Objective

This document presents a concise selection of brushes widely used by artists pursuing high realism in oil painting, focusing on two essential sizes for each category. Each brush category is carefully chosen to address specific needs, ensuring the highest quality and performance.

Brush Categories and Recommendations

1. Fine Detailing

• Recommended Brush: Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable
• Key Features: Fine tip, excellent snap, responsive
• Recommended Sizes: #1 and #0
• Purpose: Precise control for intricate detailing

2. Layering and Glazing

• Recommended Brush: Blick Masterstroke Bristle Filbert
• Key Features: Soft, yet sturdy bristles, good paint holding capacity
• Recommended Sizes: #4 and #6
• Purpose: Applying thin, even layers and glazes

3. Smooth Blending

• Recommended Brush: Princeton Art & Brush Co. Catalyst Polytip Bristle Filbert
• Key Features: Soft, synthetic bristles with excellent spring
• Recommended Sizes: #2 and #4
• Purpose: Creating smooth gradients and transitions

4. General Painting and Underpainting

• Recommended Brush: Rosemary & Co. Ultimate Long Flat
• Key Features: Stiff, long bristles, excellent durability
• Recommended Sizes: #6 and #8
• Purpose: Versatile handling of various paint consistencies and applications

Conclusion

This streamlined selection of brushes and their recommended sizes provides artists with the essential tools necessary to achieve high realism in oil painting. Each brush is chosen for its superior quality, performance, and suitability for specific tasks. By focusing on two versatile sizes for each brush category, artists can maintain a compact yet effective brush collection, suitable for a wide range of techniques and applications. This selection ensures that artists have the tools necessary to achieve the depth, precision, and subtlety characteristic of the old masters’ techniques while working with the thicker consistency of oil paints.

• Age: 35-65 years old; this age group typically has the disposable income and stability to invest in high-end art.
• Income: Affluent, with an annual household income exceeding $100,000; willing and able to spend on luxury items and investments.
• Location: Likely to reside in areas with a higher cost of living, often metropolitan areas or communities known for cultural engagement.
• Education: Well-educated, often with a college degree or higher; appreciates the arts and may have a dedicated space for displaying fine art.

Interests and Lifestyle:

• Art Enthusiasts: Individuals with a strong appreciation for the arts, possibly collectors or those who frequent galleries and exhibitions.
• Homeowners: Particularly those interested in interior design and personalizing their space with unique and meaningful pieces.
• Patrons of the Arts: May support the arts through donations, attending fundraisers, or sponsoring events.
• Cultural Involvement: Often involved in cultural institutions such as museums, theaters, and art councils.

Purchasing Habits:

• Investment Buyers: Views art as an investment, both emotionally and financially.
• Personal Connection: Seeks a personal resonance or a narrative within the artwork; could be drawn to pieces that remind them of personal experiences, dreams, or aspirations.
• Quality over Quantity: Prefers to own fewer, high-quality pieces rather than many lower-value items.
• Informed Buyers: Conducts thorough research and often deliberates extensively before making a high-value purchase.

Psychographics:

• Values: They value creativity, craftsmanship, and the story behind each piece.
• Aspirations: Aspires to a lifestyle that is both culturally rich and aesthetically pleasing.
• Social Status: Enjoys the prestige that comes with owning exclusive or high-end artwork.
• Emotional Connection: Seeks an emotional engagement with the art they purchase.

Potential Professions:

• Professionals: Executives, doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs who have the financial means and may see art as a reflection of their success.
• Art Industry Professionals: Gallerists, art dealers, and curators who are always on the lookout for unique and striking pieces for their collections or clients.
• Creative Professionals: Architects, designers, and writers who appreciate and can afford art that inspires and complements their creative environments.

Channels for Engagement:

• Art Fairs and Exhibitions: High likelihood of attending prestigious art fairs and exhibitions where high-value transactions occur.
• Social Media: Engaged on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, which are visually oriented and used for discovering and following artists.
• Art Publications: Reads art-related publications and online content, stays informed about trends and emerging artists.

Marketing Approach:

• Personal Outreach: Prefers a personal connection with the artist, perhaps through studio visits or artist talks.
• Exclusive Offers: Responds well to exclusive offers or first-look opportunities for new work.
• Quality Presentation: Expects high-quality images and detailed information about the artwork, including artist statements and provenance.

By targeting this profile with your marketing efforts, tailoring your message, and leveraging the appropriate channels, you can increase your chances of connecting with potential buyers who not only appreciate your art but are also willing and able to invest in it.

More…..

Potential Professions:

• Cultural Leaders: Such as museum board members, philanthropists in the arts, or individuals in leadership roles within cultural institutions.
• Creative Industries Professionals: Including those in fashion, design, literature, and other arts who appreciate and can afford such detailed and evocative work.
• Therapists and Counselors: Who appreciate the psychological depth and human focus of your work and might display it in their practices.

