INTRODUCTION TO OIL PAINTS

I suggest to students that they learn oil painting if their main goals involve painting realism, surrealism or anything where very smooth blended areas are a large part of the approach they are drawn to. There are still some confused people who believe that oils are a superior medium to acrylic paints. Not so if you check the latest research (provided we are talking about quality oil vs quality acrylic). Let's compare apples with apples!

There are pros and cons for both of these media. The main advantage of oil paints over acrylics is their slower drying time and smooth greasy texture which allows very clean, smooth, soft transitions from one tone or colour to another. ( with some development of dexterity and skill, there are those who can achieve these effects with high-quality acrylics, but the texture and patina are different and usually requires a few more thin layers to get the most refined finish with much more practice in brush skills.) Fortunately, it is still quicker to do 3+ thinner layers in acrylics and be done quickly, compared to waiting for your oil layers to dry (and of course when working in oils we need to respect the ‘fat over lean’ principle.

Prerequisites: As with any of the practical courses available, before launching into any new medium, it is preferable to have fully covered the foundation theory modules on Design & Composition, Contrast, Emphasis, Light & Shade and Colour Made Easy.

Your results will be far more successful with these fundamentals under your belt. you can choose to learn oil painting with or without the foundation subjects included.

INHERENT BENEFITS OF OIL PAINTS

The goal here is to pass on a few ways to safely and effectively approach this medium and leave each student to undertake either the growing DIY range of practical projects in the Online Studio shop with the approaches and media that appeal to them, or book into one of our private or group classes to learn more about drawing, painting, composition & design. (no amount of understanding the behaviour of a medium can give you drawing, colour harmony, compositional design skills or other essential foundational knowledge.)

Online Course Format: Introduction to Oil Painting

In this practical course on oil painting you will identify:

* What differentiates oils from acrylics and watercolours

* Which colours to choose when starting out

* What other materials and mediums are required to paint in oils

* Brushes, brush care & clean-up

* Blocking in with oils vs blocking in with acrylic

* What is 'fat over lean’ and why do we need to observe it? 

* Many different brush strokes, tools and knifing techniques

* How long to let layers dry before moving forward

* Painting wet in wet ('Alla prima')

What differentiates oils from acrylics?

  • Should you buy traditional tubes or water miscible? 
    Oil paints differ from acrylics and watercolours primarily in their drying time, texture, and application. Oils dry much more slowly, allowing for extended blending and reworking. Acrylics dry quickly and are water-soluble when wet but waterproof when dry. Watercolours are transparent, water-based, and dry rapidly, making them ideal for light, fluid washes but unsuitable for thick, textured application

BENEFITS OF OIL PAINTS

Oil paints offer superior blending capabilities, a rich, luminous colour depth (although many fans of acrylics argue that the high quality ones with no fillers also have this appearance), and oils have the ability to create both smooth transitions easily and thick impasto textures. They remain workable for longer periods, making them ideal for detailed adjustments and layering. If you buy archival archival quality, this ensures longevity, making them favoured by artists for centuries.

Lets say you want to devlop a style or approach that involves gradients and very realistic finishes.Thisis possible to the veteran artist with acrylics, however with oils it is far easier, you just need to be more patient with the drying time.

 

TRADITONAL OIL PAINTS VERSUS WATER MISCIBLE OIL PAINTS

Traditional oil paints require solvents such as turpentine for cleaning and thinning, whereas water-miscible oil paints can be mixed and cleaned up with water AND SOAP. The latter are less toxic and more user-friendly, though they sometimes dry slightly faster and have a slightly different texture compared to traditional oils.

which colours to select when starting out ?

