Another time-tested method of the Old Masters involved using glazes over opaque colors. The under-glow of light coming through transparent glazes allowed for the creation of many special effects. Rembrandt, for example, was able to create remarkable three-dimensionality in his paintings through the use of glazing. His glazes, which he applied then wiped off while they were still wet, are clearly evident in the nooks and crannies of his paintings

Glazing, to put it simply, is the application of a transparent layer of paint over an opaque layer of paint which has been allowed to dry thoroughly. It can be compared to laying a sheet of colored acetate, or gel, over a photograph. However, while it sounds easy enough, glazing can be challenging at times.

First, you have to dilute the paint used for glazing with just the right amount of oil, or medium. Then, you have to figure out exactly how thin the glaze should be. Applying an overly thick layer could change the color or shade to an unwanted degree, forcing you to wipe it off. Too much paint added to the medium will also lessen the transparency of the glaze, depending on your color choices.

The secret to glazing, I personally discovered the hard way, is patience. You need to build your colors and tones slowly. In fact, with glazing, there really is no other way to do it. The paint must be kept extremely thin, even though you may think it is so thin that it is not doing anything. The first or second layer, or maybe even the third, may appear that way, but the key is to keep building the layers until you start to see a difference.

Like I said, I learned the hard way. I wanted to see immediate results, which caused me to constantly lay my glazes on too thick, or add too much paint to the medium. It wasn’t until I forced myself to be patient that I began to get the results that I was looking for. That required using extremely thin and seemingly ineffective glazes, often as many as ten or twenty. But, in the end, I got it right. And so will you.

If you would like to learn more, please visit me at http://www.oilandpigment.blogspot.com for a look at my own paintings and works in progress.

Oil paint straight out of the tube is considered ‘fat’. Adding more oil, such as linseed oil, will make it even ‘fatter’, further increasing the drying time. Even when it feels dry to the touch, it may still be drying under the surface.

‘Lean’ paint, on the other hand, is oil paint mixed with turpentine or some other fast-drying medium. ‘Lean’ oil paint dries faster than ‘fat’ oil paint.

The key thing to remember, in order to avoid cracking, is that every layer in an oil painting must be ‘fatter’ than the one beneath it. That is because if ‘lean’ oil paint is painted over ‘fat’ oil paint, the ‘lean’ layer could be subject to cracking as the ‘fat’ layer dries and contracts underneath it. Also, lower layers tend to absorb oil from the layers above them, especially when ‘fat over lean’ is not followed.

Another thing to consider is the quality of the oil paints you are using. Cheaper oil paints often have drying agents added, making the drying times more consistent.

Conversely, quality oil paints generally consist of oil and pigment only, leading to varying drying times. For example, Prussian blue, titanium white, and flake white all have a lower oil content and dry more quickly. However, cadmium yellow and cadmium red, both of which have a medium oil content, usually take about five days to dry.

According to some oil paint manufacturers, it is possible to circumvent the ‘fat over lean’ principle by using synthetic, alkyd-based mediums like Galkyd and Liquin. However, while these products do provide consistent drying times, increase the paint film flexibility, and promote adhesion between paint layers, their long-term stability is not known at this time.

If you would like to learn more, please visit me at http://www.oilandpigment.blogspot.com where I discuss my own paintings and works in progress.

In March of 1886 the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh moved to Paris to study in the studio of Fernand Cormon. Cormon, a former pupil of the famed French academic painter Alexandre Cabanel, was one of the leading history painters of the time. While there, van Gogh lived with his brother Theo, his most ardent supporter.

Less is known about van Gogh’s time in Paris than other periods of his life, since he and his brother had no need to correspond during this time. However, it is known that van Gogh frequented the circle of the Australian impressionist painter John Peter Russell while working in Cormon’s studio. He and fellow students, including Emile Bernard and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, used to meet at Julien “Pere” Tanguy’s paint store, where they were able to view the works of Paul Cezanne.