Channels for Engagement:

• Gallery Showings and Private Viewings: These individuals likely frequent high-end galleries and prefer private viewings where they can spend time with the artwork.
• Art Collector Circles: Engaged in networks of art collectors, where word of mouth and recommendations are highly influential.
• Specialist Art Events: They may attend or even sponsor events focused on figurative and portrait art, seeking out new talents and established artists alike.

More Marketing Approaches:

• Storytelling: Emphasize the narrative behind each piece, perhaps through artist interviews, blog posts, or social media content that delves into the creation process.
• Exclusive Engagements: Invitations to studio visits, art previews, or virtual tours showcasing the creation of your work.
• Artistic Collaborations: Partnerships with interior designers or showrooms that cater to high-end clients can be an effective way to introduce your work to potential buyers.

Sure! Here are some tips and a guide for using this application:

1. Select an image: Click on the “Choose File” button and select an image from your computer. Once you select the image, it will be loaded into the canvas.
2. Apply filters: There are three filters available: “Posterize”, “Grayscale”, and “Outline”. Click on the appropriate button to apply the filter to the image.

• Posterize: This filter reduces the number of colors in the image to create a poster-like effect. Use the “Levels” slider to adjust the number of colors. Drag the slider to the left to reduce the number of colors and to the right to increase the number of colors.
• Grayscale: This filter converts the image to grayscale. Click on the “Grayscale” button to apply the filter.
• Outline: This filter creates an outline of the objects in the image. Click on the “Outline” button to apply the filter.

1. Download the image: Once you have applied the filter(s) to the image, you can download the modified image. Click on the “Download” button to download the image in PNG format.

That’s it! These are the basic steps to use this application. Here are some additional tips:

• You can adjust the “Levels” slider for the “Posterize” filter to create different effects. Try different settings to find the one that you like.
• If you make a mistake or want to start over, you can simply reload the page and start again.
• If you have any questions or issues with the application, feel free to contact the developer for assistance.
  
  
• Each function in this application is an asset for developing reference images to be used as references for traditional oil painting techniques as follows:
• The imageInput function allows the user to choose an image from their computer to be used as a reference for their painting. This is an essential function as it allows the user to select an image that they would like to recreate using oil paints.
• The canvas and ctx functions provide the user with a canvas and context in which to create their painting. This is important as it allows the user to work digitally and make changes to the painting without committing to the physical medium of oil paint.
• The posterizeImage function reduces the number of colors in the image, which can be useful for simplifying the image and making it easier to recreate with oil paints. This function can help the user to identify the main colors and tones in the image.
• The grayscaleImage function converts the image to grayscale, which can help the user to identify the values (lightness and darkness) in the image. This is an important aspect of traditional oil painting, as values are crucial for creating depth and dimension in a painting.
• The outlineImage function creates an outline of the objects in the image, which can be useful for identifying the shapes and forms in the image. This is important for traditional oil painting, as accurate drawing and composition are key elements of a successful painting.
• The downloadCanvas function allows the user to download the modified image, which can be printed and used as a reference for their oil painting. This is an important feature as it allows the user to have a physical copy of the reference image to work from, rather than having to rely on a digital screen.
• Overall, this application provides a range of functions that can be used to develop reference images for traditional oil painting techniques. These functions allow the user to simplify and analyze the image, identify the main colors, values, shapes, and forms, and create a physical reference image to work from.

Title: The Ultimate Oil Paint Color Mixing Guide

Description: This interactive tool is designed to help artists find the perfect oil paint color mixtures based on an input image. By using this guide, you can accurately mix colors and create beautiful artwork with ease.

Guide:

1. Introduction

Our Oil Paint Color Mixing Guide is a user-friendly tool that assists artists in finding the optimal mixtures of oil paint colors. With this tool, you can upload an image, convert it to grayscale, and then use the eyedropper tool to select a color from the image. The guide will then provide the ideal mixing ratios of available oil paint colors to achieve the selected color.

2. How to use the tool

To start using the tool, follow these simple steps:

a. Upload an image

• Click on the “Choose File” button to upload an image from your device.

b. Convert to grayscale (optional)

• If you want to work with a grayscale version of your image, click the “Grayscale” button. This will convert the image to shades of gray.

c. Activate the eyedropper tool

• Click the “Eyedropper” button to activate the eyedropper tool.

d. Select a color

• With the eyedropper tool active, click on a color in the image that you want to mix. The selected color will be displayed in the “Picked Color” section.

e. Get mixing instructions

• The guide will analyze the selected color and provide you with the optimal mixing ratios of available oil paint colors to achieve the desired color. The mixing instructions will be displayed in the “Mixing Instructions” section.

3. Customizing oil paint colors

The tool comes with a pre-defined set of oil paint colors. However, you can easily add or modify colors by editing the oilPaintColors array in the JavaScript code. Simply provide the color name and the corresponding HSL (hue, saturation, lightness) values for each color.