A limited palette is often recommended for beginners, typically including:

  • Titanium White 9double quantity)

  • Cadmium Yellow (or Lemon Yellow)

  • Cadmium Red

  • Alizarin Crimson

  • Ultramarine Blue

  • Cerulean Blue

  • Burnt Umber

  • Burnt Sienna

  • Yellow Ochre

  • Ivory Black (optional)

    I tend to recommend starting even more limited while learning about colour theory, mixing and harmonisation- mixing the secondaries, tertiaries and convenience colours and a natural black (I use the same process when starting out with acrylics and also watercolours).
    Cadmium Yellow light, Alizarin Crimson, Phthalo Blue (Green Shade), Ultramarine Blue, Titanium white.

    There are many unique pigments to collect later if you wanted, transparent variations, metallic variations, but all of them still fit somewhere into the colour wheel (and those basic 6 can make a version of all 12 hues on the colour wheel.

whAT OTHER MATERIALS ARE REQUIRED TO PAINT IN OILS?

What Other Materials and Mediums Are Required to Paint in Oils

  • A palette (wood, glass, or disposable)

  • Palette knives for mixing and application

  • A stable easel

  • Canvas or oil-primed paper

  • Linseed oil or another medium for thinning and glazing

  • Solvents like odourless mineral spirits (for cleaning and thinning traditional oils)

  • Rags or paper towels for clean-up

  • A sealable container for solvent disposal

PAINT BRUSHES: Oil painting brushes are typically made of natural bristles (hog hair) or synthetic alternatives. Common shapes include:

  • Round (for detail work)

  • Flat (for broad strokes and blending)

  • Filbert (for soft edges and curves)

  • Fan (for texture and blending)

  • detailers

    Cleaning brushes

When using traditional oil paints: Clean brushes with a solvent, like low odour turpentine (for traditional oils) or soap and water (for water-miscible oils). For the traditional oils, I collect 2-3 glass bottles that have a lid with a hole in it, like the wide little glass herb bottles. Wash them in there, then let the sediment sink, you can decant off into the other bottle an reuse.The solvent is less open to air and if you have two, you can decant one to the other once the sediment collects at the bottom. Rinse & dry them thoroughly after and reshape bristles before storing.

For water-miscible paints, remove the majority of residual paint with old newspaper or paper towell (like you would with traditional oils), then clean(stir around in) with pure dish dertergent, then in soapy water, then in clean water, then dry, reshape and store flat.

READ MORE ABOUT BRUSHES here

BLOCKING IN WITH OILS VS WITH ACRYLICS

Blocking in is the initial stage of painting where major shapes and colours are mapped out.

Acrylics dry quickly, making them a good option for a fast underpainting. Oils, while slower to dry, allow for more blending during the blocking-in stage. Many artists use acrylics for the base and oils for refinement, as oils adhere well to dried acrylic layers(best if they are completely matt.

examples of different brush strokes, tools, and knifing techniques

  • Glazing: Thin, transparent layers for depth and luminosity.

  • Scumbling: Dry brushing light colours over darker ones for texture.

  • Impasto: Thick application using a palette knife or brush for heavy texture.

  • Stippling: Dabbing with a stiff brush for pointillist effects.

  • Dry Brush: Lightly dragging a dry brush for broken colour effects.

  • Scraffito: Using a palette knife, end of thin brush handle or similar to remove paint for highlights and texture, in effect scrathcing back to whats underneath.

HOW LONG TO LET LAYERS DRY BEFORE MOVING FORWARD?


Drying time depends on paint thickness, oil content, and environmental factors. Oil paints dry by oxidisation. (water miscible oils can dry a bit by evaporation as well. Thin layers of oils may be touch-dry in a few days, while thick impasto can take weeks, months or years. To avoid blending issues, allow each layer to dry before adding subsequent ones, especially when glazing.

There are “Fast-drying mediums” in most brands of Water Miscible oil paints (drawbacks can be yellowing and unwanted extra gloss)

Painting Wet-in-Wet ('Alla Prima') Alla prima is a technique where the painting is completed in one sitting, working with wet paint on wet paint. This method allows for expressive, loose brushwork and seamless blending. It requires careful colour mixing and brush control, as colours remain fluid throughout the process. Mixing of too many hues will end up with mud.