Why has oil painting artists for over five centuries? The answer lies in its unique connection of technical brilliance and artistic expressiveness. Pigments, bound in drying oils, create that characteristic luminosity that marks the masterpieces from Rembrandt to van Gogh. This traditional painting technique is not considered to be the supreme discipline of classical painting without reason.
The slow drying of the oil paints opens up opportunities that other painting techniques can only dream of: time for corrections, space for experiments, opportunity for perfection.
While the wet-in-wet method enables gentle color transitions, the pastose impasto the powerful structures that bring van Gogh's sunflowers Caravaggios dramatic chiaroscuro with its strong light-dark contrasts is offset by the subtle grisaille technology of the early renaissance-each method has its own universe of artistic possibilities.
But what can contemporary artists learn from these old masters? Far more than just manual skills. Her methodical approach, your understanding of light and shadow, your patience in the layer structure - all of this forms a foundation of timeless image design, which is still valid today.
Understand the basics of oil painting
The painter should not just paint what he sees in front of him, but also what he sees. But if he does not see anything in himself, he also undermines what he sees in front of him. "
- Caspar David Friedrich , German romantic landscape painter, master of light and symbolism
Understanding the basics means learning the language of oil painting. Without this foundation, even the greatest artistic talent remains silent.
What is oil painting?
Oil painting works according to a simple principle: pigments are mixed with drying oils as a binder and applied to primed image carriers. Linseed oil, walnut oil and poppy seed oil form the backbone of this technology, supplemented by saflor oil and sunflower oil. This combination gives oil paints its characteristic consistency and incomparable processability.
As a “classic supreme discipline” of painting, oil painting enjoys its reputation for unsurpassed durability and color brilliance. While Europe has known this technology since the 13th century, there are already traces from the 7th century in the Near East.
Jan van Eyck , the Dutch champion of the 15th century, is one of the most important pioneers of this painting technology. His innovations laid the foundation for a development that has inspired artists every style for centuries.
Why is the drying time crucial?
The decisive difference is in the drying process. Oil paints dry from the surface to the image carrier by absorption from oxygen - a chemical process that keeps them "open" for hours. This property makes corrections and revisions possible, which would be unthinkable in other painting techniques.
Various factors influence the drying time significantly:
- The type of oils used
- The pigments used
- The surface
- Climatic conditions
- The layer thickness
The different drying behavior of the pigments is particularly fascinating. Dry cobalt, iron cyan blue or natural earths within 1-2 days, while soot or dioxazine need about 14 days. Titan and zinc pigments are in the middle area with 3-5 days.
A completely dried oil picture takes about a year - especially with thick applied colors. This property is a blessing and curse at the same time: it enables lengthy revisions, but can drive more impatient artists to despair.
The rule 'fat on lean' explains
"Fat on lean" - this basic rule decides on the success or failure of an oil painting. Every new layer of color must be more oil -containing than the previous one. The reason is the chemistry of the drying process.
Oil paint does not dry by evaporation such as watercolor, but by chemical reaction with oxygen. During this process, the color swells. A meager layer on a fat underground inevitably leads to cracks, since the upper layer tears when the lower ones dry.
The practical implementation is simple: you start with diluted, lean layers and gradually increase the oil content. When painting layers, you could start with 100% solvents and then continuously add more oil. Anyone who disregards this rule risks cracked or overflowing layers of paint.
What do you need for oil painting?
The basic equipment for the start is manageable:
- Oil paints : 6-8 colors are sufficient for the beginning. The primary colors red, yellow and blue plus black and white form the foundation.
- Brush : Different sizes and shapes, adapted to the painting ground.
- Malgrund : primed canvas, paint cardboard or special oil painting paper.
- Accessories : mixing palette, paint knife, solvents such as turpentine, painting agents such as linseed oil and varnish for sealing.
In oil paints, a distinction is made between artist colors with a higher pigment content and cheaper studio colors. Artist colors are more expensive, but are more predictable and more durable and more light -resistant when mixing.
With this equipment and understanding of the basic principles, nothing stands in the way of starting the fascinating world of oil painting.
Preparatory techniques of the old masters
The extraordinary quality and resistance of the masterpieces of Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci or Jan van Eyck is based on more than just artistic talent. Their methodical preparation of each individual work step formed the invisible foundation for paintings that were to last for centuries. This care was by no means an end in itself, but well thought -out strategy.
Accompanying as a composition aid
Rembrandt always started his works with loose designations on a tinted surface. This accompaniment, also "undertaking" , already determined the basic composition and tonal values. He often used monochrome grisaille backlets to define light and shadow conditions before the color elaboration followed.
The effect of this technology is only revealed at the finished work: colors of the background shimmer through the following layers and decisively influence the overall effect. A gray accompaniment makes light colored areas shine more intensely later, while dark surfaces create more depth. Rott tones in the background reinforce orange surfaces, but green tones weaken red areas.
This first layer was always carried out in a relaxed, surface sometimes - glazing or half -covering. Pastose brush strokes avoided the masters at this stage, since such structures have been disturbing in the later layers.