4. Conclusion

The Oil Paint Color Mixing Guide is a valuable resource for artists, making it simple to find the ideal mixture of oil paint colors for your artwork. By using this interactive tool, you can create stunning, accurate color combinations with ease. Happy painting!

International Guild of Realism
The Realist Art Academy
The Art Renewal Center
The Portrait Society of America
The American Society of Classical Realism
The Guild of Boston Artists
The California Art Club
The Society of Animal Artists
The Allied Artists of America
The Salmagundi Club
The National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society
International Guild of Realism
The American Academy of Equine Art
The Oil Painters of America
The American Women Artists
The American Impressionist Society

Agencies

LeRoy Neiman Foundation

Provides grants and other resources to emerging and established visual artists, including painters.
International Arts & Artists

A non-profit organization that provides exhibitions, professional development opportunities, and other resources to artists, including painters.
Art Renewal Center

A non-profit organization that promotes and supports traditional and representational art, including figurative and portrait painting.
Agora Gallery

A contemporary art gallery that represents and exhibits emerging and established artists, including painters.
Saatchi Art

An online art gallery that allows artists to showcase and sell their work to a global audience.

The Portrait Society of America

A non-profit organization that promotes and supports portrait artists and provides resources for career development.

Artists Rights Society

A non-profit organization that represents visual artists and helps them protect their intellectual property and rights.

Artrepreneur

An online platform that provides resources and tools for artists to build their careers and manage their businesses.
National Portrait Gallery

A museum that specializes in portrait art and provides opportunities for artists to exhibit their work.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society

A non-profit organization that promotes and supports oil and acrylic painters and provides resources for career development.

Photography Effects

Vignetting: Chromatic aberration: Lens flair: Bokeh: Long exposure: High-speed photography: Infrared photography: Night photography: HDR photography: Macro photography: Panoramic photography: Time-lapse photography: Low light photography: Telephoto lens: Wide-angle lens: Fisheye lens: Tilt-shift lens: Prime lens: Zoom lens: Image stabilization: Noisy images: Soft images: Grainy images: High contrast images: Low contrast images: Saturated images: Desaturated images: Warm images: Cool images: Sepia images:

Aartistic Styles

Abstract art Abstract expressionism Action painting Avant-garde Cubism Dada Futurism Impressionism Post-impressionism Neo-impressionism Expressionism Fauvism Constructivism Surrealism Pop art Op art Minimalism Conceptual art Performance art Land art Video art Environmental art Feminist art African-American art Chicano art Native American art Asian art Islamic art Byzantine art Gothic art

Painting Styles

Abstract art Action painting Analytical Cubism Anti-art Art Nouveau Avant-garde Black Arts Movement Black Mountain School Bauhaus Bloomsbury Group Color Field painting Concrete art Cubism Dada De Stijl Expressionism Fauvism Figurative art Fluxus Formalism Futurism Geometric abstraction Hard-edge painting Imagism Impressionism Lyrical Abstraction Minimalism Neo-Dada Neo-expressionism New Objectivity

1) Oil Painting Styles:

a) Action painting – Jackson Pollock

b) Cubism – Pablo Picasso

c) Expressionism – Wassily Kandinsky

d) Fauvism – Henri Matisse

e) Impressionism – Claude Monet

f) Neo-expressionism – Julian Schnabel

g) Post-impressionism – Paul Cézanne

h) Realism – Gustave Courbet

i) Romanticism – Caspar David Friedrich

j) Surrealism – Salvador Dalí

2) Digital Painting Styles:

a) Abstract – Kandinsky

b) Anime – Hayao Miyazaki

c) Cartoon – Walt Disney

d) Conceptual – Christo and Jeanne-Claude

e) Contemporary – Gerhard Richter

f) Fantasy – Tolkien

g) Fine Art – Leonardo da Vinci

h) Illustrative – Maxfield Parrish

i) Landscape – Ansel Adams

j) Photo-Realistic – Hockney

3) Photography Styles:

a) Aerial – Yoko Ono

b) Architectural – I M Pei

c) Art – Andy Warhol

d) Black and White – Ansel Adams

e) Candid – Diane Arbus

f) Commercial – Annie Leibovitz

g) Digital – David Hockney

h) Event – Annie Leibovitz

i) Fashion – Irving Penn

j) Fine Art – Edward Weston

4) Architecture Styles:

a) Art Deco – Erte

b) Brutalism – Le Corbusier

c) Gothic – Antoni Gaudí

d) Green – Frank Lloyd Wright

e) High-Tech – Norman Foster

f) Islamic – Hajjar

g) Modern – Mies van der Rohe

h) Postmodern – Robert Stern

i) Renaissance – Bramante

j) Traditional – Palladio

5) Landscape Styles:

a) American – Ansel Adams

b) British – JMW Turner

c) Chinese – Qi Baishi

d) French – Claude Monet

e) Italian – Giovanni Bellini

6) Atmosphere Styles:

