and avoiding a muddying of the colours that can occur with oils due to their slow drying times.
* Gouache: Gouache is an opaque watercolour paint, made by combining watercolour with chalk, or a similar substance. Gouache is great for graphic work and is good for using on the move. It is relatively quick drying and fairly thick, therefore good for impasto work.
* Oil: Oil is considered often to be the golden standard of artist’s paints. It is more versatile than other paints, has a greater luminosity, can be painted very thin or extremely thick and retains its colour for centuries if properly looked after. It is a medium that, if handled with patience, will produce outstanding effects. However, it is one difficult to master, messy and expensive – and not often the best for bold, quick and simple sketches or graphic works. Of the paints discussed here Oil is the one requiring the most specialist equipment and tends, therefore, not to be used until an artist is sure they wish to become involved in painting.
* Watercolour: Watercolour is a highly transparent medium easily transported and generally regarded as ideal for landscape due to the way it holds and reflects light. It requires little in the way of equipment, is inexpensive as generally undertaken on a small scale.
The above is only a guideline, and paint mediums are covered in greater depth in their own section on the website.
Materials
Choosing materials to go with these mediums will depend partly on budget. The main thing to remember is that the best effects will be produced with the right materials and whilst one may not wish to buy the most expensive brushes, it is best to use a watercolour brush for watercolour, an oil painting brush for oil, and so on. Some brushes are interchangeable, and a shop assistant should be able to help you to make your choice.
Other materials will depend on what you wish to achieve, but essentially you will need brushes and paper suitable for your chosen material, pencils, an eraser and a sketchbook (you can buy oil sketch pads and watercolour sketch pads if needs be).
Getting a balance between quality and cost is important, and everyone knows someone who has bought the entire painting kit at great cost only to leave it to gather dust. The main thing is to buy a set of good sturdy materials, made for use with your medium.
Other than bought materials, rags and pieces of wood from around the home can be utilised (for cleaning and for painting upon. An artist’s kit must be practical and anything that can be of use may be added.