Knowledge List of Oil Painting

Drying Oils or Mediums Used in Oil Painting

FROM:painting.about
AUTHOR:Marion Boddy-Evans

A look at the properties of the various drying oils used in oil painting.
The various oils used as mediums in oil painting are known as drying oils. The term is useful as a reminder that different oils have different drying times and properties. These mediums are mixed with oil paint both to modify the way the paint handles straight from the tube (for example, make it thinner or lengthen the drying time) and to alter the character of the paint from what you get straight from a paint tube (for example, make it transparent or opaque, gloss or matt). Ideal mediums are colourless, permanent, flexible, and do not influence the colour of a pigment. Learning the particular properties of a drying oil is part of the essential technical knowledge an oil painter should have. Remember that when an oil paint feels dry to the touch, it will still be drying under the surface for some time, which is why the principle of painting 'fat over lean' is so important in oil painting.
Linseed oil is made from the seeds of the flax plant.
It adds gloss and transparency to paints and is available in several forms. It dries very thoroughly, making it ideal for underpainting and initial layers in a painting. Refined linseed oil is a popular, all-purpose, pale to light yellow oil which dries withing three to five days. Cold-pressed linseed oil dries slightly faster than refined linseed oil and is considered to be the best quality linseed oil.
Stand oil is a thicker processed form of linseed oil, with a slower drying time (about a week to be dry to the touch, though it'll remain tacky for some time). It's ideal for glazing (when mixed with a diluent or solvent such as turpentine) and produces a smooth, enamel-like finish without any visible brushmarks.
Sun-thickened linseed oil is a created by exposing the oil to the sun to create a thick, syrupy, somewhat bleached oil, with similar brushing qualities to stand oil. Pour some oil (about an inch) into a wide dish, cover it with a propped-up lid (i.e. to minimise debris getting in, but so that the air can flow through). Stir every day or so to prevent a skin from forming on the top. How long it takes for the oil to thicken will depend on how hot the climate is where you live. Test the thickness of the oil when it's cool, not when it's still hot from the day's sun. Pour it through a sieve or cloth to remove debris before you bottle the oil.
As linseed oil has a tendency to yellow as it dries, avoid using it in whites, pale colours, and light blues (except in underpaintings or lower layers in an oil painting when painting wet on dry). Stand oil and sun-thickened oil yellows very little.
Sun-bleached linseed oil is created by exposing the oil to the sun but with the container's lid on, so no evaporation occurs. The result is an oil that has less tendency to yellow.
Poppyseed oil is a very pale oil, more transparent and less likely to yellow than linseed oil, so it is often used for whites, pale colours, and blues. It gives oil paint a consistency similar to soft butter. Poppyseed oil takes longer to dry than linseed oil, from five to seven days, making it ideal for working wet on wet. Because it dries slowly and less thoroughly, avoid using poppyseed oil in lower layers of a painting when working wet on dry and when applying paint thickly, as the paint will be liable to crack when it finally dries completely. Poppy seeds naturally contain about 50 per cent oil.
Safflower oil has the same characteristics as poppyseed oil, but dries a bit faster. It's made from safflower seeds. Sunflower oil also has similar characteristics to poppyseed oil. It's made from sunflower seeds.
Walnut oil is a pale yellow-brown oil (when newly made it's a pale oil with a greenish tinge) that has a distinctive smell. As it's a thin oil, it's used to make oil paint more fluid. As it yellows less than linseed oil (but more than safflower oil) it's good for pale colors. Walnut oil dries in four or five days. It's an expensive oil and must be stored correctly otherwise it goes rancid (off). Walnuts naturally contain about 65 per cent oil. (Read more on using walnut oil...)
Boiled oils are oils that have been heated and mixed with a dryer to create a faster-drying oil that gives a glossy finish. They tend to yellow and darken with age, so are best limited to lower layers in a painting and darker colours. If you're not sure what effect an oil is going to have, rather take the time to do a test than 'lose' or 'damage' a whole painting.

The oil painting knowledge introduction(1)

