Oil

Oil Paints

Painting is nearly as old as civilization, dating back to the ancient Mediterranean Greeks, Romans and Egyptians.  Their techniques of mixing encaustics (wax) and natural minerals are well documented.  Basic colorants were those found naturally in their landscape.  Those minerals initially included copper, manganese oxide and iron and the wax was most likely bees wax.  Oils such as flax oil, walnut and poppy seed were used in culinary applications, but there is no evidence of them being used in paintings of this period.  Tempera (dry colorant made of minerals and oxides and then combined with binder and water) was combined with essential oils to make a more resilient material.  Often the oil was used as a covering over a tempera work to stabilize the art.  The tempera binders used by Italian artisans included such things as whole egg, milk or animal glue. 

By the end of the Roman Empire and up to the Renaissance (15^th century), these ancient techniques were all but abandoned.  At that time Italian and Greek artists used olive oil in their secret process of creating oil paints.  This secrecy of the Italian and Greek formulas allowed their dominance of the painting world for nearly three centuries. The use of olive oil did, however, greatly lengthen the drying time of the paint.  During this time, drying oils - those that aided in hastening drying times - were introduced.  Some of the early examples included linseed oil, with poppy seed and walnut oils being used to a lesser degree.  All these oils were aided with the heat of the sun for speeding the drying of the paints.  Some choices were less inclined to crack, yellow and darken than the linseed oil.

One of the first examples of this radical new technique is van Eyck’s famous painting Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife – The Wedding Portrait (1434).  This painting clearly displays the effect of multi layering (what is now referred to as glazing) and the visual brilliance it projects.  The layers of oil, dried between applications, allowed for pigments to float and create a translucence and color intensity not before seen.  From this time on, it is oil paint and the results it gives that make paintings in that media so appealing.  Leonardo da Vinci improved the technique by slowly boiling the oil with an addition of bees wax.  The resulting media did not darken as much as the components without wax.  Other artists such as Tintoretto and Rubens studied earlier formulas and created their own, proving that artists were personally responsible for calculating and formulating their own paints. 

While it takes far more than technique to create a masterpiece, the methods of the time have endured with gradual modification/alteration and are researched and practiced by artists to this day.  How oils are made today is also similar to their original components but they are far more refined and scientifically calculated.   To insure a stable compound and colors that can be trusted from tube to tube/purchase to purchase, those calculations are closely guarded and monitored for extreme quality.  Non-edible oils are the backbone of formulas that can stand the elements and give workable performance to even the most discriminating artist.  Today, specialized oils such as bladderpod, sandmat, ironweed and calendula plant extracts are used to increase resistance and to decrease drying time.  The superior drying qualities, along with non-yellowing appearance and enhanced surface strength, made these oils more appealing. 

Although the luminosity of oils is never questioned, there are certain qualities of working in oils that are worth consideration.  The media is still slow drying when compared to almost any other media.  That can be a good thing if working in abbreviated sessions is your style.   Quick painters must develop a way to continue their approach.  Oil is easily blended with paint that is already on the surface.  Until dry, reworking is easy and often becomes a “style” all its own.  On-canvas blending is part of the beauty of this soft, malleable paint.  Vivid and dynamic colors are possible in oil, more than almost any other media.  Air does not cause an evaporation of oil paint as it does with water media.  Instead, oils oxidize into a dry, strong surface.  As an oil painting dries, the molecules of the paint bond to form a permanent and very resilient surface.  It can be said that an oil painting never stops changing. 

Pigments used in oil paints can be toxic.  Copper, arsenic sulfide and others of lesser danger are components in the creation of oils.  The thinners and cleaning materials, turpentine and odorless mineral spirits, are toxic if mishandled.  Therefore, always exercise caution and never eat, drink or smoke in the painting studio.

In summary, if you are not an oil painter, it is a medium that is well worth trying.  The luminous qualities, the translucency possible and the colors available are very exciting and offer much experimentation.  And remember to thank all the artists from centuries ago for all they contributed to today’s materials.  See your retailer and visit www.davincipaints.com and www.savoirfaire.com.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 18 No. 2 — December 2007