Primer for better liability
"A picture is always as durable as its surface" - this old painting wisdom took the old masters very seriously. Rembrandt preferred a two -layer primer: first a base layer of red -brown pigments, followed by a lighter mixture of lead white, charcoal and umbra. This two -color primer already determined the basic mood of his works.
The order took place in a circle from the center of the picture to the edges. This procedure prevented the canvas from being forgiven, since the primer pulled together evenly and did tension. Without this careful preparation, the oil of the colors would move into the painting ground and withdraw the binder - with fatal consequences for durability.
Sketches and tonals studies
Before the first brush strokes touched the actual painting, countless preparatory studies were created. Tonal studies in monochrome grayscale train the eye for subtle variations in light and shadow. This concentration on contrasts and transitions, without distraction by color or pattern, formed the basis for the later realism of her works.
Coal outlines were pre -sketched with coal and then slightly blurred, so that only weak lines remained visible. By brushing away from this coal drawing, the oil paint, which was applied later, could have an unadulterated effect.
These methodical preparations may seem time -consuming, but they created the solid foundation on which the masterpieces of art history could be created. Even today, these proven techniques offer contemporary artists valuable knowledge for their own practice.
Classic painting techniques at an overview
Six classic techniques form the heart of oil painting. Each method opens its own worlds of expression and was developed for perfection by the old masters.
Alla-Prima: Direct painting in a session
Fran's neck revolutionized painting with its direct, impetuous brush stroke. His Alla-Prima technology -from the Italian "to the first" -turned the traditional layer process on the head. Instead of weeks of preparation, the painting was created in a single operation, spontaneous and powerful.
This method requires courage and determination. Without a designation or background, color meets canvas directly. The impressionists recognized the potential of this technology for their light experiments - no wonder that Monet his water lilies alla to capture fleeting lighting moods.
Laze technology: The alchemy of light
Rembrandt's secret was in glaze technology . Layer by layer, thin like tissue paper, he built up his paintings. The light penetrates through these transparent layers of color, is reflected and creates the mystical depth that made its portraits immortal.
Patience is the key. Each layer has to dry completely before the next follows. This technique explains why a single Rembrandt painting took months-and why it still shines after 400 years.
Wet-in-wet: poetry of the merger
When colors dance, magic happens. With wet-in-wet technology, moist colors merge directly on the canvas and create transitions of fantastic softness. This method requires intuition - too many colors can cloud the luminosity, but if you master it, atmospheres arise from unreality.
Impasto: When color becomes a sculpture material
Van Gogh tortured color like a sculptor sound. Its pastoses structures catch the light and turn flat canvas into plastic landscapes. The Italian word "Impasto" means dough - and in fact van Gogh's sunflowers baked reliefs full of life and movement.
Titian, Rembrandt and later Monet masterfully dominated this technology. Malmeters and coarse brushes became their tools to design light, shadow and emotion in three dimensions.
Grisaille: The power of reduction
Gray can speak. The Grisaille technique is deliberately limited to gray, black and white tones and focuses on the essentials: shape, light and composition. It often served as an accompaniment for later layers of paint, but some masters completed whole works in this reduced palette.
Chiaroscuro: drama of light and darkness
Around 1600, Caravaggio created an visual language of revolutionary power. His Chiaroscuro -the Italian name for "light-dark"-catapulted figures from the deepest blackness into the glowing light. This technology became the language of drama, taken over by Rembrandt, Georges de la Tour and Diego Velázquez.
The most extreme Chiaroscuro was called Tenebrismo - Painting of Darkness, in which only a few lighting accents break through the darkness and tell stories of haunting intensity.
Tools and their application
The right tool decides on the character of an oil painting. There is often only the conscious choice of brushes, knives and pallets between a mediocre and an outstanding work of art.
Brush species and their effects
Four basic types determine the oil painting: flat brush , round brush , catzoons brush and fan brush . Everyone creates their own manuscript. Pork bristle brushes the pastose consistency of the oil color effortlessly and leave the lively structures that give painting energy. For precise details, artists grab soft marten hair or iltipinsules- they gently slide over the screen and enable the finest lines.
With time, brushes develop personality. New brushes create even colored areas, while painted brushes leave more irregular, more lively traces. This patina makes her an esteemed tools of experienced painters. Nursing with washingerpentine after each use secures her durability.
Painting knife for texture and structure
Malmeters are much more than auxiliary tools - they are instruments of design. The wooden handle, the flexible stainless steel blade, the angled shape: everything serves a purpose. The parallel hand position to the canvas enables controlled color application and spontaneous structure formation.
These versatile tools not only mix colors on the palette. They apply pasty colors, scratch areas, pull sharp lines or create structured surfaces. The combination of brush strokes and knife technology in one work creates attractive contrasts - a method that has already mastered Courbet and later the impressionists.