In addition to Cezanne, the works of many other Impressionist painters were readily available for viewing in Paris at this time. An exhibition of the Artistes Independants was held in 1886, along with the eighth and final exhibition of the Impressionists. These exhibitions marked the debut of Neo-Impressionism, with works by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac on display.

Theo himself kept a selection of Impressionist paintings in his gallery on Boulevard Montmartre, including works by Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro, which may have been a source of consternation for Vincent. Differences of opinion regarding the Impressionists’ ways of seeing and painting led to conflict between the brothers, making life for Theo “almost unbearable”.

In 1887, having made peace with Theo, van Gogh left for Asnieres, where he became personally acquainted with Paul Signac, the French neo-impressionist painter who, working with Georges Seurat, helped develop the pointillist style. As a result, van Gogh adopted elements of pointillism, which uses many small dots of paint to create an optical blend of hues when seen from a distance. Another aspect of the pointillist style is the use of complementary colors, such as red and green, which form vibrant contrasts when placed side by side.

In November of that same year, Vincent and Theo met Paul Gauguin, who had just arrived in Paris, and the three became friends. Van Gogh would later spend nine weeks painting with Gauguin in Arles, though their time together ended disastrously. In a fit of epilepsy, van Gogh pursued Gauguin with an open razor, though his friend was able to restrain him. Van Gogh did, however, famously manage to cut off a portion of his own earlobe.

Towards the end of 1887, Vincent arranged an exhibition of his paintings, along with those of Bernard, LouisAnquetin, and, more than likely, Toulouse-Lautrec, at the Restaurant du Chalet, on Montmartre. Van Gogh exchanged works with Gauguin, while Bernard and Anquetin finally managed to sell their work. Visitors to the show included Pissarro and his son, Signac, and Seurat.

In February of 1888 van Gogh, feeling worn out, left Paris. Life in the city had taken its toll on him, though not before he had completed more than 200 paintings.

I have a passion for studying the history of western art, and its numerous influences. My own drawings and paintings have been profoundly influenced over the years by the artists that came before me, as well as a number of talented artists still living today. Please visit me at http://www.oilandpigment.blogspot.com to see my own paintings and works in progress

Along with the quality of the easel, you also have to consider the style of the easel. Do you paint extra large canvases that require two masts and a winch, or are you a painting-a-day painter, that paints primarily small canvases? Or do you fall somewhere in-between, like the majority of painters. Whatever your preference, one of the following is sure to suit your needs:

Single-Mast Easels: Generally more affordable, Single-Mast Easels are the simplest easel form. They generally take up less space and store with ease. They’re ideal for cramped apartments or school studios. However, they can’t be counted on to provide the same flexibility or sturdiness of more traditional easels.

Convertible Easels: Providing maximum flexibility, Convertible Easels are ideal for artists who prefer to paint in more than one medium. Designed to accommodate the needs of the oil and acrylic painter, they also convert to the needs of the watercolorist or pastel painter.

A-Frame (or Lyre) Easels: These triangular shaped easels provide a sturdier support for your canvas than the Single-Mast Easel. Their single rear leg, collapsible for easy storage in most models, can be placed in corners and tight spaces. Unfortunately, A-Frame Easels generally don’t allow forward tilt of the painting surface, and can limit your options when considering larger canvases.

H-Frame Easels: These models are designed with a rectangular silhouette and sturdy rectangular base, enabling them to accommodate much larger canvases than other types of easels. Some models even accept giant canvases, have crank adjustments and paint trays, and most offer a forward tilt, making things even more convenient for the painter. Additionally, many H-Frame Easel models can be collapsed for storage and transport., though they are heavier and clumsier in their collapsed state than A-Frame and Single-Mast Easels.

Giant Easels: Just like the name implies, Giant Easels are for the artist that likes to work on a large scale, supporting canvases taller than 8 ft (244 cm). Giant Easels are enlarged versions of the standard easel designs, some with extra accommodations such as a double mast, or a winch to hoist heavy surfaces.

