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Oil Painting Methods
Methods of Applying Paint:
- Underpainting - for a tonal composition in one color or one in grays; painting the canvas the darkest tone - not usually any lighter than raw sienna; underpaintings must be thoroughly dry before glazing with other colors.
- Overpainting - any paint applied over a base coat, whether alla prima or a glaze, scumble or combination.
- Glazing - thin, transparent film of color through which the underpainting shows; cannot mix with white (opaque); any strong color which keeps its intensity when diluted with lots of medium (with turpentine and oil) can be used; glaze small sections with a good sized soft brush; underpainting must be dry; don't glaze w/ cerulean, Naples yellow, Mars violet, or Indian red; darkens the undercoat.
- Scumbling - used over a dry underpainting; can darken or lighten the undercoat; use opaque paint, meaning the mixture contains white; apply lighter, brighter, dry consistency (no medium) of paint by rubbing a small amount of paint over the surface, using an old, stubby brush with short, soft bristles; gives a dusty or hazy look; can be used to lighten tones in background.
- Dragging - dry consistency of paint is used like in scumbling; use a good brush dipped into dry paint, lay it lightly on the dry underpainting and drag brush delicately across.
- Alla-prima - Italian "at once" - the direct approach - applications of opaque mixtures of colors in shapes, consistency is thick to absolutely cover the area over which they are applied; sometimes called "wet-into-wet;" there is no underpainting or overpainting; all painting fundamentals are combined in one coat of paint.
- Impasto - Italian - thick, dramatic brushwork, creating texture using buttery, pasty paint directly from the tube; saved until final steps of painting; be selective when adding impasto texture, use short, stiff-bristle bright and paint directly from the tube with no medium.
- Color mixing on the canvas - magical quality of oils is slow drying time, after blocking in of colors, use a smaller filbert and stroke by stroke add color to the wet surface; leave gaps between strokes to let underlying color show through; colors blend physically and optically.
- Expressive brushwork:
-Be selective about detail - have strokes follow the direction of the form; use as few strokes as necessary to make the subject look convincing.
-Put thick paint against thin.
-Use brushwork to create texture - use thick pasty paint (no medium).
-Use brushwork to create atmosphere - dilute paint with lots of medium.
Other Terms:
- Chiaroscuro - technique of using light and shade in pictorial representation
- Plein air - technique of painting on site
- Toning the canvas - done before painting - with either acrylic thinned with water or oil paint thinned with turpentine.
Drawing Lessons•
Pastel Notes•
Watercolor Lessons•
Watercolor Terms
Color and Landscape Painting•
Five Tone Values•
Basic Color
Oil Painting Lessons•
Oil Painting Tips•
Oil Painting Methods
© Copyright 2000-2007 Carol Santora
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