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Part III · Craft, genres and media · Chapter 25 of 31

Oil painting

Oil paint — pigment ground in drying oil, usually linseed — dominated European painting from the 15th century. It dries slowly, blends easily, can be thick or glassy-thin, and stays luminous for centuries.

The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck◎ notes
The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck (1434). Oil on oak panel. The National Gallery, London. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer◎ notes
The Milkmaid, Johannes Vermeer (c. 1658). Oil on canvas. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Self-Portrait with Two Circles by Rembrandt van Rijn
Self-Portrait with Two Circles, Rembrandt van Rijn (c. 1665–1669). Oil on canvas. Kenwood House, London. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Materials

A basic kit: titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow (or a hue), cadmium red, alizarin crimson (or a permanent alternative), ultramarine blue, burnt umber; a few hog-bristle and synthetic brushes (filberts are versatile); a primed canvas or panel; odourless mineral spirits; and a drying oil or medium. Ventilate, wear gloves and never pour solvent down the sink.

Fat over lean: each layer should have a little more oil than the one below it, so the top layers stay flexible as they dry. Thin, solvent-heavy layers go first; oilier layers on top.

Approaches

Indirect (layered): a monochrome underpainting (grisaille or brown 'dead colour') followed by transparent glazes — the method of van Eyck and many Old Masters. Direct (alla prima): paint wet-into-wet in one sitting, as the Impressionists did outdoors.

Impasto — thick, textured paint — catches real light. Rembrandt used it for highlights; van Gogh for everything.

Try it

  1. Tone the canvas with a thin wash of burnt umber.
  2. Draw the big shapes with a brush and thinned paint.
  3. Block in the darks, then the midtones, then the lights.
  4. Refine edges: keep some soft, make a few sharp near the focal point.
  5. Add the final highlights thick, last.

Examples to study

Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez◎ notes
Las Meninas, Diego Velázquez (1656). Oil on canvas. Museo del Prado, Madrid. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
The Fighting Temeraire by J. M. W. Turner◎ notes
The Fighting Temeraire, J. M. W. Turner (1839). Oil on canvas. The National Gallery, London. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Watch

GLAZING - Old Masters Secrets and Modern Techniques - Oil Painting Tutorial · Florent Farges - arts

Oil Painting for Beginners - Basic Techniques + Step by Step Demonstration · Florent Farges - arts

Oil Painting for Beginners/Intermediate - Painting ALLA PRIMA + Step by Step DEMONSTRATION · Florent Farges - arts

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Oil Painting · Florent Farges - arts

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