Renaissance and Baroque paintings have a smooth surface without any visible trace of work. It’s not until Rembrandt that brushstrokes were manifested. Oils are dense and retain the marks left by brushes and tools, thus allowing an artist to create textures and opening a new world of modern art. There are several ways of creating textures, here are few

1. Pressing and twisting spoon, fork, slotted spoons, saw blade, comb, bubble wrap, knife, or even a credit card onto a wet painting creates exciting textures.
2. Stencil or crumpled aluminum foil can be used to create an impression.
3. Using a sponge to apply paint creates a subtle effect.
4. Thick impasto can be made by applying paint directly from the tube.
5. Cling wrap can be placed on wet paint until it leaves a mark and can be removed before drying completely.
6. Lifting colors using rag leaves a rugged look.
7. Things like paper, sand, a piece of wood or pebble can be glued onto the painting surface. The wet paint itself serves as an adhesive.
8. Substances like glass bead, powdered marble, powdered gypsum, saw dust, texture gels, sand, plaster or PVA can be added to paint.
9. Masking tape can be used to protect a defined painting surface while the rest is textured. It can be removed later to give a contrast in the surface.
10. Splattering turpentine or mineral spirit on the wet paint gives an antique look.

Oil paint is versatile and the techniques are overwhelming. It’s important to learn and explore different painting techniques to achieve the desired effects. The forgiving nature of this painting medium allows us to rectify the mistakes easily. In this article let’s go through some of the basic techniques and few tricks of the trade that are used to get most out of this medium.

Wash

Wash is applying a thin transparent layer of paint on a white canvas. This technique is often used at the beginning of a painting by thinning down a color using turpentine or mineral spirit to paint a background. When the wash is uniform its called as a flat wash and when there is a gradual change in value it is called as a graded wash. Adding more turpentine to the paint, the color loses consistency, glossy nature and opacity, and becomes transparent similar to watercolor. The color dries much faster and can be painted over without muddying.

Direct Application

Paint can be mixed with a small amount of medium and applied directly with a brush on to the canvas.

Blending

When one color or value is merged into another to eliminate sharp boundary its called as blending.

Roughing-Out

Roughing-Out is nothing but painting the entire surface of the canvas with approximate colors using large strokes to make out only the most significant masses of color, details are reserved for later. The dominant color chosen determines the color range of the rest of the painting.   Paint must be thin down with turpentine or mineral spirit in order to do so.

Broken Color

Broken color means a color is applied as strokes of varied hues placed side to side and is not blended. The paint must be thick so it does not run and allows the brush mark to be seen.

Pointillism

Pointillism is the technique of placing points of pure colors side by side without overlapping to create the effects of optical mixing.

Colored Grounds

Rather than painting on a pure white surface, artists often times prefer to cover the ground with a subtle hue of any color diluted with turpentine. It will be closer to the average tone of the final picture and acts as a background. Covering with mid-tones makes it easy to get lights and darks later. Allowing the ground color to show through helps to unify the picture.

Underpainting

Underpainting is a technique of establishing the main dark and light areas with fairly neutral color diluted with turpentine or mineral spirit.  Often times thin glazes are painted over the underpainting once its dry.

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is a technique in which the relationship between the background and the subject is accentuated by establishing a strong contrast between illuminated volumes and shaded areas. The transition from light to shadow is fast with no mid tones. The background is very dark or black.

Wet into Wet

It’s a technique of applying wet paint into a previously painted color while still wet. This method allows colors to merge into one another resulting in softer boundaries. It is necessary to develop the skill not to rework too much that destroys the brushwork which may result in muddy painting.

Alla Prima

Alla prima is a wet on wet technique where the entire painting is done in one session. There is no initial underpainting done. Starting and finishing a painting in a single session captures the spontaneity and requires a good knowledge of color and painting technique.

Fat Over Lean

“Fat  over lean”, is a golden rule in oil painting. Paint from a tube and those mixed  with extra oil are considered as “Fat”. Paint that is thinned with turpentine or mineral spirit  is considered as lean. Painting fat over lean allows the bottom layer to dry faster than those at the top. Reversing will result in cracked painting.

Wet on dry

Allowing each layer to dry before adding the next is called as wet on dry. In this method, artist begins with an underpainting and finishes with glazing or scumbling. This technique is not meant for quick impressionist approach but suitable for more complex compositions. The usual method of working is from dark to light and  keeping the layers thin in the beginning and reserving thicker highlights until last.

