What can you paint with oil? Oil Painting Basics

Foreign artist and a good teacher art school Johannes Vloothuis teaches thousands of students how to paint in oils (among other painting techniques). Johannes gave us the 10 best tips for oil painters. I think you will agree that every artist should know these basic painting techniques.
1. Use white underpainting or quick-drying white.
One common problem that plagues oil painters is that when you add a layer of paint on top of another, they tend to blend together. For example, it is difficult to add snow on mountain tops when the first coat of paint has not yet dried.
When an artist gets into a rage and faces such a problem, he gets upset and puts the painting aside, and returns to work after a few days. There are special new whites that can solve this problem, unlike standard titanium whites. They are called quick-drying white or white underpainting.
2. Fine lines with oil.

Most, if not all, oil painters get frustrated when they try to paint fine lines with oil paint, especially over paint that has not yet dried. Even signing a painting is not so easy if the signature is small. Here are some ways to achieve this without waiting for the oil to dry out:

• Use a plastic card instead of a spatula
• Use acrylic paint over dry oils
• Another innovative way is to use pastels. It usually doesn't dry, but you can seal it with a coat of varnish.

• It is more difficult to evaluate and select a color on a white background
• In plein air in sunny weather, a white canvas will be too bright. You can, of course, wear glasses, but there will be obvious problems with color selection
• It is almost impossible to paint an entire white canvas in a quick, spontaneous plein air and you will be left with white gaps between the strokes.
• Oil paint is not 100 percent opaque, so the gaps in the underpainting between strokes will play an important role in the perception of the painting. If you are painting a picture with warm colors, for example autumn, then it is better to make the underpainting in a cool color

Underpainting of Johannes Canyon Vista


Completed landscape of Canyon Vista, Johannes Vloothuis
4. Apply oil in a thick layer

One big advantage of acrylic and oil paints is the ability to apply thick, thick layers that can convey a three-dimensional appearance. Other paints such as watercolors and pastels do not have this quality. My advice is to start with a thick layer of oil paint and work your way down to a thin layer. Add drops of paint only for small details - tree trunks, stones, flowers, leaves.
In the picture below you can see that the flowers and leaves are applied in a thick layer and therefore create a foreground effect.


Carmel Mission Johannes Vloothuis
5. Dry brush to create texture

To paint heaps of leaves, a lawn, foam in the crash of waves and waterfalls, use the “Dry Brush” technique. Dry brushing is a term used to describe the technique of applying paint by "stroking" small amounts of paint. The dry brush technique can be used to make wood look scuffed, paint lots of small leaves, paint foam near water, and add weeds to grass.
For a more visual representation, in the video below you will see how to draw a tree using the dry brush technique.

In order to learn how to paint with oil paints need to:

Now you have everything to paint with oil paints. Finally, it’s a good idea to buy some kind of painting manual, get acquainted with the concept of perspective, composition, and the basic properties of color and light. Think over the theme of your first work, composition, perspective, color scheme, apply the drawing to the canvas, then start painting in oils.

Methods of applying oil paints can be different, but there are two leading ones: Multilayer. With this method, paints are applied in several stages and the work process is divided into:

Alla Prima- with this method, paint is applied over the raw base in one layer. This type of oil painting makes it possible to complete a sketch in one session and is more technically primitive. While the paints have not dried, you need to be diligent in writing as much as possible. You can paint on wet paint as long as it allows you to mix other paints with it.

Try, experiment, copy paintings by old masters. Check out the tutorials different styles oil painting - this will help you achieve triumphs faster.

With oil paints they write not on paper, as is the case with watercolors, but on a special canvas on a stretcher. The paints are also special oil paints. The palette for them is wooden. Prepare special solvents. Many shades of special obscene, take the primary colors and arrange them further: warm colors on one side, cold on the other. The brushes for them are also special - large, made of natural bristles.

Instructions

1. Let's try to draw a still life. Start painting with the most basic color relationships. Highlight the most basic colors. Write with broad strokes. Look what colors harmonize with what. In oil painting, it is not recommended to meticulously draw fragments of the picture. Everything should be done in parallel, both the background and the objects. First, paint the primary colors completely. Then you get a complete picture. Pay attention to the combination of color and shadow. For example, a gray drapery in the shadow will be approximately blue, and in the light it will be silver. The beauty of oil painting is that strokes can be applied to each other without waiting for them to dry. Mixing many colors is not recommended. Use 2-3 colors. It is important that all the details of the still life are in harmony with each other. So that one item does not stand out as a clumsy spot. When you draw, don't try to achieve photographic accuracy. Tea, your task is to convey your feeling, your point of view, your vision of this still life.

2. Once you've painted the main colors, start working on the details. Don't forget about reflexes. That is, about the reflection of objects in each other. Don't forget to add shadows, lights and highlights right away. But never use black paint for shadows. Mix different colors to create a dark look. Find color accents so that everything is not identical, all other things must be subordinated to the dominant.

