Oil Painting Technique

Oil painting is one of the most traditional methods of painting, very versatile and adaptable, and most widely used medium of visual expression.

There are many techniques of doing oil painting. It's important for every beginner to get acquainted with as many of them as possible.

If you ever want to develop your own style, then learning and practicing different oil painting techniques is a must. On this page we'll go through some of the most common ones.

Fat Over Lean

Fat over lean is one of the basic techniques of oil painting that you have to learn. It's got to do with drying times. Fat oil paint, which is paint straight from the tube, dries slower than lean paint, which is paint mixed with more turpentine. If you paint lean over fat, then the lean layer could be subject to cracking when the fat layer dries underneath it. The rule to remember is that every layer must be fatter than the one beneath it.

Glazing

Glazing is a technique of painting transparent thin colors over a dried underpainting. It's usually dark color painted over a lighter one. Each layer must be dry before applying additional layers. Glazing can produce wonderful effects.

Scumbling

Scumbling is a technique similar to glazing, only the other way around. Thin layer of light opaque paint is placed over a layer of darker paint.

Alla Prima

Alla prima or direct painting is a technique of painting directly on the canvas with no underpainting. The work is usually completed in one sitting without waiting for the paint to dry. Alla prima is an Italian phrase meaning "on the first", which could roughly translate as "all at once". This is a very popular technique among modern painters, but requires a lot of confidence and a quick, sure hand. Don't worry if you are a beginner, just take your time and go at your own pace.

Wet into Wet

Wet into wet is a technique of adding fresh wet paint into existing, still wet layers. It's a technique of blending. It's just what it says - wet paint into wet paint.

Palette Knife Painting

Palette knifes can be used for more than just mixing your paints. Using a palette knife to paint can be very exciting and rewarding. It's quick and expressive. A great way to create impasto effects.

You don't have to pick and choose only one technique, it's best to experiment and see which one suits you best. If you want to learn more, take a look at Learn & Master Painting. Be versatile, experiment, and have fun.