History & Methods of Oil Painting
"Being an artist means not numbering or counting, but
ripening like a tree, which doesn't force its sap, standing
confidently in storms, not afraid that summer may not come."
Poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)
Oil Paint has gone through many challenges and changes since the end of the Roman Empire. The types of oils used in the mixtures of oil paint depended on the local availability of oils. Each artist would experiment & develop oil formulas usually keeping it as their trade secret. Ancient Greece and Italy used their abundant olive oil supply while the Japanese during the 8th century used perilla oil. A 14th century Italian oil painter, Cennino d'Andrea Cennini (c. 1370 – c. 1440) used a style of tempera painting (pigments mixed with egg yolk) adding a glazing of oil after each layer to create a luminous effect.
How oil dries is most important to the artist using oil paints. Each type of oil brings its own unique attributes to the preservation, luminous quality and drying time for the oil painting. Some of the oils used are: flax, walnut, poppy seed, linseed, Tung, oiticca, soybean, and perilla oil. These would be mixed in with fine ground mineral pigments, cooked and mixed with other additives such as lead oxide, turpentine, marogar (lead dryer,) etc. The ideal medium mixture remains colorless not interfering with the color of the pigment while also giving lasting permanence.
Oil paint needs to be applied to a prepared surface not only for even texture but also to seal it so that the oils do not penetrate the fibers eventually prematurely aging and eventually rotting the painting. Gesso is Italian for gypsum (calcium sulphate dehydrate). Gesso has been used on wood panels by mediaeval painters to seal the surface while giving an even smooth surface for the application of oil paints and gold gilding techniques. Many artists today use acrylic polymer primer which has been given the name ‘gesso’ to associate with traditional gesso.
There are two methods such as Indirect Painting and Direct Painting for the artist to choose. An oil painter will decide depending on their artistic style and circumstance the method in which to apply paint.
The artists Rembrandt and Rubens used the indirect painting method. Each layer of oil paint builds to a rich glowing painting. Indirect painting requires ‘fat over lean’ meaning the initial layer is thinned with paint thinner and no oil mediums used. One or only a few colors are painted this first stage. The painter then adds opaque colors also including the lightest values using only a minimal amount of oil medium. The final layer has much more oil giving the surface and reflection a dimensional glaze. The reason for the rule ‘fat over lean’ is to reduce the amount of crackling that occurs over time because of the variety of painting layers drying at different speed depending on the amount of oil in that layer. Oil paintings can take 3 months to 2 years to dry. A varnish should only be applied once the painting is dry.
Direct painting was the method these artists used to create a painting in a single sitting. The Impressionist painters like Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin &Toulouse-Lautrec broke all the rules of academic painting by using mostly opaque color freely with brush strokes defined on the surface. The studio used to be where the artist painted but the impressionist painter decided to take it outdoors (called en plein air) and to public places. The artist must consider form and color while simultaneously painting light to dark and background to foreground mixing the paint on the canvas or palette varying short to long brush strokes.
Books & Magazine I enjoy & reference:
Renoir, My Father: Jean Renoir translated by Randolph and Dorothy Weaver ,1958 + 1962 Little, Brown & Company, Toronto, Boston
What an wonderful journey into Renoir's life. Reading his son Jean's delightful descriptions of the characters who mingled amongst Renoir's life and how they ALL ended up in paintings. Find this one in a used books store... buy it... read it!
Women Artists: Margaret Barlow, Beaux Arts Editions, www.HLLA.com ISBN# 0-88363-346-9
This book covers five centuries of extraordinary female artists. Lot's of color reproductions supported by letters & diaries written by many women artists. Fabulous reference and awesome history read... big heavy book!
Art of the 20th Century Volume 1 & 2: Ruhrberg, Schneckenburger, Fricke, Honnef,ISBN 3-8228-40489-0 www.taschen.com
I bought this two volume art reference books from Costco. I pick it up when I have 30 minutes or so to read in bits and bites to reference contempory art & find new artists names. Well written study of art including the people who create it and influence art. Lots of images and references.
International Artist Magazine: www.internationalartist.com
VOTED BEST magazine in the world. If you are an artist or a lover of art check out this inspiring, informative, art magazine representing emerging and pro's from all over the world. There is different styles and mediums so there is something for every taste. The magazine comes out 6 times a year and each publication has a contest that you can send your art to maybe win some great cash prizes and exposure. I look forward to this magazine coming into my mail box and savoir each page.