Pay attention!
Oil paints take a long time to dry. When they dry, the still life will be ready.

Oil painting is one of the particularly common techniques for painting pictures. Oil paints provide longevity to the painting. The colors do not deteriorate over time, and the technique itself provides a wide range of possibilities and at the same time is not too difficult, which allows you to quickly learn it.

You will need

• Easel, brushes, paints, solvent, palette, varnishes, palette knife, rags, primed surfaces: canvas on a stretcher, cardboard or canvas on cardboard

Instructions

1. To paint, you will need a canvas stretched on a stretcher or another surface suitable for painting with oil paints. Cardboard or canvas glued to cardboard is also used. All surfaces must be primed. If you are just starting to draw oil, then it is better to purchase ready-made primed canvases in the store.

2. An easel is an adaptation on which a stretcher with a painting is placed. It is very inconvenient to paint without an easel. Other tools will also work for you, including a palette knife - a special spatula that is comfortable for mixing paints. There is even a technique for painting with a palette knife.

3. Brushes – as usual, novice artists buy brushes made of coarse bristles, but soft brushes will also work. You can paint with whatever you want, the main thing is that you should not do it with your fingers, because the paints and substances that make up them are very toxic. They can penetrate the skin into the body and cause poisoning.

4. Before you start writing oil, mix the paints to the desired shade on the palette. A palette knife will help with this. To clean the brush from paint, use solvent and rags. The best way to get a shade is by mixing no more than 3 colors. The usual material for a palette is wood, but glass is also excellent because it does not absorb paint or react with it.

5. Turpentine is often used as a solvent, but it is quite toxic. Today there are less toxic solvents with better smells that are nicer to use.

6. After you finish writing, the brushes must be rinsed in solvent, and then washed in warm water using soap or shampoo. It is recommended not to put the brushes in boxes, but to keep them in a cup so that they can dry. It’s cooler to install an additional bottom with holes in a container with solvent for washing brushes. This way, paint fragments will settle on the bottom without interfering with rinsing the brushes, and the service life of the solvent can be significantly extended.

7. The painting process is personal. Everyone uses their own tricks and tricks. Finally, drawing skills will suit anyone who decides to take up oil painting. Traditionally, before starting a rod drawing, an underpainting is applied to the canvas. These are silhouettes that are painted with heavily diluted paint. They are virtually invisible. After this, the drawing itself begins. Oil paints are applied in layers, developing more and more details over time.

Useful advice
When the painting is ready and dry, it is varnished. Traditionally, they wait about a year for the paints to dry completely. The varnish coating allows you to protect the paint on the picture from falling off and interacting with air. This way the paintings are stored much longer.

Oil painting paints brings great pleasure, and oil paintings create a feeling of comfort and tranquility. Oil painting looks very decent and luxurious. There will always be a place in your apartment where you can place your drawing.

You will need

• paints,
• brushes,
• palette,
• easel,
• canvas.

Instructions

1. To practice painting, you need to buy appropriate materials. Buy oil paints: white in a large tube, the rest in medium-sized tubes. For beginners, it is better to purchase paints for educational sketches. Once you have gained the skill, you will move on to artistic paints. Save your paints in a wooden box.

2. Buy a complete set of brushes - 3 brushes of each number. For oil painting, bristle brushes, cow hair and synthetic, are used.

3. The next thing you will need is a palette. Soak it in oil and dry it well; on the contrary, the palette will absorb the oil from the paints.

4. Place the paints on the left edge at the top of the palette. Leave the middle for making mixtures. All paint must always be in a certain place on the palette. Whitewash is usually placed on the right end.

5. You will also need oil paint thinners: linseed oil, dammar varnish, purified kerosene, turpentine turpentine.

6. Oily paints traditionally painted on primed canvas. The preservation of the drawing depends on the quality of the soil on the canvas. It is better to purchase a ready-made primed canvas. Beginners can try painting on primed cardboard. You can prime the cardboard yourself. To do this, dilute a package of store-bought gelatin according to the instructions, cool and cover the cardboard several times.

7. For small paintings, at first you can use a book stand, after that use an easel. It is stable and durable.

8. Before you start drawing, think about how to depict what you have in mind.

9. First, draw a drawing on paper that you will transfer to canvas.

10. On the canvas, mark the image with thin lines. Work out a difficult plot in sketches.

11. Perform the underpainting - the 1st layer of painting. For underpainting, oil paint is diluted with a solvent. It is applied in a thin layer, one that dries quickly. Then apply a further layer, describing the details, clarifying the shape of the objects.

12. Allow each layer to dry before applying the new one.

13. In the final layers, linseed oil is added to oil paints. paint layer the painting will be intense and lasting.

14. After the oil paint has completely dried, the finished painting is varnished.

Pay attention!
After completing the work, the palette must be cleaned and wiped dry with a cloth.

