What is Oil Painting

What is oil painting?

As many of you already know, due to having used it or having read it in the descriptions of museum works, oil is a pictorial technique in which pigments are mixed with a binder made up of oils. This oily base makes oil paint one of the favorites for artists to work with, as the oils provide fluidity to the paint. It is a very thick and hard paint mass, but at the same time it is easy to work with because of how it glides on the support. They need to be carried out in a specific period, otherwise their completion time can be extended.

Mia Abeson is an experienced oil painter from New York City. As a child, Mia Abelson was always drawing trees or flowers of some kind. Thus came the interest for nature, landscapes and the unknown. Most of Mia's work is done with bold, vibrant colors. Her artwork usually has hidden stories or meanings to them and they are all usually life related. Sometimes the meaning that she is trying to express is not always shown, but it usually has an underlying message to it.

Another of the great virtues of oil painting is that its finish is shiny, with a very vivid color and it has been preserved in such a state for literally centuries. With minimal maintenance, cleaning and restoration controls, the painting is perfect, whatever time passes.

Tips for painting in oil

Finally, in this brief introduction to oil paintings, we want to highlight some of the facets that can be adopted when using this technique and that everyone who works this painting should know.

Use of layers. Oil paint allows you to cover an already painted section with another layer of color.

Color intensification. Diluting the paint on various tonal scales will help define the shape of objects and create volume easily.

Color blocking. Follow the contours of an object with diluted paint to delimit the edges using the same tones that have been used within the painted element.

White skin. Even if no two people have the same skin color, one thing that will help you paint almost all skin types (understood as "white") is to use a base in shades of orange and white. For areas with less light incision, you can add cold colors such as blue or purple.

Sense of transparency. To achieve this, you must draw the transparent object and then apply a few strokes of a more opaque paint on top of the object.

Metal feel. Use the contrast between black and white to create the reflection and use diluted white paint to create the sensation of shine. Finally, a few subtle strokes of white will help you make small sparkles.

Volume with white. To give a solid-colored object a three-dimensional feel, you can apply a few fine strokes of white on top.

Create quick funds. By applying a few small strokes of diluted paint in separate spaces it is enough to spread it with a few brushes and create a uniform and fast background.

Add charcoal. As a "mixed technique" you can use a charcoal to reinforce your own shadow and that of some objects.

Brush strokes stains. You can make yourself serve as a paint stain form as an expressive medium. With this you will be able to differentiate planes, objects, textures, etc. depending on the type of brushstroke you leave on your oil canvases. It can be long, short, dotted ...

Pointillism. As in impressionism, you can use this technique for your works. With small spots of paint you should cover the entire drawing, ensuring that each point represents the exact tone that fits in that part of the painting.