Oil Painting
Oil paint is classed as higher in status because of history and economics.
15th century Venice was a damp environment, being a city on water - so paintings would depreciate in value and quality. Merchants needed to buy and sell easily and quickly. To invest in a painting, they needed an asset that would move, hence they painted on wood, but wood was heavy. Fortunately however, they discovered oil paint.
How it's made:
Pigment is grinded in (mainly linseed) oil to make a paste. It's good in a damp environment because of course oil repels water.
Because Venice was full of sailors etc... of course ships had sails, which meant that Venice was full of canvas.
Because pigment is ground in oil it means it's flexible. I makes for a very durable, long-lasting image.
Netherlands was even more mercantile. In Holland, the idea of oil painting being top level started to kick off. It was the only method of painting large scale imagery, until approximately 100 years ago. Distemper could be used but didn't have the same malleability.
You will need:
Windsor & Newton brand paint.
Paint - all pigments have different qualities.
Commercial paints have added wax. Artist's quality use more pigment while student quality uses more fillers. Oil paint can be mixed with solvents in order to make them more runny. Zest it or coconut oil are good non-toxic replacements for white spirit.
Hog hair brushes are a must for oil paint. Soft brushes may also be used as well as palette knives.
What to paint on?
You can use oil paint on absolutely ANYTHING! Boards- use hardboard. Sand it down and add a few coats of primer and then paint onto it. If using a board then it is suggested that battening is used on the edges. It needs to be primed so that paint doesn't sink into the board.
Canvas can also be used as it's a durable fabric.
They come in linen or cotton, of which linen is more durable.
Palette:
Keep paints as far away from each other as possible, leaving you with as much space to mix colours as you can.
Oil painting has INFINITE possibilities. You can change things as you go and take the paint as far as you want.
15th century Venice was a damp environment, being a city on water - so paintings would depreciate in value and quality. Merchants needed to buy and sell easily and quickly. To invest in a painting, they needed an asset that would move, hence they painted on wood, but wood was heavy. Fortunately however, they discovered oil paint.
How it's made:
Pigment is grinded in (mainly linseed) oil to make a paste. It's good in a damp environment because of course oil repels water.
Because Venice was full of sailors etc... of course ships had sails, which meant that Venice was full of canvas.
Because pigment is ground in oil it means it's flexible. I makes for a very durable, long-lasting image.
Netherlands was even more mercantile. In Holland, the idea of oil painting being top level started to kick off. It was the only method of painting large scale imagery, until approximately 100 years ago. Distemper could be used but didn't have the same malleability.
You will need:
Windsor & Newton brand paint.
Paint - all pigments have different qualities.
Commercial paints have added wax. Artist's quality use more pigment while student quality uses more fillers. Oil paint can be mixed with solvents in order to make them more runny. Zest it or coconut oil are good non-toxic replacements for white spirit.
Hog hair brushes are a must for oil paint. Soft brushes may also be used as well as palette knives.
What to paint on?
You can use oil paint on absolutely ANYTHING! Boards- use hardboard. Sand it down and add a few coats of primer and then paint onto it. If using a board then it is suggested that battening is used on the edges. It needs to be primed so that paint doesn't sink into the board.
Canvas can also be used as it's a durable fabric.
They come in linen or cotton, of which linen is more durable.
Palette:
Keep paints as far away from each other as possible, leaving you with as much space to mix colours as you can.
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