a) Bright – Georgia O’Keeffe

b) Gloomy – Caspar David Friedrich

c) Humid – Claude Monet

d) Misty – Edvard Munch

e) Snowy – Hiroshige

7) Interior Design Styles:

a) Art Deco – Erte

b) Contemporary – Philippe Starck

c) Eclectic – Mario Buatta

d) Gothic – Andrew Jackson Downing

e) Minimalist – Mies van der Rohe

f) Traditional – Thomas Chippendale

g) Transitional – Billy Baldwin

8) Landscaping Styles:

a) Asian – Akira Miyawaki

b) Cottage – Gertrude Jekyll

d) Desert – Mary Austin

e) English – Capability Brown

f) French – André Le Nôtre

g) Japanese – Masanobu Fukuoka

h) Mediterranean – Roberto Burle Marx

i) Native – John Muir

j) Tropical – Christopher Alexander

9) Fashion Design Styles:

a) Art Deco – Coco Chanel

b) Bohemian – Ossie Clark

c) Chic – Hubert de Givenchy

d) Goth – Alexander McQueen

e) Hip Hop – Sean John

f) Punk – Vivienne Westwood

g) Retro – Halston

h) Rockabilly – Dior

i) Vintage – Christian Lacroix

j) Yuppie – Donna Karan

10) Composition Styles:

a) Asymmetrical – Wassily Kandinsky

b) Balanced – Piet Mondrian

c) Centralized – Leonardo da Vinci

d) Informal – Paul Cézanne

e) Radial – Hans Arp

f) Symmetrical – Albrecht Dürer

g) Triadic – Henri Matisse

h) Unity – Mies van der Rohe

11) Concept Art Styles:

a) Anime – Hayao Miyazaki

b) Cartoon – Walt Disney

c) Comic – Stan Lee

d) Fantasy – JRR Tolkien

e) Futuristic – Syd Mead

f) Gaming – Hideo Kojima

g) Gothic – H.P. Lovecraft

h) Horror – Stephen King

i) Movie – George Lucas

j) Music – Stanley Kubrick

12) Graphic Design Styles:

a) Abstract – Wassily Kandinsky

b) Classic – Paul Rand

c) Comic – Charles Schulz

d) Modern – Saul Bass

e) Pattern – Memphis Group

f) Retro – Saul Bass

g) Simplified – Josef Muller-Brockmann

h) Textured – Richard Serra

i) Vintage – Noma Bar

j) Whimsical – M.C. Escher

13) Rendering Styles:

a) 3D – John Lasseter

b) Anime – Hayao Miyazaki

c) Cartoon – Walt Disney

d) Cel – Osamu Tezuka

e) Gouache – Mary Blair

f) Oil – Leonardo da Vinci

g) Paint – Jackson Pollock

h) Pastel – Edgar Degas

i) Pencil – Charles Schulz

j) Watercolor – Andrew Wyeth

A handmade oil painting is a unique expression of the artist’s feelings towards the subject and can capture many aspects of an individual including: their personality, physical appearance, moods as well as other intangible qualities that accompany a portrait.

People have different reasons for acquiring fine art oil paintings.

• People buy art to add to their homes.
• People buy art to add to their offices.
• People buy art for investment purposes.

Fine art oil paintings are unique and give the recipient a sense of history and uniqueness.

Fine art oil paintings are unique because they’re hand-painted, which means that each one is different from the next. The artist who paints them will use a variety of mediums, such as oil or acrylic paint and sometimes even watercolor, to create a work of art with their own signature style. You can’t go into any store or gallery and buy one off the shelf!

They’re also made from high quality materials, so they’ll last for years to come without fading or cracking. These works of fine art will give your family member an heirloom that they can pass down through generations—something no other painting would be able to do!

Unlike most gifts, handmade fine art oil paintings are given to reflect your feelings toward the recipient.

When you give someone a handmade fine art oil painting, your gift is more than just a purchase. It’s an expression of your feelings toward the recipient and recognition of their importance in your life.

Your loved ones will be able to see their painting every day and remember that you thought of them when selecting it. They’ll also be able to show their friends and family this beautiful piece of artwork that represents your relationship with them, allowing for more intimate conversations about what makes each individual special and unique. Finally, because you went out of your way to find something truly special for each person on your list this year—a gift that wasn’t just bought off the shelf—they’ll feel deeply appreciated by how much time and effort went into finding exactly the right thing for them.

Purchase fine art oil paintings to bring back memories.

We all have memories—some good, some bad. If you want your family to remember the times they spent together, a handmade oil painting is a perfect way of doing so!

There are many reasons why buying a fine art oil painting as a gift for your family is great:

• It’s the best gift because it can be enjoyed by everyone in the family regardless of age or gender
• It’s not easily lost or stolen like other gifts such as jewelry or money.
• It brings back memories which helps improve communication between members of the household, especially during difficult times when everyone else has forgotten what happened before.

