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Oil Painting Techniques * 40000 Oil Paintings for Sale |
Biography of 350 Famous Painters
Oil Painting Knowledge in 130 Styles |
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-- Lewis L., Toperfect Director ----------------------------------------- Oil painting or painting in oils is a category of painting that quick-drying vegetable oils, like flaxseed oil, poppy oil or walnut oil etc. are used to mix pigments to paint on linen, cardboard or wooden board. The thinner used in painting is volatile turpentine and drying flaxseed oil etc. The pigment on the painting is comparatively hard, which enables the painting to stay lustrous for a long time when dried. And because of the covering power and transparency of pigment, oil painting can better exemplify the target with rich colors and strong perspective. Oil painting is one of the major categories of western painting. |
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1, HeadstreamOil painting history starts from Europe 600 years ago and was invented by Dutch around 15th century. They used flaxseed oil to mix pigment and painted on processed canvas or wooden board. The pigment will not change color when dried nor becomes dirty when mixed, so artists can illustrate rich and realistic colors. Its opaque feature and strong covering power enable the colors to be covered layer after layer, from light to dark; therefore it can create perspective. Oil painting originally served religion and was an important part of religious activities. It became the main style in western painting history, so the existing western paintings are mainly oil paintings. Most of the frescos are also painted with oil painting pigment and techniques. Oil painting became closer to life as time passed by. The most famous artwork is Mona Lisa which represents common women and begins to win popularity. In the late 19th century, due to the scientific and technologic development, many new materials were applied to oil painting, like acrylic paints, varnish and so on.
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3, Color layer language of oil paintingThrough the development of oil painting, it is known that the beauty of color layer is achieved by continuous exploration and creation. The function of impasto pigments and the strong plasticity enable oil painting to have incomparable features that make them resonate with people’s feelings perceptually. Each stroke of oil painting not only shapes something but also has direct impact on the texture of painting. Rembrandt and Rubens are both masters of textures, because texture directly conveys feelings of artists and affects infectious force of the oil painting. The so-called proper expression of texture not only includes the imitation and reproduction of the tactile sensation through texture but also the description and expression of the general mood of the whole painting. In the traditional realistic oil paintings, no matter the tactile sensation of objects is rough or fine, texture can reproduce it with corresponding textures. However, this is a very passive behavior. The real beauty of texture lies in those highly harmonious textures which can express the rhythm of paintings and feeling of artists. This texture often surpasses the limitation of tactile sensation and integrates its spirit into the whole painting and viewers’ inside, becoming the beauty of color layer independent from concrete image. In this sense, it is abstract. But in the traditional oil painting, conversely it attaches itself to the realistic objects, merging into the whole atmosphere. |
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4, Materials and toolsOil painting is to use transparent vegetable oil to mix pigments to paint on the processed canvas, cardboard or wooden board etc. It originated and developed in Europe and became an important type in the worldwide range in modern times. Tempera, born before 15th century, a type of European painting is the previous form of oil painting. While painting tempera, many artists continued to look for more ideal blender. It is generally recognized that the Netherland artists Jan Van Eyck brothers in the early 15th century are the founder of oil painting. On the basis of former attempt made by predecessors to use oil to dissolve pigment, they used flaxseed oil and walnut oil to mix pigment. This made the pigment smoother and it could dry in a medium amount of time, easy to cover and modify. And the pigment had richer color layers and better luster and stronger adhesion when dried, not easy to peeling off and fade. The Jan Van Eyck brothers became quite influential by using the new oil painting materials. The techniques of oil painting soon spread to other countries in Western Europe, gaining rapid development especially in Venice of Italy. The major materials and tools of oil painting are pigment, brush, pallet knife, canvas, varnish, frame etc. A, Pigment falls into two categories: mineral and synthetic ones. Most of the original pigment is mineral pigment, hand grinded when painting. Contained in tin tubes, the types of oil painting pigment are increasing with the mass production in factories. The capability of pigment is related with the contained chemical elements. When mixed, some pigments will have adverse chemical reactions. Therefore, mastering the capability of pigment help bring the techniques of oil painting into full play and make the colors of paintings unfailing. B, Brush Brush is made of animal hair with moderate flexibility. There are round brush with pointed edge, flat brush with flat edge, flat brush with short and flat edge and fan shaped brush etc. C, Painting knife Painting knife is called pallet knife, which is made of flexible sheet steel and there are round knife and pointed knife. They are used to mix oil paints on palette. Many artists also use knife instead of