If Starting To Paint In Oils, What Else Do You Need?

By Author: Anthony Keith Whitehead
Total Articles: 21
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Overview
The purpose of this article is to discuss most of the essential materials and qualities which one will need when starting to paint in oils. It considers pallets, varnishes, easels and so forth. In each case, sufficient information is given to provide the reader with what is needed to make useful and sensible initial purchases.

Something To Hold Up Your Painting
One of the early pieces of equipment you will need is an easel. These come in a variety of sizes and designs. Some are for sketching, some for painting; some are in wood, some in metal, some cheap some very expensive, some to stand on the floor, some for the table top. So begin by thinking carefully about what your individual requirements are. For instance, do you have acres of floor space or are you limited to painting on a table top, or will the latter suffice while you are deciding whether painting is for you? So money and space available may be prime determinants of what you require.

Artists’ Pallet
Every painter needs a pallet of some sort for holding and mixing the paint. A watercolourist needs something with a depression ...
... but that is not necessary for one painting in oils. The traditional type is kidney shaped with a thumbhole cut out for an easy grip. You could also use the watercolour since a number of wells or compartments can sometimes be useful, but you can manage quite well without that type, although a small container (e.g. 1”, 1.5” diameter) is useful for the painter if paint is being mixed very thinly, as for glazing.

The Variety Of Mediums
The term “medium” can unfortunately mean a variety of things: either the technique through which paintings are produced, such as oils, water colour, wood engraving etc., or the transmission of light or colour, or a gel or fluid into which paint is mixed and thinned. Fortunately, the context in which the term is used usually make the type referred quite clear.

Even so, when one refers to the latter type of medium as used for mixing paints, there is still a wide range of mediums available. When these are mixed with oil paints, they modify the characteristics of the latter to some degree. Indeed, that is why they are used. Most of these are employed for quite specific purposes. Virtually all are available in Jars (or sometimes tubes) of various sizes. Whichever kind of medium you buy to begin with, it is wise to purchase the smallest size until your own individual requirements have developed.

Usually a medium is added to an oil paint and mixed in. Thus Winsor & Newton’s Artists Painting Medium improves the flow of oil paint by thinning it out, which may (or may not) be desirable, depending on one’s individual style and the immediate objective in a producing a picture or part of an image. Linseed oil is often used to thin out oil paints, although this additive will slow down the drying time of the paint. However, one can also obtain Drying Linseed Oil which hastens the drying time of oil paints in addition to thinning the paint. Linseed Stand Oil can be mixed with turpentine (the genuine kind, not white spirit and similar). This also improves the flow of oil paints. Liquin Impasto Medium retains brush strokes and allows more time for blending different areas of shade or colour.

The combination of oil and solvents and is a traditional approach. Alternatively, alkyd mediums have been on the market for many years and are now tried and tested and used by many artists. These use alkyd resins and solvents and can be used with oil paints because they work in a similar way to linseed oil. And considerably reduce the drying time of oil paints.. Alkyd Flow Medium has the advantage of increasing the transparency of the paint while at the same time also reducing drying time. It should be noted that one can also obtain oil paints which already have alkyds included in their manufacture and usually cause the oil paint to dry overnight.

Varnish For Finishing Off
Varnish is regarded by many as an essential finish for any oil painting. It protects painted image from damage, especially through pollutants in the air. However, although using mediums and alkyds to reducing the drying time of oil paints is often useful, and cuts down the time for them to become touch dry, it will take up to twelve months for a painting to fully dry out. Hence one needs to leave an oil painting for up to one year before applying varnish to it. However, one can use Retouching Varnish which is used to restore the paint to its original quality when it has become dull. As a preliminary varnish this is very useful, once the painting is touch dry.

And Equipment You Will Need
This includes, perhaps, an apron or old clothes just used for painting in, since it can become a messy business at first. Eventually it will become a much cleaner activity!

You will also require pencils (lead, graphite, charcoal), rubbers and thinners or white spirit (the latter is fine for cleaning brushes or paint from the pallet but should never be mixed with oil paint because it is not pure enough. In addition you will also need at least a few pallet knives for mixing (and possibly) applying paint. A pallet knife (or, indeed, several different types and sizes) will almost certainly come in useful.

In addition, there are supports for painting on, usually canvass stretched over a timber frame. However, plywood and boards are also used. But see my article: When Painting In Oils What supports Are Available
Having gathered all this stuff together, you can really get going!

AUTHOR: A K Whitehead
This article is copyright but may be reproduced providing that all this information is included.
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.