Cubism, including Analytic Cubism (1909-1912), and later Synthetic Cubism (1912-1919), was one of the most influential art styles of the early twentieth century. Developed by Pablo Picasso and George Braque, Analytic Cubism took objects apart and “analyzed” them in terms of their shapes, while Synthetic Cubism utilized cut paper fragments, including portions of newspaper pages or wallpaper, which were pasted into compositions. Interestingly, Synthetic Cubism marked the first use of collage in fine art.

The term Cubism was coined after the French art critic, Louis Vauxcelles, saw the landscapes painted by Braque in 1908 at L’Estaque. Vauxcelles called the geometric forms in the abstract works cubes. The idea that art should copy nature was rejected by the Cubist painters, as were the traditional techniques of perspective, foreshortening, and modeling. Instead, they reduced objects to geometric forms and realigned them within a shallow, relief-like space, while also using multiple or contrasting vantage points. According to Picasso, “A head is a matter of eyes, nose, mouth, which can be distributed in any way you like. The head remains a head.” Through these methods, they achieved their goal of emphasizing the two-dimensionality of the canvas.

Initially, the subjects in Cubist works, though dissected and reassembled, were discernible. However, during “high” Analytic Cubism, the works of Braque and Picasso became so abstracted that they were reduced to a series of overlapping planes and facets. Their favorite motifs, frequently rendered in near-monochromatic blacks, grays, and browns, were still lifes with musical instruments, pitchers, glasses, bottles, playing cards, newspapers, and the human face and figure.

Toward the end of 1912, Picasso and Braque stripped away whatever remained of three-dimensional space in their “high” Analytic work. The result, Synthetic Cubism, was created using large pieces of neutral or colored paper, either cut out in the shape of the object being alluded to, or bearing a graphic element which clarifies the association.

Cubism, though created by Picasso and Braque, would go on to be adopted and further developed by a number of painters, including Juan Gris, Marcel Duchamp, and Diego Rivera. The concepts initiated by Cubism had even more far-reaching consequences, influencing the likes of Dada and Surrealism, as well as abstract artists in Germany, Holland, Italy, England, America, and Russia.

I have a passion for studying the history of western art, and its numerous influences. My own drawings and paintings have been profoundly influenced over the years by the artists that came before me, as well as a number of talented artists still living today. Visit me at http://www.oilandpigment.blogspot.com

Rembrandt van Rijn was born in Leydn, and later moved to Amsterdam to study in the studio of Peter Lastman. Lastman, who had traveled to Italy and was familiar with the works of Carravagio, likely instilled a love of chiaroscuro in the young Rembrandt. Rembrandt’s early paintings, however, were done in the Dutch seventeenth-century style, consisting of thin layers.

With age came the development of Rembrandt’s signature style. His use of impasto in the light areas grew heavier and heavier, while his shadows became increasingly transparent. His series of self-portraits document the evolution of his technique, offering an invaluable glimpse at the growth of a true ‘Master’.

Painting Medium

Rembrandt’s medium seems to have been a very thick jelly that became tacky relatively quickly, judging from the light areas in his paintings. It’s clear that the paint was put down and then moved around with great difficulty, producing his distinctive brush-strokes. The shadows, transparent with dark tints of color, are equally thick, the brush-strokes standing in high relief. There is some question as to Rembrandt’s talent for drawing, as he seems to have been correcting his drawings after the paint had already begun to resist the commands of his brush.

Painting Surface

Despite the existence of some alla prima sketches on panels, Rembrandt’s preferred surface was a gray-toned canvas. The canvas is better suited for paintings carried out over several sittings, and the majority of Rembrandt’s works were executed in this manner.

Painting Sequence

As mentioned earlier, Rembrandt did not have the gift for drawing possessed by many of his contemporaries, most notably Rubens. When painting from life, which he usually did, he needed several sittings to get the drawing up to his exacting standards. With warm brown tones of oil paint and medium, he would sketch the portrait on the canvas, blocking in the transparent shadows with the thin mix. Then, loading his brush with an opaque, muted skin tone, he painted into the light areas and modeled them with the shadows, creating powerful contrasts between the two.

