A Guide to Oil Painting
What is Oil Paint?
Our Artist Oil Paint is made from the finest binders and pigments to give a paint with great handling properties and covering power. These paints are a type of slow-drying paint, however, the viscosity of the paint can be altered by using oil painting mediums, such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish. Each colour can be used with other brands of oil paint, mediums and varnishes.
Artists' Quality or Student Quality?
Artists’ Quality Oil Paint contains high levels of pigments, making the paint more expensive to purchase. Due to the extra pigments, it means that the colour covers more surface when used with mediums, and the colours are more vibrant. Also, the artists’ quality paint is available in more colours than the student quality paint.
Student Quality Oil Paint does have its advantages as well. As they are more economical and affordable, they are often used for experimenting with and sometimes artists use them as the underpainting or to cover large areas in a painting. Also, student quality paints have a greater colour shift.
Differences between Acrylics and Oils
There are many differences between acrylic paints and oil paints.
– One of the first factors to consider it whether or not you work quickly or slowly when painting. With Acrylics you can paint on a wider variety of surfaces with acrylics, such as, canvas, board, card, paper etc. but they do dry extremely quickly. However, with oil paints they stay wet for longer, enabling you to have a longer working time as you can come back to your painting at anytime. It is also best that you have a prepared canvas or board to paint on when using oil paints.
– Another factor to consider is whether you like working with thick paint or thin layers. Acrylic paints are best to use if you often use a palette knife or enjoy creating thick layers of paint to create texture. However, you can still use acrylics for thin coats of paint. You can also use oil paints to create thick layers of paint, but due to the longer drying times, you would have to wait a couple of days for the paint to dry.
– Finally, it is important to consider whether you want to create subtle blends or hard lines when creating your masterpieces. Acrylic paints are helpful for creating crisp edges, but can be hard to use for blending due to the quick drying time. However, blending is still possible with acrylic paint but you just have to work quickly. On the other hand, oil paints are best for blending colours together, as the paint dries slowing allowing time to create subtle blends.
Tips About Oil Painting
Here are some tips when working with oil paints.
– It is important that you start off with small paintings, in order to try out new techniques and experiment with oil paints.
– Make sure you use the correct brushes and invest in quality brushes. Use either hog or synthetic brushes designed for using with oil paints. Also make sure you clean your brushes thoroughly.
– It is important to understand your oil paint and paint colours. Investing in Artists’ Quality Paint will enhance your painting experience, as well as your finished masterpiece.
– When painting with oil paints, you can use a number of different surfaces (canvas, board, paper) but it is very important to apply a layer of primer called gesso. This prevents the oil from seeping into the painting surface.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Oil Paint
Advantages of using Oil Paints.
– Your oil colours will stay true to form. When the oil colours dry you will find there is no colour shift, unlike watercolours or acrylics.
– Due to the longer drying time, you have more time to work with your art. You can wait for days and still come back to keep on working on your work.
– Also, due to the longer drying time you can work on your masterpiece to create colour transitions and subtle blends.
Disadvantages of using Oil Paints.
– Although, there is no/little colour shift, oil paints do tend to yellow as they age. To slow this process down, make sure you use good binders.
– When working with oil paints, it requires time. You have to prime your canvas/board for painting on. Then you have to wait for the oil paints to dry which can take a couple of days. Therefore, when working with oil paints you have to commit a lot of time to it.
– Due to the longer drying time, it requires a couple of days to achieve a crisp brush stroke.
Oil Painting Mediums
Oil Painting Mediums are used to alter the transparency, consistency, or drying time of oil paint. It is important to know when and how to use mediums, as they can help to control your paint and develop your painting techniques.
Depending on which mediums you use, you can achieve a variety of different sheens and and either shorten or extend the drying time of the paint.
When using the mediums you can either mix them with the paint directly on your palette, or dip your brush into the mediums like you would do with water.
Loxley Artist Oil Colour is made from the finest binders and pigments to give a paint with great handling properties and covering power. Each colour can be used with other brands of oil paint, mediums and varnishes. Available in 55 colours in 45ml tubes as well the 200ml whites.
Loxley Ashgate Titanium White is an opaque, slow drying white with a smooth buttery consistency. It is a good white for highlights as well as mixing to lighten tones and add opacity to colour. Supplied in a 490ml tin which is 85mm wide, making it easy to dip a palette knife or brush into.
These colours have a uniform consistency, good covering strength an
