Wet on Wet Oil Painting

oil painting rocks

I’ve been doing wet on wet oil painting for several years and have known about it for about 15 years. I’m stunned by the number of people who are not even aware of it. So let me tell you how it all started.

Back in the 70’s a wonderful artist by the name of William “Bill” Alexander had developed a quick and easy method of painting known today as wet on wet. His method was developed in order to accelerate his progress so he could sell more paintings. Bill realized that to make a living as an artist full time, he could not rely solely on traditional methods of oil painting because of the long drying time required when layering paint. He needed a method that would allow complete drying quickly, in one session instead of days or weeks required for traditional methods.

So by necessity, came a wonderful new painting method. With time, Bill refining his methods and tools. Instead of the usual thick oil paints, paint companies developed paints that were rich in color. Instead of using a set of small brushes to paint everything, he learned to paint with larger brushes that looked like you would paint a home with. Possibly one of his most valuable tools was his spatula. Originally, he made his own spatulas. He wore spatulas out for his own use and allowed his students to give him spatulas that would wear out by their use for a very small price. With this powerful tool, Bill painted incredibly beautiful mountains, rocks, trees and many other landscape features.

From what I have said so far, you can see that the moisture in the liquid paint method requires a set of tools for you to succeed. Traditional paints and brushes simply do not work. Fear not for these tools are available.

If you wonder why you should engage in wet on wet oil paint, I’ll give you 5 reasons right now:

1. Wet on wet painting allows you to complete a painting in one session. It is not uncommon for artists to use this method to complete oil paintings in a few hours or less.

2. Wet on wet paintingl is simple, which means it is easy to learn. You can start producing large oil paintings for the minimum practically.

3. As it is easy to learn, it is also an easy way to teach oil painting to others. Every year, people are becoming certified on Bill’s methods, allowing them to teach others how to oil paint.

4. Wet on wet oil painting requires skills not previously acquired by painting. Even if you’ve never painted before, you can learn wet on wet oil painting. In addition, it requires no artistic ability. It is a method of oil painting that is truly accessible to all.

5. This is perhaps the best reason to get involved in wet on wet painting. Please, read this carefully. Over the years, wet on wet painting has decreased somewhat in popularity, along with many other art forms. There are people out there now that they have no idea what wet on wet oil painting is. They have no idea who Bill Alexander is. Maybe you’re one of them since you’re reading this article. It seems something negative to say, right? WRONG. This fact puts wet on wet paint instructors in a very unique position, because many people today are unfamiliar with wet on wet oil paint. They can be the first to introduce this method to them! Many wet on wet artists are in the same position that Alexander was back in the 1970s. Standing before the masses with a wonderful and valuable secret.

Remember, wet on wet painting is for everyone, but not everyone knows. In fact, very few people today are even aware of it.

Did you find this article helpful? Learn more about wet on wet oil painting and Alexander Certified Instructor Chad Marshall at his website. http://www.wichitaoilpainting.com

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