Fine art oil paintings provide a perfect opportunity to express your attention and thoughtfulness when you are limited in words.

A handmade fine art oil painting is an opportunity for you to express your attention, thoughtfulness, and love in a way that words can’t always convey. Our paintings are created by artists who have a personal connection with the subject matter of the painting, as well as a personal connection with the recipient. This provides us with great insight into both what is important to you and how we can best serve you in creating your own unique artwork.

Our paintings are also created in beautiful locations around the world where we know our artists will capture every detail essential to producing high quality work that honors our craft but also reflects their own unique style and appreciation for life’s beauty.

Handmade fine art oil paintings help you maintain meaningful connections with people who live far away by expressing your feelings toward them through a painting.

Buying a handmade fine art oil painting for yourself or someone close to you is a great way to express your feelings toward that person. You can choose from our wide array of paintings, which are all hand-painted by professional artists and made with the best materials available. A handmade fine art oil painting helps you maintain meaningful connections with people who live far away by expressing your feelings toward them through a painting. The best part about buying a handmade fine art oil painting is that it’s custom-made for whoever will receive it. The artist will use his or her personal style and design expertise to create something unique just for you!

If you’re looking for an unusual gift idea that will be treasured forever, look no further than our collection of original artwork! We have an assortment of pieces featuring different subjects, such as landscapes, portraits based on photographs taken during photo shoots held at local galleries like [insert name here], abstract pieces created using vibrant colors inspired by nature itself (think mountains! ), etcetera.

Take the time to find exactly what you want from the comfort of your own home and then sit back and wait for it to arrive at your doorstep.

Buying a handmade fine art oil painting is an excellent way to personalize your home decor. You can find the perfect painting for anyone in your family whether it is a gift for a loved one or simply a personal purchase that will enrich your life for many years to come.

Taking the time to find exactly what you want from the comfort of your own home and then sitting back and waiting for it to arrive at your doorstep is something that makes buying an oil painting so unique. There are no store hours or crowds of people standing around, just you and the hundreds of amazing paintings online.

You can find the perfect painting for anyone in your family whether it is a gift for a loved one or simply a personal purchase that will enrich your life for many years to come.

You can find the perfect painting for anyone in your family whether it is a gift for a loved one or simply a personal purchase that will enrich your life for many years to come.

The best thing about buying an oil painting from an artist is that you can pick any subject matter and have it made into a work of art. Whether you choose to buy an oil painting with flowers, landscapes, animals, or portraits, there are endless possibilities!

Conclusion

The distinct beauty and quality of fine art oil paintings is a result of the work of skilled artists who have dedicated themselves to their craft. The originality and historical relevance are apparent in each brush stroke that is applied to canvas. If you are looking for a gift that will last a lifetime, then look no further than a handmade fine art oil painting. You can find what you want here.

I was standing at the front of a queue in a packed art shop in London.

There were 15+ people crammed in behind me and I felt more embarrassed than I could remember.

I had been a researching new art materials and product releases, I’d spotted something new out and I was convinced the store stocked it.

After waiting for what seemed like days, I was at the end of the queue and overconfidently asked: “Umm…do you stock alkalid paint?”

It seemed like the shop suddenly fell silent…

Then the owner stepped in and said,

“Alka- what? Sorry, we don’t stock that”
Me: “You know, the quick-drying oil paint.”
Owner: “Oh Alkyd (Pronounced al-kid) we have that in stock.”

My cheeks started burning.

Honestly, if you’ve ever been corrected in front of an audience, you know how terrible it feels.

Even now, when I work with Alkyd paints, a little piece inside of me is physically wincing.

Now it seems trivial, but at the time I felt mortified. One little word or turn of phrase out can make a big difference.

An Italian Tale

So this is a practical guide to understanding oil painting terms, products, and more importantly pronunciation!

Many oil painting terms stem from Latin roots so mispronunciations (especially with me) are commonplace.

When I was studying in Italy, Vanessa was trying to order a liqueur after we’d had a fantastic meal in the Tuscan hills.

After a prolonged exchange with the waiter, he asked should he call an Ambulance?

What was wrong?

What had she asked him?

He kept saying “There was something wrong with her heart?”

We were confused, all we wanted was a drink!

The offending pronunciation was a simple misunderstanding.

• Liquore (Pronounced: lee/KWOH/reh) – liqueur
• Cuore (Pronounced: KWOH / reh) – heart

We never did get that drink, but hopefully, this guide will help you feel confident when choosing materials and talking about the techniques.

Glossary of Oil painting terms

Alkyd mediums – (Pronounced: al-kid) an alkyd is a synthetic resin that can be added to oil paint to speed up the drying time of the paints. You can buy an alkyd-based medium that you can mix in with your oils, the most commonly available is Liquin by Winsor & Newton, Gamblin also produces an alkyd medium called Galkyd.

Alkyd Paints – these paints are commonly known as fast drying oil colour and can be handy if you work quickly or have a tight deadline for a client! Different brands have different names e.g: Winsor & Newton have Griffin Alkyd.

