Oil Painting
Mediums are used to adapt the consistency, drying time and finish of your painting. You can achieve a variety of different sheens and either extend or shorten the drying time of the paint, depending on which you use. You can mix them directly with the paint on your palette, or dip your brush into them as you would with water.
OIL PAINTING TECHNIQUES
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Blocking color. Block in color with diluted brush strokes by following the outlines of an object. This allows you to define the edges of the object without using the thicker paint. The key is to outline the edges of the object with the same colors that will be used inside of it.
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Instant background. You can use a painted background as the base of the painting. Use diluted paint applied in small strokes. Sketch or draw over this base color for an instant background.
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Transparency. When showing the transparency of an object in the painting, apply opaque colors over the top of transparent colors.
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Using layers. Oil painting allows the artist to completely paint over and completely cover other paint layers as long as they are dry. If you plan on using multiple layers, start out with thinner layers of paint in lighter colors. Slowly make your way toward thicker layers and darker colors.
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Intensify colors. Dilute the paint to various stages to create a contrast that will intensify the colors. Different densities of the same color can be used to better define the form. When using this technique, leave the background color for last. The diluted surface of the background contrasts with the denser surface of the object.
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Contrasting colors. Contrast the colors in your piece to create a three-dimensional feeling.
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White paint. In monochromatic subjects, you can add volume and relief by emphasizing the white tones. To do this, apply white paint thickly over the base color. Do not over brush the white paint into the object. The brush marks and shades should be easy to see.
