An Introduction to the World of
Oil Paintings
The journey of
the art of oil painting is an intriguing one. Certain periods have proved to be more receptive of the
art form than others. This form of
painting is believed to have originated in Afghanistan. When the process was first invented, it was not used for
art purposes; however,
artisans quickly realized the potential that
oil painting possessed. From Afghanistan, the form traveled through Europe to finally arrive in central Europe,
the art capital of the world, sometime in the 15th century. There are records of European
artisans using this from of
painting in the 15th century. The form really came into its own during the renaissance and post renaissance periods in Europe and the English Mainland.
The journey of
the art of oil painting is an intriguing one. Certain periods have proved to be more receptive of
the art form than others. This form of
painting is believed to have originated in Afghanistan. When the process was first invented, it was not used for
art purposes; however,
artisans quickly realized the potential that
oil painting possessed. From Afghanistan, the form traveled through Europe to finally arrive in central Europe, the
art capital of the world, sometime in the 15th century. There are records of European
artisans using this from of
painting in the 15th century. The form really came into its own during the renaissance and post renaissance periods in Europe and the English Mainland.
The term
oil painting denotes the use of oil in
the paintings. For one, the pigments used to
paint are mixed with oil or rather the base medium is oil. The oil that is usually used is Linseed Oil. Linseed Oil is harvested from Flax seeds that are easily available. A few other oils are used in the place of Linseed Oil. These include Walnut Oil and poppy seed oil. Mixing the dry pigments in oil helps to bring out a version of the color that no other medium can. Different oils produce different gloss intensities. The sheen can therefore vary depending on the oil used to mix the pigments. The oil- pigment mixture is
painted onto a canvas.
Oil Paintings are strictly
canvas art.
Canvas Art refers to those forms that use the canvas as a base. A thinner material may not be able to sustain and retain the color and effect.
Oil painting is never done directly on a canvas. The design or scenery s first etched onto the canvas using a pencil or charcoal based
drawing implement. The oil mixed pigments are then slowly colored in. The oil based pigments do not dry quickly. Therefore the process of
painting has to a slow one. Sometimes to hasten the process,
artists mix a quantity of turpentine into the mixture. Since turpentine dries quickly,
oil paintings of landscape, it helps the
oil paints to also dry faster. Very rarely does the
artist manage to
paint the entire picture in one coating. If
the artist decides to use a second coating, then the mixture has to be changed.
Every subsequent layer of
oil paints should have a higher content of oil. This actually helps to quicken the drying process. Given that the
paints are rendered heavy by the thick oil base, drying
oil paintings is a real skill and one which requires patience. The
oil paints do not dry by evaporation, like other
paintings ? such as water color
paintings.
Oil paintings dry by the process of oxidation.
Many
Oil Paintings also make use of other mediums. The most commonly used ones are Resins and wax. Both add to the effect of the oil pants and at the same time affect the sheen and texture of the
oil paints. The use of other mediums can even adversely affect the design of the
painting. But this is true for any
art form that attempt to mix two different mediums.
The oil paintings have to be coated with a layer of varnish before it is considered finished. The varnish helps to protect the
painting.
An Introduction to the World of Oil Paintings
Linear Mode