Pro tip: Alkyd oil paints have been developed more for the hobby market so the quality of the pigments used can often be less intense than standard artist quality paints. Gamblin have produced a lovely paint called ‘fast matte.’ It is both fast drying, artist quality and dries with a matte finish. This is very handy if you are going to paint on top with standard oils because the matte surface gives you a ‘grab’ for the paint to form a strong bond.

(nerd alert – the Alkyd is called a resin because it dries by solvent evaporation, rather than oxidation (exposure to air) like an oil.

Alla Prima – (Pronounced: ah-luh pree-ma) this is an Italian phrase that describes a painting created entirely in one sitting, it translates as ‘at the first’. Usually, there isn’t any underpainting to the piece and is created in one go.

ASTM – a labelling on paint tubes that is an International Standard for testing and material qualities.

Binder – the substance mixed with the dry pigment which holds together (binds) the pigment colour and helps the paint to stick to the support. For oil paint, the binder is usually cold-pressed Linseed oil. (For egg tempera painting, the binder is an egg, yes, egg!)

Bloom – a dull, progressively opaque, white effect that can appear on varnished surfaces if the paintings are kept in damp conditions.

Brushwork – this describes the characteristic way that each artist paints. It is like your personal signature to your painting.

Campitura – An even, opaque, flat tone applied to the canvas by mixing coloured pigment with white gesso primer layer to create a tinted coloured ground.

Chiaroscuro – (Pronounced: key-ARE-oh-SCURE-oh) an Italian word literally meaning “light dark”. Most usually used to describe a painting created with strong contrasts, such as Caravaggio.

Joseph Wright of Derby, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, Oil on Canvas, 1768

Cold pressed linseed oil – oil often used in the grinding process of oil paints, the oil is extracted from Flaxseed, without the use of heat. The process takes longer than extracting using heat but is a purer oil.

Colour Field Painting – a style of painting prominent from the 1950’s through the 1970’s, featuring large “fields” or areas of oil colour, meant to evoke an aesthetic or emotional response through the colour alone.

Copal – this is a natural resin, used in making varnishes and painting mediums.

Couche – a thin layer of medium or oil that you can paint thin glazes into whilst the medium is still wet, commonly called ‘laying down a couche’

Craquelure  – (Pronounced: krak-loo r) this is the term used to describe the tiny cracks and fine lines covering the surface of old oil paintings. They are caused by the shrinking and movement of the ground and the oil paint surface.

Crazing – very fine surface cracks or lines that appear on the surface of a varnish film due to unequal drying times.

Dammar – a natural resin, used in making mediums and varnishes. Dammar can also be spelt Damar.

Dead colouring – a term used to describe the under-painting of a painting, when using a lean oil paint mix. The mix is usually diluted with turpentine or OMS which evaporates quickly leaving a matte appearance. It allows you to quickly establish the tonal values using a thin application.

Drier – a material that speeds up the drying time of the oil paint. Traditionally, driers were cobalt driers, but now they are often Alkyd resin dryers.

Dry Brush – an effect when you have very little moisture on your brush to apply the paint. When you use a dry brush you need more of a scrubbing motion and it leaves a broken colour effect.

Drying time – how long the paints take to dry. Different oil paints contain different quantities of oil binder, depending on how easily the raw ingredients ‘mix in’ with the oil. So some paints are fast dryers (such as Burnt umber) and others are slow drying (Ivory black).

Drying oils: oils such as Linseed oil, Walnut oil and Poppy oil that have the chemical properties of creating a solid, elastic surface when exposed to air (oxidization). Non-drying oils – unsuitable for oil painting are Olive oil and Almond oil.

Egg tempera painting – egg (either whole, yolk or white) can be used as a pigment binder. Tempera painting was very popular until the late fifteenth century.

Antony Williams, Antonia, Egg Tempera, 2001

Fat – this describes the oil content in paints, for example, Burnt umber has a ‘low fat’ oil content, so it is a fast drying oil paint because there is less oil in the paint mixture to oxidise and dry. Ivory black has a ‘high fat’ oil content so takes longer to dry.

Fat over lean – means that each succeeding layer of paint should have more ‘fat – oil’ than the preceding layer. If you are painting in an indirect method (working in layers rather than all in one go – alla prima) you need to adhere to this rule to prevent cracking.

Film – a fine layer of paint or varnish that has hardened. Too little binder in the paint can cause a ‘weak paint film’.

Flat colour – paint applied in a solid, flat colour, like the paint on your wall at home.

Fugitive pigment – a phrase used to describe a pigment’s impermanence and tendency to fade or change colour under the influence of natural effects such as sunlight, heat, water, etc.
Reynolds famously has many portraits that have lost the skin tones because he used Alizarin crimson which was a fugitive pigment, however, modern Permanent Alizarin crimson has a permanence A.