from:portraityourlife

Originating from Europe, the oil painting is a practice of image-building by applying paints made from pigments mixed with the vegetable oil on to a prepared surface such as canvas, paper, panels or other materials. It becomes an important international painting art in the modern times. The European Egg Tempera which came into being before the fifteenth century is the father of oil painting. When the egg yolk and pigment mixture was applied into painting, more oil protrail and painting from the photo set out to find a more suitable medium of oil at the same time.
Generally, it is said that the Netherlandish Aritsits, the Van Eyck Brothers of the early fifteenth century were the foundesr of the oil painting techniques. Their former artists had already used oil to mix with pigment, while the Van Eyck Brothers introduced the linseed oil and nut oil to mix with pigment. By their renovation, improvements in the painting creation are made, such as easier control of creation tone and emulsion stuff stroke, less dry time of the painting, convenience in the repetitious overlay and revisement on the painting which produced the colorful layers and the great polish degree. And the picment attaches titer to surface and does not fade or loose that easy.The Van Eyck Brothers` new application of such paint in painting had great influence on the painting circle. The oil painting technique had been spreaded fastly to other western countries, especially in Venice, Italy and it develops rapidly there.
Material and Tool
The main material and tool of oil painting includes: Oil Paint, Brush, Painting Knife, Varnish, Canvas , Frame and so on:
1.Oil Paint:
The oil paint can be devided into mineral copy point and classicality and the chemosynthesis pigment. Most the early pigments were minerals ground into powder by handwork and didn` t mix with oil until painting.
In modern times, the oil paint was made by mass production of the factory and packed into tin tubes. And there were a great increase in the oil paint classes. The property of the pigment is related with its chemical component. During the process of mixing color, there might appears some ill chemical action among pigment, so having a good knowledge of pigment property can help to apply the painting Protect pet portrait photos into painting and make the color durable and classical.
2.Brush
Brushes are often made of the animal hairs which are formed into round, flat, bright,fan and so on.
3.Painting Knife
Painting Knife is also called palette knife. It is made of the spring thin steel plate. There are acuminate and round knife. It is used to mix colors on the palette.Some artists sometimes use knife instead of brush to help to express the layer of the paint and the texture of painting.
4.Canvas
Canvas mainly comes into two materials: cotton and linen. The cotton and linen are often devided into primed and unprimed. The unprimed means that the fabric has not had the undercoat of priming material necessary before you can paint it on. You can buy the primed canvas or you can do the priming yourself. The standard way to the priming is to tighten the linen or cotton on the stretcher, then brush an undercoat which is the mixture of glue or oil with whiting on fabric. Usually we make the base (undercoat) oil non-absorbable and wove-like. Sometimes it can be absorbable or half-absorbable. It depends on creating oil protrail and painting from the photo. The intensity of cloth texture is subject to the painting size as well as the result of the painting. It is good to use primed canvas for it can make a harmonious tone of painting as well as the allowance of exposing the grounding. The oil-repellent cardboard and wood panels also can be used instead of canvas after priming.
5.Varnish
The varnish is usually painted after the oil painting is completely done and dry. It is used to keep brightness of the painting and prevent the corrasion and the dirt from air.
6.Frame
The frame is an important part of the whole painting, especially for the works of realism. It can confine the eyesight of the viewer on the works and highlight the painting image as a whole, thus the objects and images of the painting grows in depth from the angle of the viewer. The thickness and the size of the frame depends on the content of the works. The frame of classical oil painting is mostly made of the wood and gesso while the frames of modern works are mostly made of aluminium alloy.

 

Tips for Collecting Oil Reproduction Paintings

By: David De Groot
from:buyoilpainting

Collecting art can be a rewarding hobby, but also a serious one. If you collect art with hope to earn a return on your investment in the future, it's even more serious. You might not be able to purchase all original paintings or prints, so oil reproduction paintings might be your next choice of investment.Reproductions are hand-painted by experienced artists to recreate an original painting as closely as possible. The artist captures the mood, techniques and lighting of the original artist. That's why many art lovers who are unable to make large financial investments in art choose reproductions. Here are some tips to help you get started if you're thinking of collecting reproductions.
Buy What Appeals to You
Don't make the mistake of buying art only for investment. You should buy reproductions that appeal to you. When buying only for investment, you get no real value out of the painting. You probably won't hang it anywhere or actually "use" it. You'll just store it away and never be able to enjoy it.
You might have a favorite artist or theme. You might have a room in your home or office you'd like to decorate with the painting. If you combine your preferences with paintings ofvalue when shopping, you'll make wise investments every time.
Be a Wise Art Collector
Collecting art can be done by anyone, but an expert knows what to look for and where to find it. You don't have to go to school to be a wise collector. You can educate yourself about art reproductions by reading art magazines, visiting many different art galleries, attending art fairs or expos, etc.
During your next vacation, tour art galleries and museums in the area to get ideas. This can be both fun and educational. You should learn the difference among art originals, prints and oil reproductions so you'll know what to expect when shopping. Also, learn how to spot fakes - there are many outthere! You can also gather facts about art by researching through the library, studying online resources about art, and getting to know other art collectors.
Compare Quality and Prices
Study and compare prices along with quality before spending your money on a painting. A reproduction of a famous painting might not always be of highest quality. The canvas and oil paints used as well as the artist each play an important role in how a painting is put together. If you have a painting in mind you'd like to purchase, try getting a photo of the original if possible to compare the two. Although no two paintings will ever match exactly, reproductions should come very close.
Know Your Seller
Before buying a painting, make sure your seller is trustworthy. It only takes a moment to check with the Better Business Bureau online to be sure there are no complaints about the company or individual. Contact a few previous customers if possible. Whether buying online or off, make sure the seller provides plenty of information about their products and services. Online auctions can be another great way to find unique paintings, but watch out for sellers with negative feedback. Check out their ratio of buyers versus the type of feedback they've received.
Care for Your Art Properly
After buying a painting, you'll need to care for it properly. Don't apply wet sprays when dusting the painting or frame. Use a feather duster instead. Hang the painting away from direct sunlight to avoid fading or cracking. Other care methods can usually be obtained from the seller when you purchase your reproduction.
Protect Your Investment
Buy insurance for your paintings to protect them from weather damage or theft. Take photos of each painting and label them by artist, seller, date purchased and the name of the painting so you'll have a record of your entire collection. Have your paintings appraised by a professional to get a real value total of your collection. Whether you collect many different types of art or like to stay with one artist or style, you can use these tips to build a valuable collection of reproductions.

