All About Oil Painting Techniques and Materials

Already a seasoned oil painter? Share your oil painting techniques here.

Oil painting techniques often intimidate many beginners and they end up thinking that oil painting is difficult. But really, oil is very forgiving and lends itself to many interesting effects. Oil paints were invented around the 15th century.

Traditional, fine art oil paints are made by combining pigments with linseed oil (extracted from flax seeds). Oil paints quickly replaced egg tempera as the most popular artistic medium in Europe, and this popularity continues today.

Its versatility, wide range of available colors, and the brilliance of the colors (compared to egg tempera) are some of the reasons for its appeal.

I love the buttery consistency of oil paints. Because it dries slowly, I can take my time, correct mistakes, and plan my next step before I move on.

There are many techniques in oil painting. Try several before deciding which approach best suits your purposes. Following are articles on oil techniques and materials:

• Oil Painting Techniques
  Familiarize yourself with them so you can combine them to suit your needs.
  

• A Bit of oil painting history: old master technique.
  An explanation of the two main oil painting techniques: the Flemish and Venetian schools.
  

• Learn the effect on the form and paint the light
  You really can't get away from the tonal studies before you jump right into oil painting.
  

• Direct painting aka wet-on-wet painting aka alla prima
  Immediate and intense: my personal favorite technique.
  

• Scumbling and Glazing
  Learn these two techniques to use for special effects.
  

• Scumbling and Semi-glazing for a softer look
  A demo of these techniques using an oil sketch of William Bouguereau's angel.
  

• How quick oil studies can sharpen your oil painting techniques.
  I learned to paint alla prima fashion confidently through this simple and yet powerful practice. You can learn how to do it too.
  
  
• How do you paint roses?
  A step by step demo of showing you how to paint this beautiful subject matter.
  
  
• 7 simple steps to a landscape oil sketch from a photograph reference.
  Learn the order of painting a landscape both for an oil sketch and a finished painting.
  
  
• Learn how Claude Monet creates his painting.
  Discover the impressionist approach to blending oil colors.
  
  

• Oil brushes—the extension of your hands
  Choose the right oil brushes for your painting.
  

• How to care for your oil brushes so you can keep them for years

• Helpful tips for getting organized
  Start in the right direction and spare yourself from the agony later.
  
• Water soluble oil paints
  Here is a safe alternative which feels and paints like traditional oil paints so you can maintain the quality of your painting without compromising your health.
  
• Try my recipe for making safe thinner without using harmful solvents
  Concerned about the toxicity of mineral solvents? Learn to make your own thinning agent.
  
• Learn a simple formula for home made medium
  Can't find the medium you like from the art supply stores? Make your own and it's simple to do.
  
• Put together a customized at-home workshop with a master artist!
  It does not have to cost a lot to learn how to paint by yourself.

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