AA       – Extremely Permanent

A         – Permanent

B         – Moderately Durable

C         – Fugitive

Note: this should not be confused with Lightfastness which is how the pigment is affected by light alone, although often they tend to cross over.

Joshua Reynolds, Portrait of Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellamont (1738-1800), in Robes of the Order of the Bath, 1773-1774

In this painting the face is strongly painted with vermillion red, the fugitive carmine used for the robes has now turned to pink

Gallery Tone – the yellowish colour of old paintings usually caused by the ageing of natural resins used in a painting or varnish.

Gesso – traditional oil gesso is a mixture of glue (usually rabbit skin) water, and chalk (calcium carbonate) used to create a flexible, yet absorbent surface for the oil paint to be applied onto.

Glass Muller – a glass muller is needed when grinding paint by hand and to coat the dry pigment in medium. The base of the muller has been sandblasted to form a slight roughness and is usually slightly curved. The surface you grind on to, usually glass, can often be slightly textured to help with the grinding process.

Gloss – the appearance in sheen of the paint or varnish. For example, Alizarin crimson has a glossy surface when dry.

Glazes – the term used for a thin, transparent layer of paint. Glazes are used on top of one another to build up depth and modify colours in a painting. A glaze must be completely dry before another is applied on top. Traditionally glazes were used on top of a black and white under-painting called a Grisaille, thin layers of colours were then applied once the initial form had been established. The best paints to use for glazes are pigments that have a translucent quality.

Grinding colours – a process of grinding dry pigment with a binder, usually mixed initially with a palette knife and then mulled down to a thinner, smoother consistency with a glass muller or marble slab.

Grisaille – (Pronounced: griz-zai) a monochromatic oil painting which is often used in underpaintings or as a black & white painting technique.

Ground – a thin layer of paint, applied to a support to make it ready for painting, can be white but I prefer to use a coloured ground.

Half paste – a semi-translucent coat of paint that allows the dry underpainting to appear as if through a mist. Sometimes called a Velatura.

Hue – labelling on a paint tube that denotes a combination of less expensive pigments that closely imitates the mass tone of a more expensive pigment, not to be confused with Hue when describing colours, as in the perceived colour of an object, the lemon has a yellow hue.

Impasto – the texture created in a painted surface by the movement of the brush. Impasto usually implies thick, heavy brushwork, but the term also refers to the crisp, delicate textures found in smoother paint surfaces.

Imprimatura – (Pronounced: im-pree-muh-tur-uh) an initial stain of oil colour painted on a white ground which provides you with a transparent toned ground. It is similar to a coloured ground but more transparent. It comes from the Italian for ‘first paint layer’. Often, the initial stain of colour painted on a ground is left visible in areas of the finished painting.

Rubens, Singer Sargent & Anders Zorn used this technique in their paintings.

Inpainting – this is a painting technique commonly used by conservators to unify a painting that has suffered paint loss and refers to paint applied over damaged areas only.

Laying out – refers to either ‘laying out your colours’ on to palette (setting the paint out) or, laying out your composition, which was traditionally done with cut out drawings on paper.

Lean – a term used to describe the low oil content in paints and mediums. Thinning with solvent results in a lower oil content to the paint mix, therefore a leaner mix.

Lean paint – a paint layer or paint that has a reduced oil (fat) content.

Lightfastness – lightfastness is the chemical stability of the pigment under long exposure to light. Artist quality paints are often rated according to the Blue Wool Scale (U.K) or American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Lightfastness is especially important in painting because the length of time a pigment retains its original colour saturation and value determines the life expectancy of the work of art.

Note: this should not be confused with Permanence which refers to the chemical stability of the pigment in relation to any chemical or environmental factor, including light, heat, water, acids, alkalis, or mould. For example, the pigment Ultramarine blue is extremely lightfast, but it will fade if brushed with a dilute acid.

LIGHTFASTNESS KEY:

I – Excellent lightfastness
II – Very good lightfastness
III – Fair lightfastness

Lining – a conservation term for placing a new canvas on the back of a deteriorating original oil painting.

Litharge – a powdered form of lead used in making black oil (used as a basis for various Old Master mediums)

Mahl stick – (Pronounced: mar-hl) a wooden stick used to lean on when painting fine details. It has a long handle with a pad at one end, you rest this end on a dry area of the canvas to help steady your painting arm when painting a detailed, controlled part. You can simply make your own by tightly wrapping a cotton wool in a ball around the end of a length of wooden dowel. Cover the cotton wool with a piece of fabric or chamois and you will be Old Master a go-go!

Mass Tone – the undiluted colour of a pigment or paint when it’s in a large blob. Also known as mass colour.

Medium – the mixture that you add to your paint to dilute it, or to change consistency, drying time & working properties.

Monochrome – a painting created in a range of tints and tones of a single colour.

Natural varnish: tree resins (Mastic and Dammar), fossil resins (Copal and Amber), and insect resin secretions (Shellac).