Oil pastels differ in many ways from dry pastels. And using them together is not recommended. As the name of oil pastel suggests, the pigment in it is bound by oil, creating a dense and oily structure. Of course, compared to soft pastel, the choice of colors is more limited, there are fewer gradations of light. However, the color ranges of this material are gradually increasing.

Instructions

1. Layers of color can be created with oil pastel chalks in the same way as soft pastels. pastel or pencils. However, due to their oiliness, there is a tendency to rapidly clog the grain of the paper. Therefore, be diligent in immediately working with oil pastel easily, without pressing hard on the paper. It's cooler to use just the tip of a pastel stick. And try to hold it close to the end - this way you won’t be able to press hard on it.

2. You will not be able to wash oil pastels using the usual method. But you can wash it. If you make a mistake or want to change part of the design, take a cloth, dip it in white spirit or turpentine and carefully wipe off the color. After this, wait until the paper is dry and continue applying strokes.

3. Let's try to draw a small still life. It turns out, draw the silhouettes of an orange and a lemon with (say) yellow pastel. And in this case, it is better to use bluish-gray paper, so that you can provide a contrast between the bright yellow and orange shades.

4. After applying diagonal lines of orange to both fruits, add yellow. Leave the strokes open so you can add color without crowding the paper. After setting the primary colors, you can introduce more contrast and use an additional blue color on the orange.

5. Mix the base color into the shadows on both fruits to neutralize them. For added contrast, add a slightly darker shade of gray around the fruit than the paper used. Now the shape is created, highlights are added and shadows are emphasized.

6. To give your fruit body and texture, experiment with mixing colors. Add orange color behind and underneath the fruit with light touches of pastel crayons. This is necessary in order to connect the fruit with the background. Well, a simple still life is ready.

Video on the topic

Useful advice
The technique of rubbing the drawing with your finger to mix colors does not work with oil pastels. Please take this into account. But the result of mixing can be achieved in a different way: layer the colors one on top of the other, pressing firmly on the oil pastel sticks.

Paintings oil - These are brilliant pieces that can decorate any room. They look much more impressive than those paintings that are written, say, in pencil. From the artist they require not only an investment of effort, but also considerable funds. Therefore, if you are ready to spend money, then bravely start learning.

Instructions

1. First, stock up on all the necessary materials: paints, canvas, glue, brushes, primer. Of course, oil paints will cost the most. True, the right choice of more inexpensive items will be no less significant. Be extremely observant when receiving the canvas. The material from which it is made directly affects the outcome of your work. Therefore, try to purchase canvas made of flax or hemp.

2. Don't start drawing right away, follow the established order. You must glue the purchased canvas in advance so that the paint does not wet it through and penetrate to the reverse side. It is quite easy to carry out such manipulations; to do this, use wood glue. At the end of the procedure, remove the canvas to a maximally ventilated room for drying. By the way, it’s worth checking whether you did everything successfully. This indicator will be the strength of the adhesive fold (it should not crack).

3. The next necessary step is priming the canvas. Without this you will not be able to start drawing. Please note that applying primer requires close attention and precision. If you do this thoughtlessly and carelessly, the material will not be distributed evenly and will ruin your painting.

4. Now start drawing. Take your brushes and paints and begin to carefully and slowly apply strokes. Do not be afraid that smudges will form on the canvas (when using oil paints this is excluded in the thesis; they have a rather thick consistency). After creating the painting, give it time to dry.

Useful advice
Do not forget that to successfully create a drawing you need a strong tension on the canvas. Therefore, purchase an excellent subframe in advance. If you do not use this tool, you will only end up with a drawing damaged by cracks.

Oil paints for painting are highly valued by painters because they allow you to fully convey the entire palette of colors of living nature. With their support, artists reach the pinnacle of skill, creating different results and regular transitions between colors. Which oil paints are best suited for painting?

Composition of oil paints

Oil paints contain dry pigments and oil - most often linseed and cold-pressed. It is used because it has a beautiful golden color and has no noticeable odor. For cool and white shades of oil paints, use poppy oil, which has virtually no color, or walnut oil. Pigments for oil paints are transparent and opaque (glaze and covering). Transparent pigments add gloss and depth to the paint layer, while opaque opaque pigments allow light to pass through, but do not provide a sense of depth. Modern dry pigments are brighter and more durable, and also less toxic than pigments used in the old days. Transparent pigments do not tend to fade concentration during the mixing process, while opaque ones when mixing are radically various colors turning gray very quickly. Masters of the old school usually used transparent paints - in contrast to the Impressionists, who chose opaque paints (with the exception of ultramarine). The best oil paints contain each one, but the most concentrated pigment. They are mixed to give transparency to the layer with the opaque original.