Glazing

Glazing is applying a thin layer of paint over a dry layer that is either thick or thin to alter its value and or color. The medium used for glazing is usually a mixture of oil that is non-yellowing and turpentine. There is medium especially sold for glazing, as this technique requires just the right amount of oil and pigment.

Scrubbing

Applying an uneven layer of paint without any medium over a dry, thin underpainting in order to create a veil-like impression is called scumbling. The effects vary depending on the thickness of the paint, texture of canvas and the tools used like brush, rag, sponge, finger or a palette knife.

Oiling Out

A thin layer of oil is applied to previously dried layer in order to add more color or make corrections. This is called Oiling out and is useful when working on multiple painting sessions.

Dry Brush and Frottage

In this method, hard bristle brush is used to apply color lightly over a dry textured layer so that the underlying colors show through. The brush strokes are not repeated rather dragged in different directions to produce interesting effects.

Sgraffito

Sgraffito technique involves scratching or scoring a freshly painted thick layer of paint  with any rigid tool including a knife, fork, comb or the handle of a paintbrush to reveal a layer of dry color underneath. This is a useful method to depict hair, wavelets on the sea, veins on leaves, crease in a skin, the pattern of doily etc.

Imprinting

Pressing a layer of wet paint with materials including spoons, fork, slotted spoon, saw blades leaves mark on the surface creating exciting textures.

Sponging

A sponge can be used to produce mottled texture in a painting.

Spattering

Diluted paint can be sprayed to create special effects.

Tonking

A paper towel or a sheet of absorbent paper can be placed over a heavily painted area and gently rubbed with palm to remove excess paint. This method is called as tonking and is useful when the paint is too thick in the early stage of painting. Helps in eliminate details while leaving the main structures.

Pentimento

Pentimento is nothing but letting traces of previous work show through after making alterations. Knife or brush can be used to scrap when the paint is still wet and can be painted over.

Impasto

Applying a thick paint with knife or brush to retain the marks is called as impasto. This is an expressive technique and can produce attractive effects when thin dark glazes are laid over a light-colored impasto. The picture surface acquires three-dimensional quality and creates textures similar to relief sculptures. There is special medium available for impasto work, which helps in bulking out the paint, prevents cracking, retains marks and speeds up drying time.

Knife Painting

Using a knife to paint gives a different effect than those of brushes. Painting knives are different from that of palette knives and are made of a variety of size and shapes.

Finger Painting

Fingers can be used for applying and smoothing paint. Thick paint can be smeared off to get the desired effect.   No brush or knife could substitute the subtle effect and smooth gradation obtained by using fingers.

Brushes are delicate and must be taken proper care to protect the fiber from drying out or deteriorating. Letting paints dry on the brushes after painting session will permanently ruin them. Often times it’s important to clean then between values and different colors.

Cleaning procedure varies depending on the medium used for painting.

For water-based medium (including water-mixable oil),

1. Excess paint can be removed by wiping the bristles with a rag or paper towel until most of the paint has been removed.
2. The brush is placed in water and turned around to dissolve any remaining paint. Never leave brush to soak in water that covers the ferrule and the wood for a long time.   
3. Use liquid soap, such as dishwashing soap wash the bristles thoroughly. Repeat until all the remains of paint and soap have been removed.
4. Make sure that all traces of soap have been rinsed thoroughly with water.
5. Model, the tip to reshape the fiber.
6. Store the brushes in a jar or container with the hair upwards, making sure they are not touching anything.

Cleaning procedure for the oil-based medium is almost same except that water used in step two is replaced with turpentine or OMG(odorless mineral spirit). Baby oil could also be a safer option.    

Good brushes are expensive, taking good care will save them from ruining and will eventually save a lot of money in the longer run.

Other than the paint, art support and brushes we will need a selection of other materials to start a painting.

Easel

Easels are designed to hold the canvas in place while painting. They have a system for adjusting the height and accommodate paintings of various size. The most important criterion is its rigidity, so the canvas will not move as we paint. There are lightweight and portable easels designed for outdoor painting, studio easels which are heavy and very stable are intended for larger paintings, tabletop easels are ideal for small works and display.

Palette

Any smooth, non-absorbent surface on which the paint can be laid, mixed and worked before applying to the canvas acts as a palette. They are generally made of wood or plastic. Tear-off paper palettes eliminate the necessity of cleaning and maintaining. They are available in various size and shapes to suit different requirements.

Palette cups

Small containers that can hold mediums and solvent would be a handy tool to hold liquids ready at hand.

Pencils and Eraser, a jar for holding brushes, Masking tape and crafting knives, Rags and absorbent paper, scissors, newspaper, and sponges are other accessories that we may have to keep ready.

