How do you mix oil and oil paint
Jen O.
have my canvas prepped and a sketch that has been sealed so I can
paint over it.
Now my question. I am ready to mix the oil with the oil paint and I
was just wondering how you do that.
Do you dip the brush in the oil and the to the palet and mix that way?
That seems like the only way, but I feel stupid asking how you do it.
Thanks so much. Any help is appreciated.
Paul Mesken
>Do you dip the brush in the oil and the to the palet and mix that way?
> That seems like the only way, but I feel stupid asking how you do it.
That's one way of doing it and I suspect most do it that way.
Another way is to use a straight painting knife (a palette knife is
also okay). This has a couple of advantages : it's clearer how much
oil (or other medium) is added and all of the medium goes into the
paint and doesn't stay behind in the brush. Also : mixing any big
quantity with the brush gets the brush filled up with paint up to the
ferrule where it's hard to get it out. It might harden there and get
the brush out of shape. And, of course, a painting or palette knife is
far easier to clean, all it takes is a quick wipe with the rag :-)
david
you can deliver the exact amount of clean medium in the right spot.
then use a knife to mix the medium with the paint.
the squirty bottles are great for mixing tiny bits of paint. as you can
drop just a drop.
King Rundzap
Good advice from Paul, there. Also, don't assume that you always need
to add oil to your paint (since you mentioned "mix the oil with the
oil paint", I'm assuming you have bought a number of tubes of oil
paint, and you're not talking about making your own from pigment
(which would look like dry powder)).
Here are some other ideas:
* You can paint using only what comes out of your tube--you do not
need to add anything to it. It may be best to start this way for your
first couple paintings, then begin experimenting with mediums once you
get used to the way the paint and brushes feel.
* You can also use turpentine, or a turpentine substitute (such as
Turpenoid) as a (thinning) medium instead of just using paint right
out of the tube or adding oil.
* Note that there are many different kinds of oils available as
mediums. The different kinds will affect your paint differently, some
having a tendency to yellow more than others, and some offer
properties such as "quick drying".
* There are various "exotic" mediums available, such as Gamblin's
"Galkyd" mediums and Winsor & Newton's "Oleopasto". You can even use
wax as a medium.
* There are specialized "undercoats" available, such as Bob Ross'
"liquid mediums" (liquid white, liquid opal, liquid clear, and liquid
black) which among other properties, are designed for alla prima
painting (where you begin and complete the painting in one session) to
make it easier to use paint straight from the tube without worrying
about adding medium to it constantly.
Spend some time reading about various mediums on art supply websites,
such as www.dickblick.com (the mediums can be found at
http://www.dickblick.com/categories/oilmediums/) or www.MisterArt.com
(just search for "oil mediums", or click here:
http://www.misterart.com/search/index.cfm?searchstring=oil+mediums&store=ALL).
It's also a good idea to go to a well-stocked art supply store in
your area (in New York City, Pearl is one of the best ones for this)
and spend some time in the mediums aisle, reading labels (although of
course beware in both of these activities that you're not reading
independent assessments of the materials, but it will give you an idea
of the different materials available and what they might do).
Also be aware of the "fat over lean" rule, as not following it is
thought to be one of the primary causes of cracking. Here's a bit
more information about it:
http://www.vermilliongallery.com/resources/media/paint/oil4.htm There
may be better websites about it, but I found that one in a couple
minutes, and it seemed to explain the concept pretty simply.
--King Rundzap