Selection of oil paints

When purchasing paints, you must definitely pay attention to their expiration date, manufacturer and application rules - and the information should be provided in Russian. The more information about the product is indicated on the packaging, the higher the likelihood of receiving truly high-quality and non-hazardous oil paint. When choosing a product, it is also important to evaluate its smell - it should not be repulsive or strong, and paints for children do not have to have a smell at all. This type of paint is best purchased in jars - this way you can use them more economically by putting the right amount of paint on the palette. You should not purchase oil paints with poisonous acid colors, since the manufacturer may have used toxic pigments in their production. In addition, hostile shades distort the aesthetics of the painting and make it unnatural. The main indicator of good quality oil paints is the uniformity of their coloring pigment. Also, excellent paint is easy to apply to the surface and spreads easily with a brush. You should not buy paints that are even slightly dry - they will leave a large number of grains of sand on the surface.

Video on the topic

Painting with oil paints is difficult. To do this, you need to prepare a canvas, brushes, and available materials. The paint is applied in various strokes depending on the shape of the objects being drawn and the light and shade on them.

You will need

• Linen/cotton canvas, cardboard, wood or other canvas with acrylic primer; brushes made of natural pig bristles for core work and sable brushes for drawing details; sponges; rags; palette for mixing paints; solvent/linseed oil for thinning paint and washing brushes; varnish for protective coating of finished work

Instructions

1. Mark your upcoming drawing on the canvas using primitive shapes and contour lines. Use diluted paint, charcoal, and pencil for this.

2. Draw spherical and toroidal objects with crescent-shaped and twisted brush strokes, conical objects with triangular strokes, and cylindrical objects with parallel strokes. Flat surfaces can also be painted with parallel brush strokes.

3. For smooth color transitions, use flat brushes. In this case, mix the paints on the palette and apply them to the required gradation area. Move your hand back and forth in a cross pattern. At the final stage of creating a color transition, use parallel strokes. Work with a clean brush from the darker color to the mid-tone, then again with a clean brush from the clearer color to the mid-tone.

4. Place transparent glazing layers of oil paint, shading the drawing, on the dried layer. To get them, use a special liquid to dilute the paint, and apply the mixture with a kolinsky brush in a horizontal position. If you want to change the color of the design, when glazing, make the direction of the strokes similar to those on the main layer. Also apply translucent glaze layers with a kolinsky brush in a horizontal position. Dilute the paint in a ratio of 1/3 Damara varnish, 1/3 turpentine and 1/3 linseed oil.

Pay attention!
Use a pencil for sketching drawings with caution, because its sharp tip can damage the primer of the canvas.

Useful advice
Mix the colors on the palette carefully and slowly. To obtain more clear tones, use white or glaze.

Flowers are one of the most beautiful creations of nature and are truly worthy of artists glorifying them in their masterpieces. In this regard, roses can be considered classics. However, you can paint roses not only with oil paints, but also with simple graphite pencil .

You will need

• A sheet of paper, a medium-soft graphite pencil (3 to 8B) and an eraser.

Instructions

1. To begin with, you should outline the silhouette of the rose with thin, barely noticeable lines. If you need to correct silhouettes or change the direction of a stroke, you should use an eraser. This will help you avoid getting lost in countless lines. To simplify the task, you should imagine rose in the form of a cup on which all the petals are attached.

2. Next, using light strokes with weak pressure, you should dial in a light tone of the petals. You must try to press the pencil as lightly as possible to create the result of the lightness and tenderness of the flower. If necessary, the graphite can be ground a little, which will give smoothness to the flowing forms. Special attention should be paid to the division of light and shadow across the flower (the greatest saturation of the shadow is distributed along the lower part of the calyx).

3. Now it’s worth deepening the shadows, pressing harder on the pencil when shading under the curling petals. This creates an even sharper contrast and a greater sense of volume.

Video on the topic

Pay attention!
Don't darken every flower at once. You should slowly gain the tone of the entire petal.

Useful advice
When doing shading, do not rush, because thin and neat shading can emphasize the delicacy of a flower.

A palette knife is a tool that allows you to work with oil paints using a new technique. Unlike a brush, a palette knife applies huge strokes of paint to the canvas, making the picture more voluminous and expressive.

Instructions

1. Artists have two similar tools in their arsenal: a spatula and a palette knife. If the oil is mixed first on the palette, then the paint is applied second or, on the contrary, the paint is scraped off the canvas. They can be distinguished by their curved handle, which allows the artist to draw palette knife without touching the canvas with your hand. The spatula is usually flat.

2. Prime the canvas and dry it. If necessary, draw a sketch of the future work with a slate pencil.

3. Paint the main areas of the painting in oil using a brush. If you are painting a still life, try painting the background using a palette knife, using the flat side of it.

4. Mix a large amount of oil paint on the palette so that it can be applied in voluminous strokes that stand out against the background of the texture of the canvas. If you are doing an impressionist style, use a clean, brilliant color.