Next, mixing black and white, Rembrandt created a cool gray for the mid-tones between the lights and shadows. He also used an optical gray, allowing the toned canvas to show through rather than painting in gray tones. Unfortunately, the grays in Rembrandt’s paintings often appear green today, due to the yellowing varnish.

Rembrandt then worked feverishly against time and drying paint, building up the contrast between his heavy, opaque lights and his much thinner transparent shadows, as well as that of his warm and cool tones. Only when the paint became tacky and hard to move would he start the process of blending, creating the remarkable texture unique to Rembrandt’s style of painting. Finally, when the paint could no longer be moved, he stopped painting and allowed the canvas to dry.

The second sitting consisted of glazing the entire surface of the canvas with medium and a tint of umber, or possibly black, which he would then carefully remove from the light areas using a cloth. The heavy impasto of the light areas retained some of the glaze, creating an even more three-dimensional appearance. This process was repeated over several sittings, resulting in the brilliant lights and darks that Rembrandt is so famously known for.

For a more in-depth look at Rembrandt’s technique, visit James Groves at www.jamescgroves.com for a truly remarkable painting demonstration.

I have a passion for studying the history of western art, and its numerous influences. My own drawings and paintings have been profoundly influenced over the years by the artists that came before me, as well as a number of talented artists still living today. Please visit me at http://www.oilandpigment.blogspot.com for a look at my own paintings and works in progress.

For some reason, though, the thought of oil painting intimidated me, despite my prior success with other mediums. I had dipped my toes into the pool a few times, and it only confirmed my fears. It wasn’t until I finally dove in that I discovered what a versatile and forgiving medium oil paints really are. So, when you’re ready to dive in, consider these tips:

1.) Don’t Skimp on Quality: It definitely doesn’t pay to buy cheap, or low-quality, art supplies. Like they say, you get what you pay for. For example, low-quality oil paints often fail to correctly adhere to the canvas and usually change color over time. The same goes for cheap paint brushes, which don’t hold the paint well, and often paint unevenly.

2.) Too Much of a Good Thing: Surf over to any online art supply store and type in “oil paints”. Then prepare to be awed, and somewhat intimidated, by all the colors that are available. The good news is you only need a select few of these colors, which you can then use to make whatever color you need. A basic set of colors might consist of Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Alizarin Crimson, Prussian Blue, Cobalt Blue, Viridian Green, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, and Ivory Black. Not only will it save you money, but using a limited palette will also give more unity to your paintings.

3.) Don’t Try to Paint the Sistine Chapel: Bigger may be better, but not when it comes to learning how to paint. Small canvases are a lot cheaper and won’t set you back a fortune when your planned “masterpiece” turns into a “learning experience”.

4.) Fat Over Lean (Whatever That Means): If you don’t want your painting to look like it was painted during the Renaissance, with tiny little cracks crisscrossing the surface of it, then make sure you follow this simple, yet critical, rule of thumb in oil painting: apply paint with a higher oil to pigment ratio (fat) over paint with a lower oil to pigment ratio (lean) to avoid cracking. Basically, this means you want your bottom layer to dry faster than your top layer, so start with a thinner like turpentine, followed by, for example, linseed oil.

5.) Dark to Light, Dark to Light, Dark to…: Are you detecting a pattern here? Always work from dark to light in your paintings. For example, when defining your masses, block in your darkest tones first. After that, start building up your medium, or mid-, tones, and finally your lights. When you’re finished, you can lighten your lights and darken your darks, creating just the right contrast.

6.) K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Starting-out. I probably can’t hyphenate “Starting-out”, but I needed something more appropriate, and respectful, than “Stupid”. If you’re painting a portrait, don’t start painting the pores and peach-fuzz on your sitter’s face before you even get the shape of the head right. Always get the large masses worked out first, before fussing over the details.

