Oil painting is used extensively today across the world by numerous artists. It is a highly convenient method of painting, making it extremely popular among many. Vijaya Prakash Boggala mentions that oil paints are quite simple to work with, especially in comparison to pastels and watercolors. This is the reason why a number of beginners opt for oil paints. Vijaya himself is extremely fond of painting, especially with oils and acrylics. He also enjoys watching live sports, doing photography and working on DIY projects.
Oil paints blend beautifully with the surroundings of the paint, thereby making it easier for an artist to come up with creative blends and strokes. Not many other types of paints facilitate such a process. Vijaya Prakash Boggala additionally underlines that oil painting is not a new trend, and has been extremely popular for decades. In fact, most of the artwork made during the American Revolution was oil paintings. It helps create luminous, hardwearing colors, which charms everyone.
While oil painting is relatively easier than many other painting techniques, it can be a bit overwhelming for someone just learning how to paint. The learning curve involved in oil painting is extremely important. Here are a few tips provided by Vijaya Prakash Boggala for people just starting to learn oil painting:
- Master paintbrush orientation: In many instances, it becomes extremely easy to forget that a brush has two sides or orientations while painting. One is not limited to always making wide strokes through the flat side of their brush, as almost every brush can be turned on its side for sharper lines or strokes. Learning to control the lines with proper brush orientation will help people to paint with more versatility.
- Vary hand pressure: Using heavy hands while holding the paint brush must usually be avoided. In certain instances, the pressure one applies with a stroke can make all the difference between a mess and perfection. The heavier is the pressure on the brush, the more shall the paints blend and create ridges along the sides of the brush. Hence, it is imperative to get familiar with how light, medium, and heavy strokes look on the canvas and subsequently use pressure to get the desired effects.
- Carefully balance the medium: Oil painting is not just about paint. The use of a painting medium is a crucial aspect of controlling paint. Usually, a mixture of solvent and oil is used for the purpose of modifying paint, and making it behave in distinguished ways. Adding too little medium can give the paint a mayonnaise-like consistency, while too much of it shall make the paint almost transparent. Achieving balance is the key here.
In addition to paying heed to the points mentioned above, one needs to also be careful about keeping their palette and brushes clean and organized. These simple tips can come as a huge help for any person just getting started with oil painting.