5. Take a fair amount of paint with the tip of a palette knife. Apply paint to the canvas and smear it over the surface, creating a background for the still life. Work palette knife like a spatula when puttingtying walls. This way, creating the background will be completed much faster than if you worked with a brush. However, in this technique, the palette knife will not allow you to create color shifts: the background will be monochromatic and uniform in texture. To diversify it, mix shades of the main background color. To show the folds in the drapery or the play of color and shadow, use the core color, adding clear and dark shades to it, and diversify it with other rich colors.

6. Step away from the painting and look at it from a distance. This will allow you to understand where, in terms of composition, you need to apply additional colors and create volumes of drapery. You need to draw folds on the fabric with the support of a palette knife using the sides. Apply a bead of paint onto the canvas with the tip or edge of a palette knife and lightly level it with the flat side of the tool. Create the result of the bending of the fabric not only with color, but also with protrusions when applying paint.

7. With the help of a palette knife, make voluminous accents on still life objects. Apply paint with the tip of the tool, placing its flat side on the canvas. At the same time, the edges of the blade will leave angular textured marks, which makes the object sophisticated and expressive, slightly cool.

8. To show volume, say, on the thorns of a rose, apply paint with the tip of a palette knife, lifting the blade upward. The paint will seem to stretch behind your hand, leaving voluminous, elongated marks.

9. Play with the texture of other items. Apply the paint quickly, actively moving your hand. See how the palette knife listens to your movements, what intricate shapes the paint leaves on the canvas. If somewhere you have applied unnecessary volume, scrape off the paint with the edge of a palette knife.

Summer is the time for sketching in nature. Any object on the street can become not only the hero of a picture, but also a useful exercise. The specifics of drawing a bee will allow you to learn how to work with color saturation and texture. You can make a sketch from life until the insect flies away, and then finalize the sketch of the house.

You will need

• - paper;
• – a primitive pencil;
• – eraser;
• – a set of oil pastels.

Instructions

1. A material such as oil pastel corresponds to the task at hand. She masters intense shades, but at the same time teaches to work faithfully and diligently. In addition, it will allow you to convey the hairiness of the bee’s body.

2. Select paper for drawing. Oil pastels fit well both on pastel paper and on paper or canvas primed as for working with oil paints. If you want more detail in your design, use fine-grain pastel paper. If you want large colorful strokes, take a primed surface.

3. With a simple pencil hardness 2T make a sketch. Mark the location of the bee on the sheet, leaving space around it. Draw an axis on which the insect's body parts will be located. It is an arc that needs to be divided into three parts - a quarter of each length of the arc will be occupied by the bee's head and the upper section of the body, two quarters will go to its abdomen.

4. Construct the parts of the picture as geometric shapes: The bee's body is a ball and a cylinder, and the head is a cone. For the entire figure, draw a central axis, and on it place circles that create the shape. Use a few very light strokes to outline the outlines of the wings just so as not to “lose” them when working with color. The shape of the legs and antennae can be drawn approximately, without scrupulous alignment.

5. Once the frame is built, select crayons that match the color. Take several shades of yellow, sepia, grass and umber, as well as dark blue and white.

6. Since it is very difficult to correct a drawing with oil pastels, try to be as precise as possible when applying color. In order to achieve mixing of shades, apply them in layers, but not with a solid fill, but with a grid. Cover the side of the bee's abdomen with a clear yellow mesh, the part of it that is located near the paw, darken it with very light strokes of clear sepia.

7. Cover each area of ​​the insect's back with an intense honey color. Closer to the junction with the second body segment, add a warm brownish shadow. Use the same chestnut color to mark the stripes, pressing harder on the chalk. After this, paint a highlight in blue on each of the stripes on approximately one tier - this will create the illusion of volume.

8. You will need dark chestnut shades to fill the bee's legs, head, eyes and round part of the body. After this, refine each of these details with light strokes applied on top of the main color - on the paws it will be brick and blue in the highlights, on the eyes there will be a white highlight and a slight blue around it, on the head closer to the “nose” it will be grass.

9. Highlight the villi on the body with light, clear yellow strokes. To do this you will need a strong, sharp chalk. If it becomes dull and softens from the warmth of your hands, place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, and then sharpen it with a utility knife. Apply thin strokes also to the head and lower part of the bee's abdomen.

10. Draw the veins on the wings with a distinct chestnut silhouette, and on the surface of the wings shade cool brownish and white colors.

11. Draw the background around the bee with huge diagonal strokes, and cover them on top with lines at an acute angle to the first layer. In the shadows, add reflections with warm pastel shades (slightly darker than the body of a bee).

12. In the process of applying an intense color, it may turn out that the layer is too heavy and dense. You can remove it with the help of a palette knife, scraping off the excess.

