Oil Painting

The presence of oil painting dates back to the 14th century. The paint used has a base of oil ' linseed, poppy seed, walnut or safflower oil. The type of oil used changes different properties of the paint such as; drying time; gloss etc.

Most of the renowned paintings have been done on wooden panels. The other surfaces that are used are linoleum, pressed wood, cardboard and canvas. However canvas has remained the favorite for most artists. An oil painting can take weeks and sometimes even months to get done. It is a long process that involves pre-painting and post-painting work. The canvas is first stretched and mounted on a frame. Today, canvasses are come pre-mounted. The next step is to apply a base coat on the canvas. This coat protects the canvas from any possible acidic effect of the paint. On this several layers of gesso is applied, after each layer has dried completely. They are subjected to sanding. Sanding is necessary, since this enables the layers of oil point to adhere together properly.

Following this the artist sketches an outline of his subject; be it a person, or scenery. He then applies a thin coat of paint i.e. paint thinned with turpentine. Generally, turpentine is used to clean, erase oil paints. After this thin coat dries, the artist begins to actually start painting followed by blending and shading, wherever necessary. After this layer dries, the details are painted. Post this a glaze coat is applied. This painting is now allowed to completely dry before it is varnished for giving it the final touches.

Some of the most famous oil paintings include; 'Mona Lisa' and 'The Last Supper' by Leonardo Da Vinci, 'La Donna Velata' by Raphael, 'Damayanti and the Swan' by Raja Ravi Verma and 'Seascape at Saintes-Maries' by Vincent van Gogh.