from flickr
Oil painting is a technique that’s been used by great artists to create some of the best artistic works we have ever known. Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper”; Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and “Café Terrace at Night”; Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam”, are all famous examples of oil painting. It’s a hard process, but once it’s mastered, an artist can undoubtedly create oil paintings that are far superior in quality than water color paintings, acrylic paintings and other artistic mediums.
The Initial Preparation
The linen canvas used in the finest quality oil paintings is long-lasting and stiff, letting the artist paint comfortably on it. Also, the pigments used in oil painting are of a special kind, which binds well with the oil used as a base. Linseed oil or walnut oil work best in oil painting. At times resin is combined with the base oil to make the finished product glossy in appearance. The canvas is made by stretching it slightly and mounting it on the drawing board with clamps. The paint is mixed with oil and left for some time, allowing the paint to mix properly with the oil.
The Painting Process
In oil painting, the strokes require to be applied steadily, but with measured pressure. Extra pressure put on the brush will end up blurring the color in the finished product. But then, if the pressure is too little, sufficient oil might not be absorbed in the canvas, thus shortening the life of the finished painting. Oil painting thus needs sufficient dexterity on the artist’s part to be done properly, and the correct pressure to be applied can only be determined through continuous practice.
The Finishing
Once the painting is complete and it’s dried, the artist normally coats the entire painting with a coat of clear lacquer. This process is called “varnishing”. This process is performed even if the oil utilised in the painting already had varnishing resin mixed into it. This makes the painting waterproof and greatly extends its life. This finishing must be consistent; any spot left out will gradually degrade the painting over time. Once this process is successfully completed, the varnish is left to dry.
Making an oil painting can be a slow and expensive task. But done successfully, it can leave behind a true masterpiece that’s valued by collectors for years after its creation.