Some Do's and Dont’s in Oil Painting
Oil painting is an art that encourages artists to be as versatile as they can be. Experts in the field have created incredible masterpieces by being imaginative. Obviously, those who wish to learn oil painting first need to grasp the basics before moving on to that level. If you are a beginner at oil painting it will help to keep the following in mind:
Do's
Keep your palettes containing oil paints in the same order as you paint. This helps in picking colors easier.
Increase the proportion of oil (medium) for each successive layer in an oil painting, keeping in mind to always apply it as 'fat over lean'. This is because the lower layer absorbs oil from the layers applied above it. If the upper layer dries faster than the one below then the painting may crack.
To accelerate the drying time, you can mix pigments like cobalt, lead, and manganese, with colors.
For lighter oil paints, use poppy oil as a medium as it doesn’t have the tendency to turn yellow.
To clean away any extra layer of oil paint or oil varnish from your painting, it is recommended that you use alcohol. It is a powerful solvent and can easily remove the extra layers.
Dont's
Don’t use Ivory Black under a painting or sketch. This is because this color takes much longer to dry than the other oil paints.
Avoid the use of linseed oil as a medium in oil paint colors like whites and blues as it has the tendency to turn yellow.
Never let your oil paintings dry in the dark. This can harm the painting as a thin film of oil may rise to the top. Therefore, always dry your oil paintings in daylight.