Home Archive by category "Oil Painting"

Category: Oil Painting

The Dabbing Technique for Painting

Dabbing is an incredibly versatile painting technique that most artists utilise, from applying tiny areas of rough texture to decisively dabbing entire paintings. In this article, I define the technique by looking at key examples from art history – from the Dutch Golden Age, the Japanese mid-Edo period, to Les Nabis in Paris. Then I demonstrate how to apply dabbing to your own works, in oil, acrylic, ink and watercolour paints. Articles in the Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them.     The Dabbing Technique for Painting Definition: Dabbing refers to the application of paint or ink to a surface using a repetitive vertical hand motion. The media is bounced, pressed or touched onto the surface without linear movement or hand gesture, giving a diffused effect. Dabbing may be achieved with brushes, rags, or palette knives.   What is the Effect of Dabbing? Paintings made with dabbing may have a diffused quality, where the artist has intentionally foregone linear or painted mark-making. It’s perfect for applying the texture of naturalistic elements like clouds and foliage, building up patterns, and for realising subtle tonal effects like …

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Artist Review of R&F Pigment Stick in Olive Yellow III

R&F Pigment Sticks are highly pigmented bars of oil colour, handcrafted in small batches with the purest traditional paintmaking ingredients. The stick format allows artists to paint directly onto the canvas without a brush, making them versatile, easy to transport, and perfect for expressive mark-making. In this article, Sheila Dodd shares her excitement about the portability and the vibrancy of colour of the R&F Pigment Stick in Olive Yellow III, and how this format of oil paint gives her the freedom to easily travel with her paints.     Artist Review of R&F Pigment Stick in Olive Yellow III by Sheila Dodd As a painter, excited to travel to the foothills of Mont Ventoux with an international group of plein air painters, one of my first thoughts was which oil painting materials would be safe and compact enough to capture the sunlit landscapes and still lifes in the markets of Provence. Just as important was making sure everything could fit safely into my cabin baggage, especially after having expensive pigments confiscated on previous trips through airport security! Jackson’s website stocks the relatively new (to me anyway) R&F Pigment Sticks. Olive Yellow III looked like sunshine in a stick! It has …

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Artist Review of R&F Pigment Stick in Olive Yellow III

R&F Pigment Sticks are highly pigmented bars of oil colour, handcrafted in small batches with the purest traditional paintmaking ingredients. The stick format allows artists to paint directly onto the canvas without a brush, making them versatile, easy to transport, and perfect for expressive mark-making. In this article, Sheila Dodd shares her excitement about the portability and the vibrancy of colour of the R&F Pigment Stick in Olive Yellow III, and how this format of oil paint gives her the freedom to easily travel with her paints.     Artist Review of R&F Pigment Stick in Olive Yellow III by Sheila Dodd As a painter, excited to travel to the foothills of Mont Ventoux with an international group of plein air painters, one of my first thoughts was which oil painting materials would be safe and compact enough to capture the sunlit landscapes and still lifes in the markets of Provence. Just as important was making sure everything could fit safely into my cabin baggage, especially after having expensive pigments confiscated on previous trips through airport security! Jackson’s website stocks the relatively new (to me anyway) R&F Pigment Sticks. Olive Yellow III looked like sunshine in a stick! It has …

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Tonalist Techniques in Painting and Drawing

In this article, I explore the techniques used in Tonalism by looking at the qualities of artworks from the movement. Among its leading figures were American painters such as James McNeil Whistler and George Inness. I then demonstrate how to create your own Tonalist works in painting and drawing media. Articles in the Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them.     Tonalist Techniques in Painting and Drawing Definition: Tonalism refers to artworks with a restricted palette of colours, which exist within a narrow variation of dark tones. These muted palettes lend themselves to nocturnal scenes, suggesting dusk or dawn, often depicting the landscape or people. ‘Tonalism’ refers to both the painting technique and the late 19th-century American art movement that originated the term.   What is the Effect of Tonalism? Tonalism has a contemplative, quieting effect, with its muted palette and sombre tones evoking the quiet stillness of dusk. Tonalist works often evoke a feeling of loneliness, as if you have come across the dying light on an evening walk, or seen another person absorbed by their own thoughts at the end of the day. …

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Review of Gamblin’s Set of Three Grey Colour Mixing Oil Paints

Gamblin Oil Paint is thoughtfully formulated with the artist’s working methods in mind, as shown in their Set of 3 Mixing Greys. Offering muted colour harmony, precise chroma control, and an intriguing limited palette, the mixing greys in this set serve as mid-tone primary colours. The colour mixing potential of this set would make them a useful addition in the toolkit of many oil painters, no matter their subject matter. Formulated with pigments that have long been in common use, they uphold Gamblin’s aim to make the best possible paint through contemporary knowledge and innovation while honouring the history of the medium.     The set includes three full-size 37 ml tubes of Gamblin Artist Oil colour in a card insert, tucked inside a cradled, ready-to-use painting panel. The sleeve showcases the muted tones one can expect to create – an inspiring preview! I tested the paints both as a stand-alone set and alongside other colours on Jackson’s Oil Paper Block. The colours included are Titanium Buff, Portland Warm Grey, and Portland Cool Grey. They are all bound in linseed oil, with moderate drying times, and are predominantly opaque pigments that could all be described as mid-value. In this article, …

