Notes on oil painting materials & techniques by Ioanna

As I’ve mentioned before, my Fine Arts University didn’t teach such techniques, but I have to admit that this kind of contemporary education really gave me a lot. Because it has given me a comprehensive insight into the essence, idea and reasoning of contemporary and conceptual art. This gave me the opportunity to experiment with it, study it, and find my own style and approach through this antithesis.

Since I was not formally educated in the traditional techniques of oil painting, and I don’t strictly follow a traditional method, what I am about to share with you, are the notes I have collected, from my recent art teachers, that you might find helpful. I know I do, and try to revise them often myself.

Firstly, let’s remember that traditional realistic art, stresses the importance on having good foundations. One IMPORTANT aspect of it, is the design, the final drawing.

Good Foundations could be also understood with the material sence also- the oil painting materials. Both Drawing and oil medium, are equally important and combined together, give an excellent result. Let me explain a bit, why the application of oil paint is so important.

I find it always useful and exciting to learn about the origins of a technique, even more so, with oil painting which created such marvellous, astonishing artwork, which many of them, endured in time.

I like to understand the meaning behind the techniques, the qualities of the materials, in order to apply the rules in more efficient manner and also, use them accordingly to what I want to do.

Something Important to note here, is what is believed as a rule the renaissance masters had: “ Thick over thin, Wet over dry’. Since it is considered so basic for the endurance of an oil painting through time, let’s analyse a bit the logic behind it.

Wet Over Dry: What does a layer of paint mean? A layer is created when we fill the surface of the canvas with paint or paint combined with any other material. When it dries, this is considered as a layer. Each layer has to be applied after the previous one has dried completely, according to this rule.

Thin Over Thick: Thin Over Thick means that each layer has to be a little thicker than the previous one. The surface of the canvas will undergo many many layers of oil color and oil mediums until the final varnish. All these layers of substances, have to bind well together. If they don’t, many problems could arise analogous to the mistakes we make. For example, if a layer of paint is thinner than the previous one, then there is a possibility that this (thinner) layer, in time, will crack.

The 7 Layers were invented by the Flemish, who experimented and seem to have discovered oil painting itself, earlier than the Europeans. The European Renaissance though, invented and contributed the “Grizzale”, which was similar to the 4th step of the 7 layers known as ” Dead Colours”.

1 *Imprimatura : Imprimatura is the first layer of paint, which is the thinnest and more deluded of all. It was constricted only in two colours, prussian blue and burnt Umber, where the white and bright tones remained unpainted.

2 First Umber Underlay

3 Second Umber Underpainting

4 Dead Colours / Grizale

5 First Colour Layer

6 Second Colour Layer

7 Brightest Layer

*For the (1) First Layer ( Imprimatura) the instructions I got from my past teacher:

3 options: 80 % Turpentine- 20 % Dammar

90 % Turpentine- 10 % Dammar

98 % Turpentine- 2 % Dammar

Some Rules About the Oil painting Process:

1) When the artwork reaches a processing point up to 40-50% to completion, whatever application of colour ( chroma) and tone (lights & shadows) has to be applied with accuracy. Otherwise, the balances of the artwork would be disturbed and then correction upon correction would end up in undermining the artwork’s quality. The hues ( diferations of colours) shouldn’t be applied quickly or carelessly. Rather, we have to take our time to think and decide which colour and hue we want to use each time.

2) When we are painting, we have to decipher the tones. This means how bright or dark something is, and these should be compared with the adjacent tones, in order to have a correct variation of tones. If we fail to do that, and we paint in a rascally way, at this point, the artwork will be out of balance, it won’t progress smoothly, and it will take a very long time to finish. All layers have to be applied correctly, in order to apply this technique successfully. This way, the artwork will progress smoothly, and it will not demand many corrections. If we fail to do that, layer upon layer of colour will accumulate, undermining the aesthetic value of the painting.

Below, I will share with you an oil painting Formula I still use, adding inside different alterations, but still keeping the main body of the medium as it is.

