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.
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