pen, directly using knife to paint or partially paint on oil painting canvas to form special texture to strengthen expressive force of pigment. D, Canvas Standard canvas is made by applying the mixture of whiting with glue or oil on the linen or sailcloth stretched on wooden frame. Canvas are generally made into those do not absorb oil yet have the texture of cloth. Or they are made into ones that completely absorb oil or half absorb coil according to different requirements in painting. The roughness or fineness of texture is determined by the size of oil painting and also by the requirements of painting. Some artists use canvas applied with basic color to form unified hue and reveal the basic color unintentionally when painting. Non-oil-absorptive wooden board or cardboard processed by applying can also be used instead of canvas. E, Gloss oil Gloss oil is often used after the completion and dry of oil painting to keep the luster of it and prevent it from the dust and air infiltration. F, Frame A complete oil painting should include frame, especially those with stronger realistic characteristics. Frame form a boarder for viewers’ vision, making the painting complete and concentrated and making the objects in the painting stretch deeper. The thickness and size of frame is determined by the content of painting. Classic oil paintings often use wooden or plaster frames and modern and contemporary oil paintings often use metal materials like aluminum alloy etc. |
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B, Opaque coverage Opaque coverage is also called multi-level coloration. A single color is used to sketch the outline of object and then multi-level colors are used to colorize it. Shadow is often painted thinner, while the middle tone and highlight is painted layer after layer, forming color comparison. Because the thickness of color differs, the richness and texture of oil painting colors can be fully exemplified. There is no distinct difference between transparent and opaque coverage, and artists often combine these two techniques. To depict objects in the dark or shadow, transparent coverage is often used to generate stable and deep perspective and spatial impression. To paint those outside of dark or shadow, opaque coverage is used to strengthen the saturation of colors. The oil painting artists before 19th century for the most part used these two technique. The completion of a piece of work often takes longer time, because some paintings have to be repainted after the dryness of one layer. C, Once-off opaque coloration Once-off opaque coloration is also called direct coloration. After sketching the outline on canvas oil painting, based on the feeling towards the colors of object or the conception of colors, artists begin the once-off painting. Incorrect part will be scraped by palette knife and some further adjustment will be made. This technique requires thickness of pigment for every brush and can create high saturation and distinct stroke, easy to express the vivid feeling of painters. Many artists after the middle of 19th century most adopt this technique. To achieve the saturation in only once-off oil painting, application of brushes should be paid attention to. Frequently used methods are flat painting, scattering painting and impasto painting. Flat painting is to apply large area of colors by single-directional and even-powered force, proper for creating static object in stable composition. Scattering painting is to flexibly and casually paint objects based on the natural curves of objects. Impasto painting is to wholly or partially apply pigment layer after layer on oil painting canvas. Some even have color layers or color lumps as thick as several millimeters. This can express the interest of texture and strengthen the image of object. As an artistic language, oil painting includes many factors like color, light and shade, line, texture, brush, light perception, spatial perception, composition etc. The role of techniques of oil painting lies in the embodiment of various factors either comprehensively or partially. The performance of oil painting materials makes the full application of techniques on two-dimensional canvas possible. The producing process of oil painting is the process of spontaneously and skillfully manipulating the materials, choosing and applying expressive thoughts and forming artistic images. Not only can oil painting express the thoughts endowed by artists, but it can also display the developing process of oil painting language, which experiences classic, modern and contemporary periods and due to the control of artistic thoughts in different times and restriction of techniques in different periods, the oil painting presents different features. |
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6, Status quo of oil painting historyOil painting is one of the noblest decorative paintings. Handmade and copy painted according to customers’ requirements, oil painting have unique style. The relatively popular themes of oil painting in the existing market are landscape painting, figure painting and still life painting. Having developed to contemporary times, oil painting wins more and more popularity among people. Among modern decorative paintings, one type of plain oil painting without frames, also called frameless decorative painting, is making its inroads into modern housing market with prosperous momentum. It shakes off tradition restriction of frames for oil painting and is the latest trend for modern housing decoration. |
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meticulous and accurate. This is also the principle adopted by academism. Just as the founder of academism said, beauty is the supreme objective of all the artistic paintings. It is a objective quality of objects, being composed of order, harmony, proportion and regularity. Its representative artists are
Raphael,
Ingres etc.
