Finally dry!, my first oil painting

Slowdown · #1 02-10-2003, 06:01 PM

Well here is my first oil painting.
I used one of the reference pics from the library and came up with this. The scan hasnt picked up all the colours right but its done ok. I know that oils dry slow, but the waiting for it to dry was unbearable...lol...........just over 1 week.....
Its 8"x10" and had alot of fun using the oils. I am looking at developing an impressionistic style of painting.
I know that I have some errors in it, but I would very much like to know what everyone thinks of it, good or bad

guillot · #2 02-10-2003, 07:29 PM

Oh, the red poppy picture!! What a great reference that one was. We did a project on it. You should load it in there as well!

You've done a lovely job slowdown!!! Great for you!!!!

Tina

Isabella · #3 02-10-2003, 08:39 PM

Slowdown, hello! I thought you were over there in Acrylics. (I used to be readingteacher, but got sick of my name. Someone changed it for me.)

My, my, my you've really been progressing! Good job with this! Did you finish your balcony series? How do you like oils?

WFMartin · #4 02-10-2003, 09:10 PM

Your painting looks great, and future paintings will get better each time you do one.

Regarding your drying time: Here's where some properly made medium works well. To keep your oil content reasonably high, mix Linseed Oil, 1 to 1, with turpentine. Add a touch of Damar Varnish to help it adhere to the canvas or previously dried oil paint layer.

Dip into it with the tip of your brush each time you grab a dot of paint off your palette, or mix it into each pile of paint before beginning to paint.

If your paint is linseed oil based, it should dry in 24 hours (when using medium), or perhaps a couple of days at most. Yellows dry the slowest, when used straight.

Bill

erik_satie_rolls · #5 02-10-2003, 09:15 PM

Great work!

Isabella · #6 02-10-2003, 09:19 PM

Quote:

To keep your oil content reasonably high, mix Linseed Oil, 1 to 1, with turpentine. Add a touch of Damar Varnish to help it adhere to the canvas or previously dried oil paint layer.

Hi Bill, thanks for this tip! I've read in books that painters use this but they never told how to use it (i.e. dipping brush in with each time). Sometimes it's just those simple things that I don't understand.

artbabe21 · #7 02-10-2003, 10:48 PM

Slowdown.....great the poppy picture...you might want to search the Poppy Project, we did it in landscape forum and it was fun to see how differently everyone painted this picture...

Anyway I really like what you have done and CONGRATS on your first oil painting...you are doing VERY well and have a nice impressionistic flair going already!!

elizabeth ours · #8 02-10-2003, 11:26 PM

slowdown,

it's beautiful. i feel as though i could reach out and pick a poppy.

liz

WFMartin · #9 02-11-2003, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Isabella

Hi Bill, thanks for this tip! I've read in books that painters use this but they never told how to use it (i.e. dipping brush in with each time). Sometimes it's just those simple things that I don't understand.

Isabella, and all,

Another way is to smear some of that medium on with a brush, covering only the small area you intend to paint, and keeping it thin and not runny. Then using paint, perhaps only slightly thinned with the same medium, or dipping your brush as you work, paint into that smeared medium.

This works especially well if you know in advance the particular area you plan to paint. If you smear medium onto more area than you actually paint into during one sitting, nothing is harmed. Just let it dry, and begin anew next time you start up.

Bill

Slowdown · #10 02-11-2003, 08:52 AM

Wow, thanks everone for your comments, you have no idea how much it means to me.
guillot, thanks for your words.
Isabella, I didnt realise that you had changed your name and that balcony series will no be an oil series, lol, I am having a ball with these oils. I havnt touched my acrylics since I got these oils. I thought acrylics were fun, but the thickness and the butteryness of oils cant be beat, lol. Thanks.
WFMartin, thankyou. I have another painting that is drying, I will post it when its dry,..next week maybe , lol. But I am finding that I am thinking more about what I am doing rather than just throwing the paint onto the canvas and hoping for the best. Thankyou for your tip too, I had read somewhere that adding varnish to mediums was not a good practice so I had been keeping away from it, but if its going to help with drying times I will add it. Thanks.
erik_satie_rolls, thanks mate.
artbabe21, its a great picture and hopefully I have done it some sort of justice. I have been doing alot of looking at impressionist paintings, have quite a few books on the subject and it has helped me look at the brush strokes etc. Thanks.
elizabeth ours, thanks for looking and commenting.
Thanks again everyone.........

Isabella · #11 02-11-2003, 01:24 PM

Bill, that's a neat technique. I think I'll try that tonight with my oil sketch.

Slowdown, yes, I didn't put much thought into my name initially. Plus, as I am not teaching anymore but have gone back into the "field" so to speak, I thought a change would be nice.

Yes, I love these oils also! Although I still do really like the acrylics for certain things. My mum actually got me into the oils. They just looked like so much fun.

You should come over into the oil sketch thread and try it! It really helps to do them often.

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