Oil Paint

What is Oil Paint? Oil paint is pigment held in a vegetable oil, usually either linseed, poppy or safflower oil. As with watercolours and acrylics, there are Artist ranges and student ranges. The cost of the artists' colours are split into 'series' reflecting the cost of the pigments used to make each colour and the price of a student range is set at one low cost across all the colours.

How do you use Oil Paint? It can be used straight from the tube for thick impasto texture, it can be thinned to create luminous glazes that can be built up to achieve stunning depth, it can be applied with brushes, painting knives, rags and anything else that comes to hand, can be painted on canvas, wood, metal and millboard and can be painted over and scrapped into.

What solvents do I need to paint with Oil Paint? Turpentine, distilled from pine resin, is the ideal natural substance to thin Oil Colour whilst ensuring the integrity of the paint is maintained and there are various oils that can be used to create glazes without breaking down the paint. These include Linseed Oil - prepared in a number of different ways - Safflower Oil and Poppy Oil. There are also Painting Mediums which are a mixture of oils, solvents or Driers which can be added to increase flow, speed up drying times or increase translucency. Apart from the Turps, these oils, solvents and painting mediums are added as required, determined by your style of painting and the effects you wish to achieve. They are not essential if you are happy to work without them.

What is an oil bar? An Oil Bar is pigment held in Linseed or Safflower Oil and wax and formed into a solid stick. In this form, you get the freeness and immediacy of a drawing media but the look and feel of Oil Colour.

See our Info and the product pages for more help and advice on Oil Paint.