Oil Painting Supplies – Buying The Right Oil Paints

The fact that you are in the market for oil painting supplies, either means you are an experienced oil painter or perhaps just starting out, you may even be searching for that something special as a gift for a friend or relative. Whichever the case may be oil painting supplies, paints and the providers themselves vary quite greatly, which might add to the uncertainty of which oil painting supplies are best for your specific needs.

Oil painting supplies, as far as the paint itself goes, are available in a number of options, ranging from the individual tubes of oil paint to starter sets, studio sets, basic sets, gift sets and of course the deluxe sets. And of course the variety of these oil painting supplies are available at a variety of prices too. In addition to this there are a number of options available that carry famous artists names, such as the Bob Ross Master Paint Set and the Kevin Macpherson Oil Color & Medium Set, this may certainly add to the concerns of which may be right for you, or for the person that you may be buying the oil painting supplies for, as a gift.

One of the best starting points in so far as obtaining a complete set of paints when purchasing oil painting supplies is the Basic Painting Set of 13 from Blick Art Materials. This set is ideal for the beginner in that it contains 12 colors in 40ml tubes and a 150ml Titanium Zinc White tube of paint – the latter being one of the most often used paints within any oil painting supplies and paint sets. The colors included with this set are in addition to the mentioned Titanium Zinc white – Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Fanchon Red, Permanent Yellow Light, Permanent Yellow Medium, Viridian Green, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre Domestic, Naples Yellow Italian and Ivory Black; making for an ideal collection of oil paints.

An ideal gift for the oil painting enthusiast is the Oak Case Set of 10 which comes complete with additional oil painting supplies over and above the 10 sets of oil painting colors. The set contains two white bristle brushes, Fragonard gel medium, painting knife, box of charcoals, embroidered cotton cloth and a wooden palette. The oil painting enthusiast will certainly recognize the value in this set, when they receive this as a gift.

Perhaps for the more discerning oil painter, of for that ultimate gift, the Extra-Fine Oil Artist’s Box may represent the best of the best. This item is made from solid walnut, complete with leather handle and shoulder straps, and no less than 39 tubes of Rembrandt Extra Fine oil colors, 10 top quality brushes, charcoals, painting mediums, thinners, varnishes and more. This really is the ultimate in oil painting supplies sets! The quality of the whole set is top notch, including each and every item therein and makes an ideal gift for the serious oil painter, that will use these top quality items to create nothing less than masterpieces.

All items described here are available directly from Blick Art Materials who provide an extensive range of artists supplies, both within the oil painting and related supplies provision. Blick Art Materials furthermore offer FREE SHIPPING on orders totaling $200 or more so are most definitely worth browsing their wide range of artist and oil painting supplies.

Importance of Drying Time in Oil Painting

One of the most frequently asked questions about oil painting is – what is the drying time required for one coat, after which another coat can be applied? Beginners in oil painting generally seem to get perplexed by this question. The answer is simple. Depending on the technique that you are using, oil paints can be applied in the following ways:

• Wet on wet oil paint

• Thick over thin oil paint

• Wet on dry oil paint

While painting glazes:

If you are painting glazes then it is advisable that you wait for longer time till the paint is thoroughly dry. Therefore, you must wait for at least a day before applying another layer of paint over the first coat.

Always remember to test:

Try the ‘finger test’ before going ahead with the second coat on oil painting. Touch the surface with your finger to see whether the paint has dried up properly. If the first coat still feels a bit sticky then leave it to dry for longer.

Why is drying time so important in oil painting?

Beginners in oil painting may wonder why ‘drying time’ is given so much of importance. Well, it’s so vital because if you don’t let the first coat of paint dry properly, then the second coat may pull off or mix with the first layer. Thus, it may destroy your oil painting. (If ever you happen to mistakenly apply the second coat without letting the first coat dry then you can always go over it, or simply scrap it off.)

Drying time depends on several factors such as the oil paint colors that you are using. This is mainly because there are some colors that have the tendency to dry faster than the others. It also depends on the quantity of solvent that you are using.

Patience is one of the greatest virtues of a good oil painter. Thus, have patience and give enough ‘drying time’ to your oil painting to get the desired results.

The Dos and Don’ts for Oil Painting

Oil painting is an art where the artists have the freedom to be as versatile as they can be. Experts in the field have created mind-blowing masterpieces by being imaginative. Those who wish to learn oil painting should however first grasp the basics well before moving on to that level. Beginners in the field of oil painting need to keep the following things in mind during oil painting.

The Dos:

Keep your palettes containing oil paints in the same order as you paint. This helps in picking colors easily.

Increase the proportion of oil (medium) for each successive layer in an oil painting, keeping in mind to always apply it as ‘fat over lean’. This is because the lower layer absorbs oil from the layers applied above it. If the upper layer dries up faster than the one below then the painting may crack.

To accelerate the drying time, you can mix pigments like cobalt, lead, and manganese, with colors.

For lighter oil paints, use poppy oil as a medium as it doesn’t have the tendency to turn yellow.

To clean away any extra layer of oil paint or oil varnish from your painting, it is recommended that you use alcohol. It is a powerful solvent and can easily remove the extra layers from the oil painting.

The Don’ts

Don’t use Ivory Black for an under painting or sketching. This is because this color takes much longer to dry than the other oil paints.

Avoid the use of linseed oil as a medium in oil paint colors like whites and blues. The reason being, it has the tendency to turn yellow.

Never let your oil paintings to dry in the dark. This can harm the painting as a thin film of oil tends to rise over it. Therefore, always dry your oil paintings in bright daylight.

Painting Tips For Beginners

Painting a new house or renovating an old one by use of paint calls for care if the results are to be admired by all.  The results also need to be long lasting to avoid having to go through the whole process sooner than you thought. For that reason, a few tips on how to go about painting will do. It all begins by identifying the areas that need to be painted. These include window frames, metal grills and plastered walls.

Be especially keen about the walls. If there are any leakages or cracks, they need to be repaired before the painting can begin. Other touches that need to be done before painting can begin include waterproofing and plastering. However, no matter how urgent the painting needs to be done, avoid doing so during the rainy season or when there is humidity in the atmosphere.

Another painting tip is that, the color scheme of the walls and window frames should match that of your other household items. For example, think about the furniture. You do not want to finish painting the walls, only to realize that you have got to either change the paint, or to replace all the furniture with ones that have a color that matches the walls. Never do haphazard buying of paint colors.

When you go to buy the paint, be sure to look around in different shops before you can settle for any particular brand of paint. Also, be sure to differentiate between oil-based and water-based paints. You will find out that one type lasts longer than the other but could again be more risky in case of a fire outbreak in the house. Such and other factors are what you need to put in mind.