Oiling out – this is where you paint a very thin coat of medium over the painting to bring the colours back to how they looked when you first painted them.

Depending on the absorbency of your canvas, the oil can soak into the canvas leaving the paint looking dull. This is called ‘sinking- in’. Oiling out can be used to blend wet layers into the layer below but is often best used when you’ve had a bit of practice with oils.

It is most notable in dark areas of painting, and oiling out enables you to judge the colours as they were when you first painted them. I don’t usually recommend it for absolute beginners as you can get into a mess quite quickly and it can create issues with fat-over-lean principles. However, for more advanced painters, especially realist painters, it can be an invaluable technique to use.

Paint body – description of the consistency of the paint, a thicker paint is described as having “a lot of body”. Just the same as Golden paints describe their thicker acrylics as ‘heavy body’.

Painting Knives – similar to Palette knives, but used more for applying paint directly to the canvas rather than mixing colours. See: Beginners Palette knife video tutorial

Plein air – (Pronounced: plen-air) a painting created outside rather than in a studio. The term comes from the French ‘en plein air’ meaning ‘in the open air’.

Pigment – pigment is the substance or powder that makes up the colour of a paint. Pigments are either organic (carbon-based) or inorganic (mineral based).

Priming – the application of sizes and/or grounds to a support to prepare the painting’s surface, modify its absorbency, texture and colour before you start painting.

Refined Linseed Oil – made from the seeds of the flax plant. It adds gloss and transparency to paints and is available in several forms. It dries very thoroughly, making it ideal for underpainting and initial layers in a painting. Refined linseed oil is a popular, all-purpose, pale to light yellow oil which dries within three to five days.

Retouching – the work done by a restorer to replace areas of loss or damage in a painting.

Scumble – very thin layer of opaque or semi-opaque paint that partially hides the under-layer. Scumbling is the painting technique where a thin or broken layer of colour is brushed over another so that patches of the colour beneath show through. It can be done with a dry brush, or by removing bits of paint with a cloth.

Sfumato – (Pronounced: sfoo-mah-toe) from the Italian word for “smoke.” Sfumato is a technique of painting in thin glazes to achieve a hazy, cloudy atmosphere, often to represent objects or landscape meant to be perceived as distant from the picture plane.

Sight-size – a painting technique where the key idea is that your eye needs to be able to see both the canvas and the subject in one glance, so they both appear the same size. This makes it easier to flick your eyes between the subject and your painting for judging shape, proportions and colours. The artists viewing position is roughly 6 – 12 feet away from the setup, so you step forward to make a mark and then step back to observe your painting again. This results in a more painterly, naturalistic finish.

Sight size set up for cast drawing

Sinking in – this happens when the paint medium is absorbed by the underlying layer of paint, this could be due to a too absorbent or unevenly applied absorbent ground. The resulting appearance is a visually inconsistent surface, some parts shiny, some parts matte.

Size – a glue applied to fabric (canvas) or paper before priming to seal and protect it from the corrosive oil in the ground and paint. It’s also used to seal wood panels before painting.

Acrylic Size is available which is water-based, odourless, archival and comes premixed. Animal lovers avert your eyes!!! Traditionally artists used rabbit skin glue, be warned if you want to give this a go as we did at art college, it is very, very, smelly, as to apply it you have to warm it up.

Support – the actual material or surface on which a painting is created, for example; paper, canvas, panel.

Turpentine (spirits) – the traditional solvent or thinner for a drying oil (such as Linseed oil) distilled from the resin from certain trees, e.g the European larch, white fir, and American longleaf pine. It is used to ‘cut through’ the oil in oil paints, however, due to this ability, it has a strong solvent smell so is best used in a well-ventilated area. Alternatively, I would suggest using an Odorless Mineral Spirit such as Gamsol, a safe solvent that allows oil painters to use most traditional painting techniques without compromising on the vapours.

Underpainting – the initial stage or first layer of an oil painting commonly executed using a monochrome or dead colour as a base for the composition.

Value – the lightness or darkness of a colour, rather than the actual colour.

Varnish – a final layer that can be applied to a finished painting. A varnish protects a painting from environmental dirt and dust and is removable for cleaning and conservation purposes.

Velatura – (Pronounced: vella-tora) essentially glazing with an opaque paint. A method of adjusting colours by applying semi-opaque or opaque layers of paint over an area of dry paint. It’s a bit like a mix between a scumble and a glaze.

Verdaccio – (Pronounced: ver-dar-cheo) an Italian name used to describe a muted earth green used for creating a complete monochromatic underpainting. Often used as a nice base to apply warm, pinker tones on top of portraits.

Yellowing – this effect on oil paintings is usually caused by one of three reasons: excessive use of linseed oil medium; applying any of the varnishes that are prone to yellow with age; or most often – an accumulation of dirt embedded into the varnish.

Are there any oil terms you’re still unsure of?

Add them to the comments below and I’ll include them in the list.

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