[Digital Genesis]

Okay, I did it. I went and spent money on oils and brushes. Rather good quality too.

Now my question is, what do I do with it?

I saw Micke on Lumental post his first oil. It looked pretty good. He'd gotten advice from Joachim on setting up. (didn't share it though)

I paint differently than him, with another style, but I'd like to get some advice from the resident Oil-experts so I can start out doing something comparable.

An example could be the nice way to smoothly paint by first applying a thin coat of linseed oil to the canvas. Which is about the only good advice I know of

So come out and give advice if you have any to share!

[Lunatique]

This is my working habits. By no means is it the "right' way.

My method is basically my own experiences, and they originate somewhere between various painters I grew up reading about(Boris Vallejo, Michael Whelan, Donato Giancola..etc) I took what worked for me and applied them to my own style.

1)I do a sketch, and then finalize the drawing.

(I also prime my board at this point. I use masonite or other wood. As long as they don't warp too bad or is too heavy. I apply about 3 coats of gesso, and depending on what texturing I want, I'll vary the degree of the roughness of the surface. Sometimes I just say f#ck it and buy canvas boards. Don't matter what the brand, as long as they don't fall apart on me.)

2)I project the drawing onto the canvas and draw the outlines with pencil.

3)I do a color rough, either traditionally, or digitally. If it's traditonal, I'll just paint in acrylics on the canvas. At this point I just lay down washes to cover the canvas in basic values and colors. I also allow a bit of spontaneity at this point. If any new ideas should strike you, this would probably be the time.

4)Once the color rough has progressed pretty much into a finished underpainting, I'll stop. It's all acrylics at this point.

5)This is when I start the oil painting phase. I've abandoned traditional oils and moved onto water-soluble oils(Winsor Newton). They are just about exactly like regular oils, except you use them with water. I have not noticed any differences other than it dries a bit faster(you can retard it with retarder available for the water-solubles). It even retains the wonderful linseed oil smell!(I LOVE the smell of oil paints. It transports me back to the ealier centuries. There's something incredibly romantic about oil paints).

Since I've already made the underpaintng fairly tight, I just go directly into detail with oils.

Before water-solubles, I would use turpenoid(odorless and non-toxic), linseed oil, and colbalt dryer. I follow the lean to fat as much as I remember to, using turpenoid and colbalt dryer for the initial stages, and then gradually ease into linseed oil only. I've read that if you use too much colbalt dryer, it'll crack your paintings. I havn't had troubles yet. Turpenoid might float your pigment if you use too much of it, so be careful.

6)Errr. I think that's it. Just wait a few days before applying the initial varnish. Then a few months later, apply your final varnish and seal that puppy for centuries to come.

Hope this helps.

BTW, as far as palette goes, I don't have a set one. I do try to limit myself in the underpainting phase with acrylic paint, but only because it dries too fast and I'm too lazy too keep spraying water on them, use retarders, or make a wet paper-towel palette. Usually, I just pop down primary colors and a few additional colors(white, sienna, black).

As far as the oil palette goes, I'm with the Gil Elvgren school of thinking-- screw that limited palette stuff. I want to paint, not sit there and mix colors forever. Of course, I don't go buck-wild with 32 colors or anything. I just glance at my underpainting, and then look over my oil paints and go, "You, you, you... and you." I usually end up with only 5~7 colors or so, since I work on one area at a time. I would never put all the colors I need for the entire painting on the palette because:

1)my underpainting is usually pretty tight already, so I only need ot finish the surface one area at a time.

2)I don't use one of those crazy table top palettes. I have a healthy sized one(about 15 inches long, and 10 inches wide), but it won't hold too many colors, especially if I paint big(I usually paint around 40 x 30, or 30 x 24).

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: Lunatique ]

[Eon]

He might be a freak and all, but I highly recommend getting one of Bob Ross's books. They are fairly cheap, $6-$8. His methods are very quick, efficient, and easy to understand. works great on digital stuff too.
You can find them at any arts and crafts store.

[Digital Genesis]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!

Especially the tip about acrylics first sounds like a novel idea.

If anyone has anything else to contribute with, perhaps about the actual painting process, then please chime in!

[Duckman2]

It will take you a little while to get used to the way the paint handles, it's not nice and clean like photoshop, you have to be alot more careful and plan out what you are going to do before you go and attack.

Get the best brushes you can afford and take very good care of them they will last you years if you take care of them properly. This means washing them every single time you paint. I use Murphy's Oil Soap, but I'm sure you can find something similar to that in Denmark. after you wash them reshape the bristles and let them dry.

Model your forms from dark to light. Don't use too much turp in your paint it turns liquid and runs ALL over the place.

Don't add more colors to a mixture than you need, unless you really want a muddy color, they have their uses though.

Oh yeah get this stuff called art guard, it keeps the pigments from getting into your blood stream. Keep your hands out of your damn mouth, some paints like the cadmiums and Lead white contain really dangerous pigments. I'll write up a more comprehensive list of things that I do if you want me to.

[Digital Genesis]

Duckman, I'd appreciate such a list, if you please.

As for the colors handling differently.. yup. Every time I sit down to paint, I discover something new about the paints or the way I can use them.

Here's a question for you guys, if anyone knows or does it:
Blowdryers! Many watercolor people use them all the time, but what about oils?
Would it do any good, maybe in conjuntion with siccative added to the paint?

I like painting alla prima, or at least get it all done in one session, wet paint or not.
So if anynoe has good advice on how to do that with oils, speak speak please!

And, btw, I'm determined to get to the bottom of oils - meaning I'm not really interested in starting on acrylics (especially since I went and bought the oils

[Lunatique]

Blowdryer is not a good idea. You might dry the layer on the surface, but the oil's still underneath. That is also bad for the "fat over lean" concept. It works on watercolors because, well, water evaporates fast, and there's no "fat over lean" rule in watercolor. (I used blowdryer all the time in WC too.)

Just use cobalt dryer or other similar drying mediums.