jeudi 17 mars 2016

How To Use Oil Painting Techniques

By Susan Bell


Considering all mediums such as watercolor, tempura, and acrylics, that artists use to paint, most consider oils to be extremely versatile to use. It is partly because the pigments are delivered in such a smooth and creamy consistency that keep its vibrancy and true color even as it ages. The creative possibilities have virtually no end with a variety of oil painting techniques.

There are a lot of reasons that make this particular medium a favorite with artists worldwide. Part of the attraction is that it provides the widest range of tones and the broadest of color spectrum than the other options. The slow drying time is an advantage most love because it gives them an opportunity to make detailed corrections and blend strokes much smoother.

Yet another advantage to using this kind of paint is its suitability for whatever genre one prefers and practically any style. Both artists who prefer to do rapid style paintings and those who like to go slower and add carefully controlled details enjoy this medium. With this medium, certain nuances which are typically not possible to achieve with other types, come easily.

Regardless of genre and style, the basic tools of the medium are the same. These include a canvas, easel or tabletop, gesso, paints, palette and knife, thinner, various sized brushes and rags or towels for cleaning up. With these items, and the utilization of one or more application method, the artist can generate incredible works of art.

The key to creating a solid piece of artwork begins with creating a solid foundation. Applying blocks of color to various parts of the canvas through long, or choppy brush strokes of diluted pigment, allows an artist to lay down a guideline for the placement of other elements. This basic background can be built upon by adding additional layers and various details.

Giving dimension to one's work can be done with a variety of applications, often being used in conjunction with each other to get some interesting results. Among these are the thickness of paint, layering, brush stroke size, contrasting colors, as well as methods such as pointillism and crosshatching. Each of these, alone or in combination, create depth and lend the feelings of movement and space.

When wanting to create the transparent look of still waters, crystal or glass, this particular paint type tends to be very successful. This is because of the smooth and creamy way in which it flows on to the canvas, the rich purity in the pigmentation and the utilization of effective contrasting. A seamless blend that becomes like a reflective surface with no clear differentiating between one tone and another can be done using continuous and unbroken strokes across the desired area.

An artist can use these methods of application in many ways such as varying the range of pigment purity, doing irregular blending, using brush strokes in different directions or sizes, and degrees of dilution to achieve a certain look. The utilization of obvious brush marks, thicker layers, and stippling are other avenues of adding depth. Understanding the absolute power of deep blacks and full whites are very effective tools as well.




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