A few art basics

There are 7 formal elements of art design: line, shape, form, space, texture, light, and color.

The two basic line types are straight and curved.

Shape is two dimensional. Shapes may be organic, geometric, symmetrical, or non-symmetrical or a combination.

Form is three dimensional. Five basic forms—the cone, cylinder, sphere, cube and torus (donut shape)—are the foundation of objects.

We’ll discuss the rest of the elements in future entries. Read more!

impasto

The term, impasto, is borrowed from the Italian. It commonly refers to the oil painting technique where paint is thickly laid on the canvas. Brush strokes or painting knife strokes are often visible when this technique is used.

Impasto painting provides texture. Impasto gives the artist more control over the way light will reflect on the painting. Some say the paint is coming “out” of the canvas since it is almost a 3 dimensional sculpture.

Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers (pictured) used this technique.

Read more!

Drying Oils or Mediums

Drying oils or mediums are added to oil paint to modify the way the paint handles or to change the characteristics of the paint—make it glossy or matt, transparent or opaque.

Linseed oil is used to add gloss and transparency to paint, although it has a tendency to yellow. A thicker processed form of linseed oil is called “stand oil.” It’s often used for glazing. Linseed oil can also be sun-thickened or sun-bleached. These three forms yellow less.

Poppyseed oil and safflower oil are pale oils that are more transparent and less likely to yellow than linseed oil. They dry more slowly.

Walnut oil is used to make oil paint more fluid. It also yellows less than linseed oil, but is expensive.

Boiled oils are faster drying and give a glossy finish, but tend to yellow and darken with age. Read more!

Oil Painting: Solvents and Resins

Solvents are used to dilute oil paints or to dissolve resins. Solvents in oil paint will evaporate totally when the oil paint dries. Common solvents are: turpentine and minerals spirits. Both must be used in a well ventilated room and are flammable so precautions should be used.

Resins are used to increase the gloss of oil paint. They can also reduce the color and add body. A common resin is Damar. Damar is also used as a varnish. Read more!

Glazes

A technique some artists use is glazing. It can be done with oil, acrylic, or watercolor paints.

The basic of glazing is painting a very thin layer of paint on top of a dry painting, letting the glaze dry, then painting another layer, adding as many layers until the desired result is reached. Glazing can provide deepness, luminosity, and richness to a painting. It can be done over all of a painting or only on points of focus.

Others of our artists who do oil painting:
Penelope Moore
Jon Smith
Diana Dean Read more!