Some Oil Painting Techniques
Oil painting is exciting and easy. The techniques of oil painting are much simpler than etching or watercolor painting. Experts in oil painting go beyond the standard techniques to create special effects. But, for beginners there are some fundamental techniques of oil painting that must be learnt first. Some of these techniques follow:
Generally, to paint with oils you need to thin the oil paint with a solvent such as turpentine in order to apply the paint in layers. Or, the other method is to sketch the image first with the aid of water-soluble pencils, or charcoal, and then apply paints in layers.
Learn Glazing oil painting:
Glazing is a popular oil painting technique by which the painter must allow enough ‘drying time’ to the painting. It requires much time and patience, which is the main reason why not many artists use this type of technique. In this technique, artists don’t mix colors but apply different layers of colors to get the glaze effect.
Learn Impasto oil painting:
Impasto is a simple technique that every artist should try. In this style, you need to apply oil paints in heavy and thick strokes. The results are unique and this is why it’s a much favored oil painting technique.
Learn Oil painting using palette knives:
This oil painting technique is quite common among the adventurous artists. In this method, the oil paint is spread on the canvas using palette knives. This is a fun technique for oil painting. Beginners can have a lot of fun with this one as it is a great way to loose creativity and imagination.
Learn A La Prima oil painting:
Oil painters who have less patience can try this oil painting technique. In this style, you need not apply layers, and it can be done in one sitting. This oil painting technique saves time and there is no ‘drying time’ involved. Paint is applied directly to the canvas without using a drawing or under-painting. Paint is used straight from the tube without mixing any medium with the paint. The word Prima means "first".
If you are interested in learning about the in-depth details about the various aspects of oil painting techniques, then take a look at Learn & Master Painting.