Dry Brush | Sturdevant Gallery

oil painting videos Oil paint is one of the most versatile painting mediums in existence today. There are many techniques and potential effects with oil paint. The painting of oil can be applied in thin transparent glazes or washes, or paint can be mixed until a thick buttery consistency and applied using a spatula. There really is no end to the wonderful ways you can create art with this amazing painting medium. In this article we will discuss some of the many ways you can use oil paint.

Dry Brush

The dry brush technique involves using a small amount of oil paint straight from the tube. Then you want to spread thinly on the support with a bristle brush. This technique works particularly well with a rough surface. The raised parts of the canvas hold the paint while the valleys of the support do not. This creates a broken color effect where the color of the canvas shows through.

Painting on a Toned Ground

The blank canvas can sometimes be too bright or show too much contrast that makes painting a little tricky. Covering the support with toned ground makes it much easier to judge the values in the painting. You can use any color you like. The most popular method is to use yellow, warm reds and browns, which provide a wonderful richness to the finished work.

Here is an example of how to paint a background using Burnt Umber and Yellow Ochre. First wash is created by mixing the Burnt Umber and Yellow Ochre along with a paint thinner like turpentine, or just use a water-soluble oil paint. Apply the mixture generously to your support and completely cover with a large brush. Let this mixture stand for a couple of minutes, then wipe off the excess with a clean cloth.

Alla Prima Painting

Alla prima painting, also known as “direct painting” is a painting technique where the work is usually completed in one session. You are probably familiar with the artist Bob Ross, who made this painting method quite popular in his TV Show. I am sure that like me, you would be amazed at seeing Bob complete a beautiful painting in less that 30 minutes.

The paint is applied wet on wet directly onto the canvas usually with no underpainting or sketches. It might be a good idea at first to establish a sketch with some diluted oil paint. This way you will have a general idea where colors are placed. You should be careful with this technique, as your paint can become quite muddy if you do not applied the colors correctly on the canvas. It takes practice, so do not be discouraged if your first, second or even third painting is not the way you planned. Continue practicing and let your imagination flow. As Bob would say “It’s your World.”

Work with Knives Painting

If you have never worked with painting knives, then it is highly recommended that you give them a chance. This type of painting method is very different from traditional brush painting and when you set your first stroke of paint with a painting knife, you will immediately see why. Painting with a knife can be described like spreading butter on a piece of bread. You should keep your paint in a butter or cream like consistency when you use painting knives. Do not use your palette knives to paint with. They have a different construction and are not for painting. Painting knives have more flexibility and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can manipulate the paint in a variety of different ways with a knife by changing the position of your hand on the handle. You can keep your hand down on the handle to smear the paint on your support. Move your hand to the top of the handle and you can use your finger to gently push the blade in the paint to create small patches of color. You can also turn the knife blade on its side to scrape the paint or create hard lines.

Glazing

If you never produced a painting using the technique of glazing, then you should give this a try too. Your painting will look different than if you were to complete a painting using traditional techniques. Glazing tends to give colors more luminescence. The colors are not mixed before application, rather, they are mixed optically through single transparent layers of colors. For example, to create the color green using glazes, do not mix yellow and blue together on your palette. First, apply a thin layer of blue enamel, wait until dry, then apply a thin glaze of yellow, which brings out the green. Each layer must be completely dry before applying subsequent layers. Usually the first step in using the technique of glazing is to create a monochromatic (different values of the same color) underpainting of the subject. Using one color will help you focus on form and tone first, instead of being too preoccupied with color at this time. Wait until the paint dries to begin applying the next layer. This technique is difficult and takes practice, but not so hard as some may lead you to believe.

For more oil painting lessons and techniques be sure to visit Creative Spotlite today, a free online community for artists and crafters. It is also recommended that you visit the Creative Spotlite Art Instruction Blog, where you will find more painting lessons including step by step painting videos.