China Bristle Brushes

China bristle brushes, also called hog bristle or Chungking bristle, are made from natural pig hair. They are tough, durable brushes, able to stand up to the oil while still cleaning up nicely. They can hold a lot of paint, making them ideal for alla prima painting or impasto.

Soft Hair Brushes

Soft hair brushes are made from Kolinsky sable or ox hair, or more rarely squirrel, pony, goat, mongoose or badger. Soft hair brushes are much softer than china bristles, and a lot more expensive. It’s not unheard of to pay several hundred dollars for a large sable brush. But for more delicate work, like blending and glazing, soft hair brushes are indispensable.

Synthetic Bristle Brushes

For quality and affordability, you can’t go wrong with synthetic bristle brushes. Though turpentine or thinners used in oil painting can destroy some types of synthetic brushes, recent innovations in synthetic bristle technology have produced solvent resistant brushes.

Be careful, though. While affordability is a legitimate consideration when choosing your brushes, don’t let it be the main one. Those brushes in the multi-packs may look just as good as the others, at a fraction of the cost, but you will end up with brushes warped and falling apart in no time.

Brush Shapes

Paint brushes come in several shapes, each designed to apply the paint in specific ways. The most useful shapes you will use in oil painting, in no particular order, are:

• Flat - Designed to spread paint quickly and evenly to an area.
• Bright - Similar to a flat brush, but with short, stiff bristles. Great for impasto work.
• Round - Long, closely arranged bristles used for drawing or detail work.
• Filbert - These almond-shaped brushes offer good coverage and the ability to perform some detail work
• Fan Brush - Used for blending broad areas and creating different textures.
• Liner Brush - Used for lettering and fine detail work.

By no means do you have to use, or even have, all of these brushes. Experiment and find the shape that works for you.

Brush Sizes

Brushes are sized by numbers based on the width of the brush at the metal sleeve, or ferrule, which holds the bristles in place. The size of your painting surface will help determine the size of the brush you use. For example, a brush that is 2 inches wide will be used on a canvas that is at least two or three feet in either direction.

However, this is just a rule of thumb. As with brush shapes, the sizes you choose will ultimately be determined by personal preference. So go get some brushes and start painting.

To learn more, please visit me at http://www.oilandpigment.blogspot.com for a look at my own paintings and works in progress.

For starters, keep in mind that human skin is composed of reds, yellows, and blues, also known as the primary colors. When you mix these three colors in the right proportions, you get a nice shade of brown. Add some titanium white to bring out the contours and highlights and you are on your way to creating realistic looking flesh tones. I say on your way, because you are not quite there yet. There is still the issue of which reds, yellows and blues you should use.

Blues: A nice, warm blue like ultramarine blue helps to dull the brilliance of the red and yellow, keeping your skin color from looking unnatural.

Reds: Cadmium red light will give your flesh a ruddy complexion, while alizarin crimson is perfect for darker skin tones.

Yellows: Throughout the history of western art, not too many palettes have lacked yellow ochre for use in skin tones. To make it darker, try adding raw umber or burnt umber.

Beginning with lighter skin tones, take a little of the cadmium red light and mix it with yellow ochre. Then compare the bright orange mixture with the skin tone of your subject, adding more red or yellow as needed. Next, add the titanium white until you arrive at a color comparable to that of the inside of the arm or the lower portion of the cheek. What you will end up with will more than likely be too bright, so add a touch of ultramarine blue, just enough to make your mixture look more natural.

If the skin tone you are painting is darker, try the above mixture, but add ultramarine blue instead of white. You could also try experimenting with burnt umber or raw umber. Whichever color you choose, start adding it until you have a color near the value of the skin tone you are painting. At this point, the titanium white is added, giving you a more natural skin tone.

One caveat to the above: do not rely solely on white to lighten the color. Rather than a natural skin tone, you could end up with one looking pale and unhealthy. If that is not the look you are going for, try adding in some of the cadmium red light/yellow ochre mix and breathe a little life back into it.

To learn more, please visit me at http://www.oilandpigment.blogspot.com for a look at my own paintings and works in progress.