Expanding Oil Painting With Impasto

By Author: Anthony Keith Whitehead
Total Articles: 21
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This article looks at the use of the impasto technique. It considers the basic method of using impasto. It discusses how the approach can be used and offers some advise on this. It also points out such important concepts as “fat over lean” and the use.

Painting Is Two Dimensional But…
There are, of course, many different medium available when it come to painting, of which oil is one. But all these mediums inevitably amount to a two dimension approach which attempts to depict a three dimension image. However, with oil painting it is possible to augment the approach to painting with a technique which can involving at least a partial attempt to create a three dimensional picture.

This is often the objective of using impasto since, by increasing the thickness or depth of paint, the surface of the painting is raised and can thus give a 3D effect.

Essentials Of The Basic Impasto Approach
The fundamental idea of impasto is essentially very simple. The term comes from the eighteenth century Italian impastare which means to apply paint thickly. The approach is very obvious because of the thick ...
... manner in which the paint has been laid on the surface. One of the reasons is frequently to show very obvious lines in the paint, which indicate the manner in which the artist’s brush or painting knife has been used. This advantage can be given even more emphasis by glazing over the lines and indentations, especially if a darker colour is used, which makes them even more obvious to the viewer.

If the artist wishes, the paint can be made even thick by laying more layers of paint on top of the original one. This has to be done by increasing the amount of (usually) linseed oil in the paint because the layer underneath will absorb oil from the later layer and cause it to shrink or crack or sag. Sometimes, over a period of time, the paint may even begin to flake off. Hence each additional layer of paint will need extra oil adding to it over and above what is already present in the paint. (This is similar to the reason why supports need treating before painting on them). This progressive increasing of the oil content in later layers of paint will also increase the length of time it takes for the painting to fully dry.

A Golden Rule In Oil Painting
Adding progressively more oil to layers of paint applied over previous ones is referred to as painting fat over lean. This is one of the important principles to be observed in oil painting.

Some painters begin their picture with an undercoating. This is an initial layer of paint, often thinned with turpentine (the real stuff, not a substitute). Various colours are used but usually something pale and easily covered. This was a thin coat and so dried quite quickly. Being thin, it dries very quickly but it can also be easily removed with turpentine to correct a mistake.

Impasto And Special Mediums
An impasto approach can be used locally in a painting or more generally. For instance, in a local way one might say, have a fence in the foreground of a picture. This can be worked up through several layers on paint so that it really stands out. As with any new approach, it is advisable to practice before introducing it into an actual painting. Quite often it will be useful to use a pallet knife rather than a brush to apply the paint. In this way, paint can often be built up more effectively and any smoothing out accomplished more easily. Shapes can also sometimes be shaped by slicing thin layers off with a sharp knife when the paint has sufficiently dried out.

A painter may extend the use on impasto more or less throughout the picture, although the additional paint will also impose extra expense. However, there are special mediums on the market for use in creating impasto work. These are gel-like, and usually come in a tube. Being colourless, one can use them straight from the tube into the picture. Alternatively, paint can be mixed into the medium before applying it, and this is useful in that a colour base for the object is already there when you come apply finishing touches.

These gels dry quite fast and so very thick layers can be built up, one over another, without too much time being lost. The 3D effects from this kind of approach can be quite impressive. So, whether one desires just to use oil paint in a generally thick way (which provides much satisfaction for some artists) or whether one desires to create one or more areas in a painting which really stand out, the impasto approach can be quite attractive.

AUTHOR: A K Whitehead
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This will take you to paintingsinoil.co.uk main page of original images painted by A K Whitehead.
All the paintings in oil here are by A K Whitehead, who is aself-taught artist, and are original oils and not copies. The approach is traditional, making use of various techniques, including impasto and glazing. This link will take you to the main categories of landscapes, seascapes, snowscapes, waterscapes and still life and all are provided with free frames and fastenings. Free delivery is also included within the UK.