Pallets and mixing techniques
The classic wooden pallet in A4 format remains the standard, although modern alternatives made of plastic or disposable paper pallets offer practical advantages. A white palette is recommended - it enables the most loyal color assessment.
Oil paints are not stirred, but passed in back and forth movements with the knife surface. This technique prevents air bubbles and receives the color intensity. Small glass containers are better suited for fluid glaze techniques than the large palette.
Keeping the palette Dried color residues contaminate fresh mixtures and cloud the color brilliance. A cloth and some turpentine are enough - preferably right after painting as long as the colors are still soft.
What we can learn from the old masters
The abundance I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration. "
- Claude Monet , French painter , founder of Impressionism
In addition to pure craftsmanship, the old masters open us insights into timeless principles of image design. Their approach was characterized by methodological care and a tireless pursuit of artistic perfection - properties that can still inspire any serious artists today.
Observation of light and shadow
Leonardo da Vinci already distinguished in the 15th century precisely between lucle - the beaming light - and lumen , the light that comes from the illuminated object itself. His famous Sfumato technique with the blurring contours created the smoky, nebulous atmosphere that still captivates the viewer today.
Caravaggio, on the other hand, developed the dramatic Tenebrismo: hard, directed light highlights its figures from the dark and reveals internal tensions with a theatrical force. Rembrandt in turn used light darkness effects to make mental sensitivities of his portrayed visible. Each of these masters understood light not only as a technical element, but as a language of emotion.
Patience and layer structure
Common to everyone was the methodological work in strata. After completely drying of each level, the fascinating deep light was created through glazing color application that gives oil paintings its special luminosity. For months it was possible to work on a single work - a patience that seems almost anachronistic in our fast -moving times.
This technology not only required time, but also discipline. Intermediate dryings were essential to prevent "overgrown" A lesson in self -control that goes far beyond the picturesque.
Color choice and symbolism
Natural colors shone under the microscope like starry sky made of countless crystals. Their extraordinary brilliance was created by greater light reflection, and they were also much more light -resistant than artificial pigments. The medieval artists performed their colors in and uncomfortably - a purity that followed strict symbolic rules.
Jesus appeared with Golden Aureole, Maria and Christ, Red and Blue robes were presented, while Judas was portrayed in yellow. This color symbolism was not a coincidence, but part of a visual language that every viewer understood.
Technology as a means of expression
Michelangelo, Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci - everyone developed their own "recipe" , their distinctive handwriting. The craft never served as an end in itself, but as a vehicle of artistic expression. The presentation often made “half the rent” of the picture and significantly determined its picturesque quality.
These masters teach us: Technology without vision remains empty, but vision without craftsmanship is powerless. Only the connection between the two elements creates timeless art.
The timeless wisdom of oil painting
Why do some works of art survive centuries while others are forgotten? The answer is not only in the choice of technology, but in the way art artists master them and use it for their expression. With its unique versatility, oil painting offers a tool that enables spontaneous alla-prima work as well as glaze paintings, which is well thought out for months.
What distinguished the old masters was their uncompromising devotion to quality. Every step - from the primer to the final glaze - was thought through with great care. This methodical approach distinguishes masterpieces of mere exercises. Rembrandt spent months with a single portrait, Caravaggio perfected his dramatic play of light through countless studies.
Chiaroscuro, Grisaille, Impasto - these techniques are much more than historical curiosities. They form a lively vocabulary artistic expression that still develops its strength today. In its own way, each method tells stories of light and shadow, of texture and depth.
But the most valuable treasure that the old masters left us lies beyond all technology: their ability to observe. Leonardo da Vinci's precise distinction between radiant and reflective light, Rembrandt's psychological penetration of his models - these qualities do not arise from brushes and color alone.
Anyone who finds oil painting today enters into a centuries -old tradition. The tools may have changed, the basic principles remain. Patience in the structure, respect for the material, respect for the light - these virtues of the old masters still lead to convincing results.
Oil painting demands dedication and time. To do this, she rewarded the artists with possibilities that no other technology offers: the ability to capture atmosphere, make emotions visible and make light to speak. Every hour of studies, every drop of the varnish is an investment in this timeless art language.
For further information, instructions and entry-level guides on oil painting, we recommend the following contact points:
- malen-am-meer.de/malerei/oelmalerei/trockungszeiten-von-oelfarben/
- www.oelbilder-oelmalerei.de/ausfuehrlicher-ratber-zur- drying time-von-oelfarben-1-teil/
- www.blog.schnaud.de/2021/05/oelmalerei-fuer-anfaenger-alle-tipps-rund-einen-guten-start-in-malen-mit-oelfarben/
- royaltaltaltenskreivstudio.de/kreativ-blog/oelmalerei-ein-starter-guide/
- www.blog.schnaud.de/2019/05/oelmalerei-grundeitungen/
Owner and managing director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor and passionate blogger in the field of art, design and creativity since 2011. Successful conclusion in web design as part of a university degree (2008). Further development of creativity techniques through courses in free drawing, expression painting and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market through many years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with actors/institutions from art and culture.
