Learning oil painting in Spain

Oil painting is a painting technique that requires work and dedication but is also very fun to learn. Not in vain, painting with oil is considered one of the most important artistic disciplines. 

In Creative Escapes we regularly offer oil painting workshops, precisely because we think it is a technique worth learning. 

But oil painting has its little things: the drying time is long, oil painting does not smell very good, you need turpentine (which does not smell good either) and it leaves permanent stains. On the other hand, oil painting has many positive characteristics: no other medium creates such homogeneous and realistic colours, and, especially for landscapes and portraits, oil paintings is probably the first and best painting choice.

Everything you need to know to learn about oil painting: whether you want to take off alone or participate in one of our painting workshops.

Beginnings of oil painting:

Painting with oil paints has its origin in the 14th century. The idea behind the development of oil painting was to achieve a durable painting technique and it has been achieved with the use of a variety of oils, such as linseed oil and poppy oil among others, as well as the addition of resins. This made the paint more durable and it has drastically prolonged the drying time of the paint. In addition, as an added benefit, the tones of the oil paints became brighter.

Trigal with crows, oil painting by Vincent van Gogh.

The momentum and consequent widespread popularity of oil painting in the Renaissance had its origin in several factors, but mostly it was due to the improved durability of the material and the brightness achieved in the paint applied. Later, another important milestone was the invention in the 19th century of the paint tube, through which the oil paint was protected from drying out.

Some of the most important references in oil painting are the well-known artists Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne and Claude Monet.

Print, rising sun, oil painting by Claude Monet.

This is  the rise of Impressionism, when a work by French painter Claude Monet was disparagingly labeled by one critic as "Impressionist". 

It was because the oil paint was mixed at the site where the work was done, in this case in a port, and applied directly, quickly and paste-like to the canvas. Working with color as a material became easier and easier and this allowed the painters to experiment with new concepts.

What is oil painting ?

Oil painting consists of colour pigments and hardening oils such as linseed oil or poppy oil 

Because of the oils it contains, it is relatively odor-intensive and should only be used in well-ventilated rooms. The use of oil paints requires some knowledge and caution. Always apply the fastest drying thin layers of paint first and only then the thickest, slower drying ones. Otherwise, the layers of paint could break due to the stress that arises during drying

Beautiful tubes of oil paint!

Oil painting mixtures

Much of the magic and fun of oil paintings is the art of mixing colors. Oil paints are very easy to mix with each other and we usually use a palette of paint as a surface. This palette is usually made of wood or plastic and has a hole with which it can be held. 

Since white is the most commonly used color, many teachers recommend placing it in the middle and then placing the other colors around it. The space between the white and the other colors can then be used to mix and generate endless variations. 

Typical palette with oil.

How to dilute oil paint

The oil paint can be diluted with different special agents. For example, the low-odour turpentine developed specifically for this purpose has proven to be very useful. In addition to diluting oil paints, turpentine can also be used to clean brushes. 

Also, when mixed with dried paint residue, it may be possible to reuse the paint. Another benefit of turpentine is that by diluting the paint with it, the drying time of the oil paint is considerably improved. 

The more the oil paint is diluted, the less opaque the colours will be, as the density of the pigment becomes correspondingly lower.

Diluting the paint.

Staining is fun (sometimes)

Removing oil paint from clothes is quite difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, we must make sure beforehand to use old or already painted clothes, to cover the floor well and also to protect the work table. 

If you get a stain, you can cover the still wet paint stain with baby powder and press it lightly. After one or two hours, you can vacuum the dust off and remove the paint residue by rubbing the stain with a cloth, warm water and a little soap. 

If the stain had already dried, you can put some cooking oil on it and then do the procedure with the talcum powder. If the paint has fallen on the floor, it can be cleaned with a cloth and turpentine. You can clean it with a little water and dishwashing detergent. 

Oil painting techniques

In Creative Scapes our objective is to be able to spread the work of different artists and with this to be able to teach different artistic techniques. Each artist shows his or her technique. 

Our goal in this article is not to mention the countless oil painting techniques. But since we are in Madrid and one of the nearby museums we have here is the Joaquín Sorolla Museum, we could start by mentioning the Alla Prima technique, of which the mentioned artist was an exponent. 

Oil painting technique: Alla Prima 

Alla Prima, or wet on wet, refers to a direct style of painting where the paint is applied without allowing the previous layers to dry. Artists using this technique can often finish paintings in just one session

This technique differs from the more traditional method of painting layer by layer, where the paint is allowed to dry between each layer. Artists often accumulated many layers (sometimes more than 50) before considering the painting as complete. Obviously, this was a very time-consuming method of painting, as oil painting can take anywhere from a few days to a few months before it is completely dry.

Alla prima painting was practiced by many of the Impressionist masters, as it made it possible for them to capture light as quickly as possible. Some of the famous artists who painted alla prima were John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Joaquin Sorolla.

Cala de San Vicente, by Joaquín Sorolla. Source: Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia
Oil painting technique: Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro means "dark light" in Italian. In drawing and painting, it refers to the balance and structure of light and dark in the work of art. Chiaroscuro originated in the Renaissance period, where artists created strong contrasts between light and dark to make three-dimensional forms have a dramatic effect. In general, chiaroscuro is only mentioned in works of art with a dominant contrast between light and dark.

Some of the most famous artists who used this technique were Caravaggio and Rembrandt.

Caravaggio was a reference in the artistic movement of Tenebrism, where chiaroscuro was used to dramatize violent contrasts between light and darkness. 

A fable, by El Greco.

Oil painting technique: Mixture (or fusion)

Fusion or mixing is a painting technique in which two different colors are slightly mixed when wet, giving a smooth transition from one color to another. The transition color will be a product of the two colors combined (that is, if you are mixing blue with yellow, the transition color will be green). Mixing requires the paint to be wet, which is a problem when painting with acrylics as the paint tends to dry extremely quickly. The mixing technique is much more popular with oil paint as the paint remains wet and versatile for much more time.

Mixing is probably one of the most overused techniques by beginning painters, as it aims to create a very smooth and 'realistic' painting. However, excessive mixing can make the paint look very plastic and too refined.

Mixing is much more effective when used in moderation and only when necessary. While up close the paint may look rough, as one moves backwards, all the brushstrokes and broken colors will optically blend and create the illusion of form.

Two young men, by John Singer Sargent.

Where and how to learn oil painting in Spain

The art academies in Spain are a good option when it comes to beginning the oil technique. The only problem is that it requires greater commitment, regular attendance and a monthly fee. 

Doing a short and intensive workshop is probably one of the best options, because you can be deeply involved with this painting technique in a flexible way while you enjoy and get inspired from a beautiful Spain city.

The world of oil painting is fascinating and we encourage you to be part of it. It only requires the desire to learn but it is not difficult if you put energy into it, and you can meet very interesting people in the process. If you have any doubts about how to join our courses, do not hesitate to contact us.