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Oil paint has a long tradition in art history.
Acrylic and oil are two of the most well-known types of paints used by contemporary artists.
Butwhat is the difference between acrylic vs oil paints?
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It all comes down to how they are constructed.
Acrylics can be thinned with water, but oil paints require more care.
To thin the pigment or clean your brushes, youll have to use turpentine or mineral spirits.
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Dont let the extra work of maintaining oil paints turn you off to them.
Excited to learn how to oil paint?
Check out the basic supplies and essential oil painting techniques that you gotta know.
‘Self-Portrait with Two Circles' (c. 1665-1669) (Photo:Terry Long.wordpress.comviaWikimedia CommonsPublic Domain {PD-1923})
Chances are that you have some of them if you have painted with acrylic or watercolors before.
Aset of oil paints Youll want at least a basic set of hues to get you started.
Aset of brushes Look for many types of brushes that are geared towards oil paints.
Youll want different sizes as well as different shapes.
Depending on what youre painting, youll want to switch the pop in of brush youre using.
Paint palette The stereotypical palette is a curved wooden board with a hole for your thumb.
While that is certainly an iconic object, there are much more comfortable options available.
Though plastic palettes are the norm;this one is portable, too, for painting on the go.
Palette knife The best practice for mixing colors is with a palette knife.
you could also use a palette knife to apply textural paint, like artistAnastasia Ablogina.
Canvas If properly primed, you’re free to use paint with oil on a variety of surfaces.
Canvas, however, is the go-to for many artists and what wed recommend if youre just starting out.
We recommend Turpenoid because its odorless, but ensure youre still working in a studio with good ventilation.
Here are some of the essential oil painting techniques that everyone should know.
Glazing
Glazinginvolves painting a thin layer of transparent or semi-transparent paint onto a surface.
To thin oil paint, youll need to use turpentine (or something similar).
Alternatively, you’re free to use linseed oil.
This will add glossiness to your pigment, unlike turpentine, which can make your color dull.
It serves as a guide for the rest of your picture and establishes where values and tones will go.
With an underpainting, you will start by thinning your paint.
In asunset painting, for instance, youll block out the areas where the trees and hills are.
Those will be darker than the sky.
Wet on Wet
There is a lot of waiting time in painting.
But with thewet-on-wettechnique, you’re exercising the opposite.
Impressionists likeClaude Monetand post-Impressionists such asVincent van Goghused this approach.
In working wet-on-wet, it gives you the opportunity to work quickly and mix your layers on canvas.
Impasto
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Think back to all the times youve admiredVan Goghs paintings.
Did you notice how every stroke was visible and the paint stood out from the surface?
This is calledimpasto, and its something it’s possible for you to replicate.
Using a brush and an excess amount of paint, apply the material in thick layers.
Mixing colors on canvas (as opposed to your palette) is also encouraged.
It was popular during the earlyRenaissancebecause it mimicked the look of sculpture but was less expensive.
Today, the monochromatic technique recalls black and white photography as opposed to sculpture.
Blocking In
Similar to underpainting,blocking inis something you do when beginning a painting.
Its often associated with oil painting because it originated during the Renaissance.
Caravaggio andRembrandtare the artists perhaps best known for using this technique.
The result gives their subjects a three-dimensional feel.
Most figurative oil paintings will use this principle.
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What Is the Difference Between Acrylic vs Oil Paint?