Video on the topic

Video on the topic

Oil paints are quite a complex material and you won’t be able to master oil painting quickly. Even great masters can edit and redo their work more than once, bringing it to perfection. But along with the difficulties, oil painting opens up new horizons in creativity, makes it possible to make light sketches and more complete deep works, embodies the play of light and shadow, creates a shimmer and smooth flow of colors.

It doesn’t matter whether you are an artist with many years of experience or just starting to master fine arts If you are going to create a masterpiece or make a small sketch, first you need to choose oil paints, brushes, canvas and other necessary tools.

Before you start working with color, you need to transfer the drawing to the canvas. If you decide to paint a portrait, then sequentially, the mouth, nose, oval of the face, neck, hair. This can be done using a pencil, charcoal or carbon paper. After applying the drawing, it needs to be fixed on the canvas. This is done so that the paint adheres better to the base. In addition, particles of the material used to apply the design can interfere with the paint, thereby changing its color. It is better to do this with the help of a special fixer. You can make a sketch with heavily diluted oil paints, in which case fixing will not be needed.

There are two main techniques for working with oil paints: in one step - Alya Prima and multi-layered.

Professional artists usually choose the multi-layer painting technique, as it makes it possible to better convey depth and reveals all the possibilities of oil painting. The essence of this method is that after drawing the outline, they make underpaintings - placing light spots and shadow accents on the canvas. This is done with a thin layer of highly diluted paint. Then the picture is painted more densely in all the variety of colors and shades. And finally, glazing is done - applying translucent colors to already dried main ones. This allows you to create a deep color with a shimmer effect.
The disadvantage of this method is that it takes six to twelve months to create a painting.

If you decide to master the technique of multi-layer painting, then you should study some of the nuances associated with the properties of oil paints. If you do not allow the initial layer to dry, then during secondary registration the oil may dry out and become dull. Such defects can be eliminated using retouch varnish. You can also use oil, and the residues that are not absorbed into the paint are removed the next day using a blotter. In ancient times, craftsmen rubbed heavily dried paint with a cut onion or garlic, this improves the adhesion of the layers to each other.

Each new layer should be equal in thickness to the previous one, or the paint should be applied more thickly. But in no case thinner, otherwise the paint will simply crack when it dries.

Over time, oil paints become a little transparent, and those unwanted places that were covered up begin to show through the top layer. Therefore, you can finally get rid of unwanted elements only by scraping them off while they are still wet.
Works using the Ala Prima technique are created much faster. In addition, this method is simpler and perfect for beginners. The point of painting using this technique is to complete all the work before the paint hardens. That is, from the start of work the artist has no more than three to four days left. Short terms can also be an advantage if you decide to “quickly”. The drying time is affected by the thickness of the stroke: the thicker the paint, the more time it will take. Therefore, diluted paints are often used here, sometimes allowing them to shine through the oil. This creates the effect of lightness and light.

In order to learn how to paint with oil paints, or it would be more correct to say, to write with oil paints, you need to have certain knowledge in this area, namely, to understand the variety of tools that are currently presented in a wide range in stores for artists. A novice artist may get lost when entering such a store without prior preparation, because a seemingly obvious set, such as canvas, brushes and oil paints, will not be enough for a good start in this business. This article is aimed at enabling you to virtually visit an artist store, as if accompanied by an experienced mentor. So let's get started!

Canvas

The first thing we will choose is canvas. As a basis for painting with oil paints, you can choose various materials: board, cardboard, metal plate, glass, plastic. But if we are talking about classical painting, then, of course, you should choose fabric that is primed in the right way, stretched tightly on a stretcher and ringing like a drum. Yes, yes! The canvas should not sag, its surface should be perfectly flat. In the old days, and even now, many professional artists stretch fabric over stretcher themselves, they prime it themselves. Since these recommendations are intended for beginning artists, we will not delve into the topic of stretching canvas onto a stretcher; we will talk about how to choose the right surface that is ready for work, namely, a canvas that has already been primed and stretched on a stretcher.

It's best to canvas sheet was linen, it can be of medium or fine grain, have a smooth smooth surface without knots, the thickness of the canvas should be uniform everywhere. The grain of the canvas is various irregularities and knots in the fabric, in the weaving of the canvas threads. If there are a lot of such inclusions, the threads are coarse, then you have a canvas with high grain size. It is suitable for drawing objects with a strong texture, for example, old brick walls, gnarled tree trunks, stones, rock debris, etc. Here you can work with large impasto strokes and use a palette knife. Therefore, such a canvas is not suitable for painting objects with a delicate texture or for conveying delicate light and shadow transitions. The delicate transparency of grapes and the face of a young girl cannot be drawn on such a surface. For such purposes, it would be right to choose a canvas finer workmanship, smoother, that is, fine-grained. And it is precisely this kind of canvas that is best purchased for beginning artists; by the way, on it, you can make a more detailed preliminary pencil drawing. And you can easily erase a part of the drawing you don’t like.