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The Blocking In Technique for Painting and Drawing

In this article, I explain the blocking in technique, by defining its purpose and demonstrating how to use it to plan the placement of tone, colour, and composition in artwork. I refer to art history by looking at examples of unfinished paintings from the Renaissance to the pioneering approach of Cézanne. Through my demonstrations, I show how blocking in can speed up the art making process, in acrylic, oil, pencil, and pastel. Articles in the Painting Techniques series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them.     Blocking In Technique Definition ‘Blocking in’ refers to media that has been applied broadly with minimal detail, to give the artist an idea of the placement, form, tone, size, or colours of the imagery. A resolved artwork may be completely ‘blocked in’, or retain some areas from the blocking in stage. Although it more commonly functions as an initial underpainting or underdrawing that will later be developed further by the artist.   What is the Effect of Blocking In? When you block in the early stages of an artwork, it provides a foundation to build from and allows for any necessary …

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Samir Rakhmanov: Colour’s Emotional Charge

Samir Rakhmanov won Anita Klein’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with his work A Burial. In this interview, he discusses his shift from realistic to expressive painting, making the most of daylight, and finding beauty within grief. Above image: Samir in the studio     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Samir: I was born in a small town of Pavlohrad in Ukraine, but grew up in Baku, Azerbaijan. When I was a kid, I liked drawing – but honestly, nothing worth framing. My parents, being optimistic, put me in a small art school that had art lessons alongside regular subjects. That experiment didn’t last long, and I ended up in a regular middle school. For a few years after that, I barely drew at all. Then, in 8th grade, something clicked. I got hooked on drawing again, this time with a focus on manga, video game concept art, and illustration. That was the first time I thought, “Alright, maybe this is what I want to do”. A few years later, I got a graphic tablet and started doing a ton of digital painting. By the time I finished middle school, my goal was …

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Testing Natural Earth Paint’s Natural Varnish on Oil and Acrylic

If you’re searching for a vegan and environmentally conscious varnish for your oil and acrylic paintings, then the Natural Earth Paint: Natural Varnish may be the perfect solution. Made in small batches with archival ingredients, it’s claimed to be fast-drying, clear, glossy, ideal for retouching, and free from harsh fumes. In this review, I put these descriptors to the test and explore its qualities by testing it on canvas and wooden panel, with oil and acrylic.     Review of Natural Earth Paint: Natural Varnish   About the Natural Earth Paint Company Natural Earth Paint is an American art materials company founded in 2009. The founder, Leah Fanning, started the company while intentionally pursuing a non-toxic painting practice during her first pregnancy. From there, she developed paints, mediums, primers, and varnish using natural pigments and ingredients that don’t contain any fillers, heavy metals, or derivatives from the oil and gas industries. A couple of common examples of these derivatives are acrylic polymer emulsion found in acrylic paint and alkyd resins sometimes used in oil paints; both are derived from petroleum. The company also advertises its products as safe for kids to use because of their non-toxic qualities. Alongside donating to …

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Janie George: Insistent Colour

Janie George won Andrew Torr’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Pine Cone. In this interview, she discusses her practice of writing to help realise an idea, the perfection of indecision, and turning to ceramics to slow her down. Above image: Janie in her studio     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Janie: I owe a lot to my mother who was very good at making things and had a good sense of style. We were a large family and had little money. Everything was pretty much handmade and hand-grown. She taught me how to sew, cook, and garden. She also bought me a sketchbook to record the wild flowers that I found. That experience of drawing to identify and know things was the beginning for me. I still draw things gathered from the fields. I was lucky in my art college experience; it was a more formal time, but people were pretty nurturing and kind. Although I paint now, I studied printmaking at college and lithography in particular. It was how I learnt to be very precise about colour. After college, I had longish periods without a studio. However, when …

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Blending Techniques in Oil, Acrylic, Pencil, Pastel, Charcoal, Watercolour, and Ink

In this article I explore the technique of blending, referring to examples from Sfumato paintings in the Renaissance, through to Symbolist pastel drawings. Followed by practical demonstrations for blending in a variety of mediums – oil, acrylic, pencils, soft and oil pastel, charcoal, watercolour, and ink – and give tips for achieving a seamless finish. Articles in the Painting Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them.     Blending Techniques in Oil, Acrylic, Pencil, Pastel, Charcoal, Watercolour, and Ink   Definition Blending refers to the mixing towards, or transition between, two or more different colours or values, to create a smooth gradient between them. A successfully blended area will have a consistent, melded-together finish, without any hard edges, lines, or random marks.   What is the Effect of Blending? The visual effect of blending may help to achieve realism, or simply add a pleasing gradient to an artwork. Whether a work is naturalistic or abstract, areas of blending often provide a sense of depth, be it blended tone across a glass on a table or blending between bright colours. It’s a technique that’s doable in all …

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