Wash refers to a very thin layer of paint used generally just to stain the canvas with general tones. For oil painting, you would thin the paint using a solvent and for acrylic painting, you could simply use water. A wash will dry fast and is painted over, with some of the paint often being exposed … Read more
Oiling out is a technique used in oil painting when the oil sinks into the lower layers of a painting, leaving the top layers lacking vitality. Oil may sink into the lower layers for a number of reasons: The lower layers may be too absorbent Too much solvent has been used Not enough solvent has been … Read more
Imprimatura is an initial stain of color on the canvas in oil painting. This is different from a colored ground in that the stain is generally translucent in imprimatura. Imprimatura is commonly used when painting alla prima (or wet on wet) and was practiced by many of the great masters such as John Singer Sargent. … Read more
What does painting with a limited palette mean? Well essentially, it means limiting the number of colors you use in the painting to the bare essentials. Painting with a limited palette is touted by many of the great masters, including John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn and Claude Monet. Some of the reasons a limited palette may … Read more
Drying oils are oils that dry to a solid and elastic film when exposed for certain periods of time to air. This chemical process is known as oxidization. Drying oils are used in oil painting to bind the pigment. Drying oils include linseed oil, tung oil, poppy seed oil and walnut oil. Non-drying oils include almond … Read more
Impasto brushwork refers to paint applied in a thick and bold fashion with clearly visible strokes. Benefits Here are some of the benefits of impasto brushwork: The increased texture can enhance the illusion of a three-dimensional representation. You can also create some interesting effects by building up paint in an impasto fashion, such as: Examples Impasto brushwork … Read more
Tooth in art refers to the grain of canvas or paper. In general, the more tooth, the more rough the texture is. Tooth is what allows paint, pastel or whatever to bind to the surface. Tooth and texture are not necessarily interchangeable. Texture is the feel, appearance or consistency of a surface or a substance. … Read more
Gesso is what is commonly used to prime your canvas. By prime, I mean getting it ready to paint on. The purpose of gesso is to stop paint from sinking into the canvas weave (which would quickly deteriorate the canvas) and provide a responsive surface to paint on. Most canvases you buy from the art store are … Read more
Scumbling in art refers to a painting technique that involves applying a thin layer of paint with a dry brush and a loose hand over an existing layer. The idea is to allow parts of the already existing paint below to remain exposed. In most cases, scumbling is used over dried paint, but you can … Read more
Fat over lean refers to a ‘rule’ in oil painting where each layer of paint should be fatter (have more oil) than the earlier layer. This is to avoid the paint cracking as it dries. The reasoning behind this rule is based on the different drying times of oil paints and mediums. The fatter the … Read more
Color theory is a body of principles that provide guidance on the relationship between colors and the physiological impacts of certain color combinations. Color theory is one of the most fundamental areas of painting. The importance of understanding color theory far exceeds simply knowing how to mix colors together (for example, knowing that yellow and blue … Read more
I am sure most of you are aware of what a palette knife is, but for those of you who are not, it is basically a tool used in acrylic and oil painting for mixing paints and applying paint in a thick, impasto manner onto the canvas. What I wanted to discuss here was using … Read more