Pay attention to the quality of the stretcher, that is, the wooden base on which the canvas is stretched. We have already talked about the inadmissibility of its sagging, it remains to add that it is necessary to evaluate wood quality, from which the subframe is made. Usually it is linden, pine or birch. The wood must be well processed, dry, smooth, without knots, chips, rot or wormholes.

Oil paints

To begin with, you should not buy a large number of paints; it will be quite enough to purchase a set of 10-12 colors. The most important thing is that this set contains blue (glazes, cobalts), red (cadmium medium, light or dark), yellow (cadmium medium), black (carbon black), white (zinc or titanium white) paints. If you already know how to mix primary colors and get additional ones from them, then even this minimum will be enough for you, but it’s better to diversify a little, even if it’s just your first oil palette! To find out what color is in the tube, look at the color stripe on the label. Complete your set with blue paint (sky blue), ocher tint (light or golden ocher), so-called “earth colors” - natural umber, natural sienna, as well as natural shades of green colors - olive, herbal green, light green, etc. .

We remind you once again, look at the tube label. Or you can buy a ready-made set of paints. Over time, you will understand which paints are used up faster and which ones are not. In addition, before buying paints, it would be good to know what kind color scheme Are you planning to paint a picture: will it be delicate pastel shades or rich contrasting painting? What size will your work be? This may also influence your choice. And, of course, it would be nice to familiarize yourself with the table of colors, the names of which are the same for almost all manufacturers, so you can easily navigate by color and look at the correct names of the colors and shades you like. Prices for oil paints from different manufacturers are different, they directly depend on chemical composition paints Paints that contain natural rather than synthetic pigments will cost more.

Brushes

Lucky

In the window of a store for artists, among other things, you will see various artistic varnishes. They are designed to work directly with paints, that is, the brush is periodically dipped into varnish, then into paint. This is what is called " painting on varnish" or "through varnish." Why is this being done? In order for the painting to be immediately bright and rich. And it is better, of course, to protect finished work with well-dried paints with varnish. As we have already mentioned, varnish gives richness to the colors and, most importantly, protects your work from external influences. When the varnish is dry, the surface of the canvas can be wiped off dust. Varnishes come in different compositions; they are mainly made on the basis of soft resins.

Solvents

A very necessary and important thing for oil painting. The solvent is needed to dilute the paints, in order to clean the brushes before finally washing them with soap suds.

Tee

This is a ready-made composition for diluting oil paints. It usually contains linseed oil, varnish and turpentine. It is this diluent that is poured into the oil can. If you don’t have it on hand, Pinene No. 4 solvent plus linseed oil will do.

Oil can

A special container into which a tee or solvent is poured. It is usually attached to the palette, for which it has a convenient clothespin attachment. Oilers come in plastic and iron. It is more convenient to have an oil can with a screw-on lid, then nothing will spill and the unused contents will not dry out prematurely.

Palette knives

A necessary and important tool in an artist’s arsenal. These are special spatulas designed to remove paint residue from the palette and apply and remove paint from the canvas. There are special painting techniques when work on canvas is done with a palette knife rather than a brush. There are sets of palette knives on sale different sizes and forms.

Palette

Oh this is real business card any artist! You also need to be able to choose the right palette; the colors on the palette should be placed closer to the edges, leaving room for mixing in the center. Palettes come in different shapes and sizes.

Easel

- a very convenient thing for objectively evaluating your work and seeing shortcomings. Work mounted on an easel is a professional approach. You can work in front of the easel either standing or sitting. From time to time you need to move some distance away from the canvas to see all the details. When buying an easel, focus on its strength, reliability of fastenings, size and model that suits you.

Sketchbook

A special device for painting outside the home. This is a kind of suitcase in which you can place everything you need for work: brushes, paints, solvents, canvases, cardboards. It is quite compact, opens and closes, and has reliable, strong carrying straps. The sketchbook can be of various sizes, with or without legs that can be adjusted in height. When buying a sketchbook, you need to make sure that it is reliable and durable, and has good fastenings. The sketchbook can also be used as an easel at home.

Here are, perhaps, the most basic tips that we hope will be useful to you when choosing materials for painting with oil paints. If you have the full set of tools that we talked about, you can safely start painting your first oil painting! Good luck and creative inspiration!

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Painting plays a huge role in the development of culture; it has been developing for many centuries, introducing the world to new techniques. Drawings of cavemen prove that painting allowed one to demonstrate one's thoughts and feelings. Their creativity is characterized by features: contours made with ash, chalk, clay - these are animals that are hunted; the man is a hunter. It turns out that already in prehistoric times there was a unique technique.

Animals from the 12th century

Colorful painting appeared somewhere in the 12th century, so to depict the body of living creatures they used ocher, which was accidentally found in a cave, while hooves and horns were painted with charcoal. The desire to create colorful “works” forced people to discover new things, thanks to which primitive oil paints appeared in the 7th century. After studying old works, scientists discovered natural pigments in them.