Note: This medium has resins and other elements inside that purposefully give a glossy sence. Other recipes or ready made mediums, are semi-glossy, or matt. So look up for the ingredients and the labels on the product according to your own aesthetic.

This is a Formula I use, for oil painting. After I overcome the first 2-3 layers, I add this formula with caution , following the rules: Thick over thin and wet over dry.

(the percentages are approximately)

1) Dammar varnish 65-70%

2) Stand oil 25%

3)Copal 10-5%

*Masters during the Renaissance period used to add lavender in their oils, in order to reduce the intense smell. It is believed that lavender didn’t create any unwanted chemical reactions.

*Painting is like chemistry. Different chemical substances have a corresponding response to each material. It is advised to use a canvas made from similar materials with the oil medium we use. (e.g add materials that derive from linen, like linseed and standoil on a linen canvas).

If we use too much of a resin, be it the final varnish, or other kind, would end up making the surface of the canvas less flexible and easier to crack.

So, it would be wise to find a painting medium formula, that gives the aesthetic value to the colours we like(* bright, darker or even having a 3dimensional effect), as well as other qualities, like, the ability to dry relatively quickly, and also adding in a material that binds all the materials together providing this way stability and flexibility to the painting surface.

Some artists use one ingredient as an oil painting medium, or buy a ready-made oil medium from an art store.

*It is recommended to use the same formula of oil medium in a painting, and don’t combine different oil painting mediums in the same painting, that have different drying rates.

Different oils or resins, have different qualities. For example:

Some Oils

Linseed oil: thin and yellow oil, over time gives a very yellowish tone that distorts the colors. Has binding qualities.

Standoil: it is a linseed oil that went through a process- suncooked or boiled . Adds flexibility and binds materials together, dries faster and doesn’t distort the colours so much as linseed oil.

walnut oil: this oil is thin and smooth. Though darker in appearance, doesn’t distort the color with a yellowish tone as much as linseed oil.

Poppy oil: is very thin, dries very slowly and gives great bright tones, doesn’t add a yellowish tone to the colours at all, and even brightens them. Suitable for bright tones.

Some Resins

Resins are different ingredients from oils. Their purpose is different. They are all considered varnishes, but not all of them are recommended for varnishing an oil painting. All resins should be used with caution, in small quantities during the painting process, or inside an oil painting medium(formula). Due to their hard and unflexible nature, could result to unwanted cracks. All the resins below provide a glossy result.

Copal: a tree resin, used on wooden surfaces also, as a varnish. Hard, and thick substance, results in a sense of depth.

Amber: also a type of tree resin, stronger than copal. Older than common resins. A tree resin that went through saturation from nature for thousands of years or even more. The older an amber it is, the higher the quality. The best ones, are considered those that have been swollen and digested by wales-usually found in the seashore. Gives a sense of depth. Should be applied in small quantities and with caution, in small areas of the painting. Being a whimsical material, it is usually recommended to be used alone, with no other ingredients, on a dried layer . Because it dries very slowly, some artists recommend adding in 1-2 drops of a siccatif- (drying substance).

Dammar: Most common resin, that is also widely used for the final or intermedium varnishes of the oil painting as a whole. Intermedium varnish stage, means , varnishing a painting before it is finished, in order to rebalance the colors and create a new smooth and solid surface for the final details. The intermedia varnish, has to be thinner than the final one, but thicker from the overall material already on the canvas.

* I usually add some poppy oil drops in my medium (the formula I mentioned above), whenever I paint the brighter tones. But, if I use the poppy oil on my dark tones, it affects their tone, and makes them significantly lighter, so I avoid using poppy oil on dark tones.

* Amber, as well as copal were used by native americans for healing and also during spiritual ceremonies.

That’s all for now, let me know your feedback, if you found my notes helpful or if you need some more explanation or analysis on some of the subjects I’ve touched upon!

Be Strong, Be Creative, Don’t Lose Faith and Keep Going!

Thank you !