Brushes

 Brushes are like a wand in the hands of an artist, that creates the magic on the canvas. It is important to know the type of the brushes and the quality of the fiber to know what different effects and brush strokes it can produce. Often times the reason for dissatisfaction in one’s work can be due to the wrong selection of brushes.

Any brush will have three parts, the fibers( that we paint with), the ferrule( the metal part that grips the fiber tightly to the handle) and the handle. The quality of each part determines the overall quality of a brush. They come in different size and shapes. The type of medium used determines the choice of brush. Oil painting brushes are long handled and watercolor brushes are short handled. In oil-based media, paint can be applied in thick layers or can be highly diluted to work in a similar way as in watercolor painting, which in turn demands a wide variety of brushes.

The fiber can be natural or synthetic hair. The better the quality of the fiber, the more paint it can hold. Natural fibers retain more paint than synthetic fibers.

Hog Bristle

Hog bristles are natural fibers, which is hard and flexible but lacks a  pointed tip. They are expensive. They are used to cover a large area and for underpainting.

Sable

Sable brushes are very soft natural fibers that produce a perfect tip and are excellent for delicate and detailed work. They can hold a large amount of paint and can be used to paint long, soft, continuous brush strokes. They are the most expensive brushes. Sable brushes are better suited to watercolor and acrylics. Oils, which are a thick and viscous medium can be too harsh for the bristles and ruin them, so they have to be taken extra care.

Ox Hair

An inexpensive alternative to sable brushes and does not form a good tip. They are least preferred by the artist.

Synthetic Hair

Synthetic hair brushes are the best alternative to sable brushes. Large synthetic brushes can be used for blending and finishing area covered by bristle brush. Smaller brushes can be used for detailed work.  

Brushes can be classified depending on the shape of the bristles:

• flat tip: flat with a square end 
• filbert: flat with almond-shaped fiber
• bright: flat with shorter bristles than a flat brush
• round: round with a pointed tip
• bell-shaped: falls between round and flat, forms a continuous curve from the tip to the ferrule 
• fan brushes: flat and shaped like a fan
• angular: flat with an angular end

They are available in wide range of size and the numbering system is international.

To create a versatile painting it is important to choose brushes with different hair, shape, and size.

Knives

Knives are used to mix paint on the palette and to transfer the paint from a palette to the canvas. They can be used to create an interesting variation to the painting surface. It’s possible to make a smooth surface or a thick texture with a palette knife. The rough textured effect that produced with a knife may not be achieved with the brushes. They are available in different size and shapes.

Art Support

Art support is any surface that can be painted on. There are a wide variety of surface to choose from paper, panels, boards, wood, canvas, glass, ceramic, plastic and what not!

Of all the medium available my favorites are oil and water-mixable oil. The requirement in oil painting is that the surface does not have a higher fat content than the paint itself. Canvas panel, boards, masonite, seasoned wood, properly primed paper can also be used, however, the canvas is the most commonly used surface due to its lightness, stability, and elasticity.

The quality of canvas depends on the fiber content, weaves, weight, and density. The fiber can be natural,(such as linen, cotton, hemp, jute, sackcloth) synthetic ( such as nylon, and polyester) or a combination of both. Linen is the best among them for its high quality, stability and great resistance to climatic variation. Cotton is the second best and highly elastic.

The weave makes the variation in the texture of the canvas. The fine weave is an ideal surface for portrait painting or for subjects that require a delicate finish. Medium weave provides a good surface for landscapes, still life, or abstract paintings. Coarse weave canvas offers great dimensional stability and the surface itself adds an interesting element to a painting.

Depending on the weight and thickness of the canvas, artists choose them for a different use. Lightweight is the ideal choice for fine detailed painting. Medium weight is the most common as it suits almost all kind of work. Heavyweight is extremely strong and durable, thus used for firm brushwork and palette knife painting.

Priming

All surface need to be protected from direct contact with paint to prevent the oil from spoiling them, hence a solid neutral layer of substances like oil gesso, acrylic gesso or a compound containing rabbit skin glue is applied to a painting surface in order to prevent it from absorbing the paint. Unprimed surface will absorb oil from the paint, thus reduces the brightness of the colors and the consistency of the paint.

Each primer has different property and produces a different finish. A major difference can be drawn between oil primed and acrylic primed. While oil primed is specially made for oil painting, acrylic primed can be used for both oil and acrylic painting. Remember the rule, “Fat over lean”. Oil primed canvas is expensive than acrylic primed one.

Hope that the information provided here will be helpful to choose the right canvas for the kind of work you intend to paint.