What can you draw with?

However, artists figured out how to paint with oil paints only in the 15th century. Jan van Eyck actively used them for his works, arousing increased interest in them from others. Over time, he was the first to create rules explaining how to properly use such paints.

The case of a painting from the Dutch school of painting

Work methodology Dutch school always amazes with its realism and beauty. They were able to create paintings that to this day delight both ordinary museum visitors and connoisseurs. So in the 80s, the attention of experts was attracted by a picture with a bouquet of flowers from which a drop of dew allegedly fell onto the table. Experts have come to the consensus that the drop is so very real that you even want to brush it away. It turns out that it “hasn’t dried up” in 600 years. Such “drops” make painting eternal.

What types of oil paints are there?

Oil painting for beginners will be difficult, but interesting, because the color palette

represented by a large assortment:

• titanium white;
• cadmium red;
• viridon greens;
• the paint is bright red;
• purple dioxin;
• gas soot;
• cadmium yellow;
• cadmium orange;
• azure, etc.

How to paint in oils to achieve expressiveness and realism? We need to develop and gain experience. To do this you will need to set aside time, be patient and some drawing supplies.

Where can I find paints?

Art stores offer a large selection of professional creativity kits. For beginners, you can buy a small, inexpensive kit to try; it will be quite enough for creating small paintings. It is recommended to master this technique by depicting bright things, for example, fruits or vegetables, not plain, but with iridescent sides.

For oil painting, not only paints are useful, but also:

• canvas (a cardboard sheet will do);
• several brushes.

Canvases are most often represented by rough fabric or paper with a special primer coating. Beginning artists are better off purchasing a canvas stretched on a stretcher. As for brushes, they are divided according to: hardness; size; the hair used to make it. So, hard and wide ones are useful for the background, soft ones for drawing, and thin ones for small strokes.

How much “oil” and paints does a beginning artist need?

You shouldn’t buy sets that are too expensive, because you will only use a part. For those who are just starting to master the “oil”, it is enough

5 different brushes:

• wide flute;
• averages No. 2, No. 3;

This set is enough for any painting. Don't despair if nothing works out right away, everything comes with experience. Once you learn and practice drawing techniques, you will achieve success. Yes, the techniques are complex, but they are necessary. You will learn how to mix colors and create new shades. It turns out that the entire process of creating a work consists of constant editing of tones. It's very exciting.

What a painter should know

Only a diligent person can achieve the visible desired result from the first attempts. It is also important to have at least some drawing skills. It will be useful to take classes and watch instructional videos; they will help you handle oil paints and brushes.

Step by step training

So, how to paint with oil on canvas? We invite you to familiarize yourself with how to work on a painting. Stretch the canvas onto a stretcher and prime it so that the paint lays evenly and does not soak in. The simplest and most reliable soil is considered water-based paint combined with PVA, 1:1. Before applying to the canvas, the mixture is well stirred and diluted with water, the composition should be the same as cream. You can work with the canvas only after your fingers stop sticking to its surface.

Next, we paint in oils step by step, following our instructions. We create a background, it can be just a painted part or some kind of drawing. You will need a palette knife, it is very convenient to distribute the paint, getting an even and thin layer. This will allow the oil to dry much faster; as you know, this process is very long and can take months. Be prepared to postpone further work for a long time.

Dried canvas - the next stage

Once the canvas has dried, you can begin to draw a sketch; on a light background this is done with a pencil, and on a dark background with a pencil. Be sure to make the outlines before you start painting with oils.

If your painting will consist of several parts, then paint the largest object first. For example, you draw a jug, cups, a vase, plums, candy, a tablecloth. This means that you will use a variety of colors.

An integral part of the picture - shadows

Start painting with oil from a jug, apply to the palette brown and spread it slightly. Dip a brush into the resulting mixture and apply strokes. Having finished working with this item, you need to work on its shadows; brown paint will help you with this, but in a darker and deeper shade. To do this, add black butter to the brown butter and combine them well. The shade for the shadows is ready, where they will be located is up to you to decide. Then you start working on the cups; they are made of the same material (conditionally), which means that the work with them is similar to what was done earlier. Remember that light hits objects at the same angle.

At the next stage, we deal with the vase filled with plums. Don't try to make a glass vase, as there should be many shades that... real life displayed in glass. For beginner artists, it is better to make a faience version, for which, in addition to painting, you will need ordinary shadows. The easiest way to draw plums is that the main thing is that they look natural, which means they overlap one another.

And finally

Paint the fruits dark blue. In those places where they touch each other you need to draw a thin line, as if separating them. For realism, you need to add fruit cuttings, but not to every berry. When it comes to candies, the main thing is to make the right contours. You can paint them however you like.

After completing the work, leave it to dry, turning it “facing” the wall.