More Opinions on What Makes a Painting Good or Bad

from:oilpaintingstar

“Do you think artists tend to think photorealistic paintings are lifeless because with abstract many of us cannot tell for sure? As for creation tone , who makes the symbols work? The artist or the emulsion stuff ? If it's the artist, it's possible the viewer will take the copy point differently. If it's the viewer, then the artist's effort is in vain. Is a work only meaningful/conceptual/symbolic when the classicality consciously designed it? Haven’t we all had our paintings interpreted by others in a way we never meant for?” -- Israel
“I have been through art school and was taught how to apply the perfect technical skills, but to me it's like following a recipe. It's not from the gut. Art, to me, is about expression, and everyone has their own photos into painting and style.” -- Sheri
“Many of what we know of as masterpieces owe their beauty or interest to something other than the artwork itself. For instance would you call a Van Gogh interesting or is it the man's torrid oil protrail that stirs the imagination?” -- Anwar
“You call a painting by its creator's name -- a Van Gogh, a Picasso, a Pollock, a Moses -- because you subscribe to the adage that the artist and the work are one. That's what makes it moving... when you feel the artist through the work, like he just finished painting it yesterday and the artist is behind you looking over your shoulder as you ponder on.” -- Ado
“Art is most definitely painting from the photo. Connecting with the piece most often than not is a deeply personal matter. … But, personal reactions do not make anything good, or anything bad. Throughout history there have been plenty of pieces of art that have shocked, appalled, and created quite a negative reaction, yet they are great works of art. And there are pieces of art, that are quite popular but are not great works of art. I think most of us know instinctively, intuitively what is good. Again, it doesn't have to appeal to our personal tastes for us to know it is good.” -- Nancy
“I've always thought that, in addition to all the structure, the technique, the effort and knowledge that goes into a painting, there's something intangible that makes it special, if only to us. Paintings are like poetry in that they evoke certain feelings, certain emotions that function within our psyches on a more primitive level. They have something to them, something you can't define, something just outside of the light of our campfire (to paraphrase Gary Snyder). To be sure, paintings need structure and all the other elements, but they also need that primal ‘Oomph!’ to reach out to us, be they by Da Vinci, Pollock, Picasso, or Bob Ross.” -- Mreierst
“It's the quality, the immediate reaction you have upon seeing, hearing, touching the work. An emotional, visceral response. This takes place before your intellect recognizes the content of the work and starts to work out meanings and messages. You just know.” -- Farfetche1
"I believe a painting has to include some of the elements and principles of the language of art in order to be art. I think artists need the structure they give to be able to successfully communicate an idea. And, also to communicate the ‘beauty’ and harmony of the work. I've used the example of music. There are a few notes that become embellished and they are arranged within some sort of structure. If there is no structure, the result is noise. The same applies to painting, in my humble opinion. Without some structure, it's just paint slapped on the canvas. Look at a Pollock. There's structure in them although they may look chaotic to some.” -- Rghirardi
“I think a lot of the wonder of realism has been lost because we don't have the same use of symbolism as earlier centuries. We see objects simply for themselves, not as adding another level of meaning. If you think of that Pre-Raphaelite painting by Millais of Ophelia, the flowers around her aren't simply decorative, there are all sorts of additional meanings conveyed through them. I think a ‘good’ piece of art is that makes you want to keep looking and that stirs your emotions. I can think of several portraits in London's Portrait Gallery that I used to go ‘visit’ regularly during lunchtime when I worked in London; I knew them well but simply never got tired of looking at them.” -- Painting Guide