Romanticism Romanticism originated in France in 19th century. Its representative work is Gericault’s The Raft of the Medusa. In this oil painting, the composition, light, color, dynamic and expression all represent rich imagination of artist. It breaks the horizontal and vertical composition in classism. The light is soft and even-distributed, making the painting generate a passion. To emphasize the emotional catharsis and expression is an important element in Romanticism oil painting. |
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Realism Realism refers that in the middle of 19th century, artists led by Millet advocated expressing normal visual images and reflecting the nature of life by sticking to the reality. Its representative artwork is Millet oil painting The Gleaner. Factualism and photorealism Factualism is just as its founder Courbet put in 1885, “to express the convention, thought and appearance in my times as what I have seen. In one word, to create art is my objective.” Photorealism is to depict life as photos on oil paintings, like Close’s John. When painted, the object will be first photographed or made into slide and then be magnified ten times as large as the real person on the canvas. So it can depict details in a finer and realer way, like the texture or facial hair on face. |
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Impressionism oil painting Painters in 19th century walked out of their ateliers and discovered the instant change of light and color in the nature. That is how impressionism comes into being. It breaks the traditional concept of intrinsic color, for example, tree is green and shade is black. It objectively describes the influence of surrounding colors exerting on intrinsic colors. Its representative artists are Monet, Seurat, Cézanne, Renoir etc. B, If the aforementioned oil painting schools are faithful reproduction of nature or some extension, addition, emphasis and development of nature, the following category, i.e. Postimpressionism, Les Fauves, Cubism, Futurism, Abstractionism, and Surrealism etc. are no longer truthful description of objective subjects, instead, they are free creation based on painters’ subjective intentions. Most of them appeared after 20th century. |
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Postimpressionism Postimpressionism emphasizes self expression, the comparison of colors and intrinsic structure. Its representative artists are Van Gogh, Gauguin etc. This school exerts a far-reaching effect on oil painting. Les Fauves / Fauvism Les Fauves / Fauvism uses exaggerating images, intense colors and rough lines to express inside passion. Matisse is the founder of this Fauvism paintings. Cubism Cubism expresses objects with full-range perspectives instead of single perspective, thus it restores objects into geometric ones. Its founder is Spanish oil painting painter Picasso and French painter Braque. Futurism Futurism applies colors and lines in an abstract way to express the velocity of movement and the combination and departure of power. |
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Abstractionism Abstractionism combines lines, lumps and colors in way without concrete representation. Its representative painter is Dutch oil painting artist Mondrian. Dadaism Dadaism oil painting has a certain influence on the later Surrealism, Mobile Carving, Pop Art and Modernism. Surrealism Influenced by the Bergson’s intuitionism and Freud’s theory on subconscious, Surrealism oil painting advocates expressing people’s subconscious and dream. Its representative artists are Spanish painter Dali and Milo. |
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9, Technique to hang an Oil paintingCompared with other types, oil painting has its limitation on displaying. Firstly, it is easy to reflect light. Secondly, the impasto technique strengthening the texture can cause bumps, so it is easy to catch dust. In order to get better visual effect and better protect the oil painting, painting should be hung with a certain inclination towards front. When facing light, the oil painting does not have a good visual effect, so side light should be placed above the painting, keeping it in accordance with the light during painting process. If the light during painting process is on the left, then the light should be accordant with it when the oil painting is hung on the wall. |
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10, Oil Paintings for SaleMost painting suppliers use cheap even bad materials for painting business in order to chase cut-throat competition and catch profit. But Toperfect Art is distinctive. For paintings in high quality and Museum-Collection by Famous Artists, we use high quality painting materials including FREE linen canvas made of flax and cotton, certified oil paints, which is guarantee to get elegant artistic results and hundred years to collect carefully. To buy oil painting reproductions, please check Toperfect Catalogue. And you're welcome to order portrait and custom painting from photos. |
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