Oil Sketching

An exhibit of eighteenth and nineteenth century artworks, Studying Nature:  Oil Sketches from the Thaw Collection, is on display at The Morgan Library & Museum, New York City, through August 30.  More than thirty works in the exhibition chronicle the history of a practice that was used during the late eighteenth century and remained vital until the dawn of Impressionism. (www.themorgan.org)

The works on display include those by late 18^th C. pioneers such as Pierre-Henri Valenciennes, Simon Denis and Francois-Marius Granet and 19^th C. practitioners such as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and John Constable.  Representing the late stages of the oil sketch concurrent with the dawn of Impressionism are works by Eugene Isabey and Charles-Francois Daubigny.  French, British, German, Belgian, Scandinavian and Italian artists working in their homelands and abroad as well are featured.

Curiosity about the methods and materials used brought about some interesting information as to the reasons and acceptance of these finished works that began as quick studies.  Because oil painting was the accepted medium of the time, use of that material is not surprising.  The use of oil on paper is considered unusual only because paper was, and remains, considered a less-than-permanent material upon which to paint.  When one realizes that most of these works were studies, ways to capture an image in a short time without worry of longevity or permanence, the artists used what they had on the least expensive ground.  By today’s standards, that makes sense and it did then as well.

Paper is a very absorbent surface and holds well the oil paint applied.  There are several reasons why this is an advantage, especially for field and location work.  The very style of this work is somewhat abbreviated and lacks much of the detail most often associated with finished works in oil.  But because of this spontaneous nature, many of the artists loved doing these preliminary sketches.  Many of the works in the Morgan display are more complete than what is usually considered a sketch. Sketches are usually thought of as an experimental process.  But these works prove that sketches can be acclaimed just as can a finished artwork.  As the works in this exhibition show, many of the more refined oil sketches were small, intimate and drew the viewer close.  This was another aspect that made their use popular.

Curiosity continued to motivate, and research into oil sketching provided some very intriguing details.  In the early 17^th century the oil sketch became widely used.  It continued with considerable practice through the time that Impressionism captured artists’ fancy.  Location work was often hindered by weather changes, winds and other hardships.  Artists used sketches to capture quick studies of their surroundings so that the emotion and feel of the scene could be retrieved for more thorough work at a later time.

Artists such as Rubens used oil sketches heavily to capture the many gestures of the human form.  He had a huge influence on other artists, who used oil sketches for purposes other than finished works.  Printmaking was also part of the oil sketch ethic, as the wet painting could be echoed if pressed before it dried.

Translating the materials and techniques into today’s application, it is a simple thing, indeed, to do oil sketches.  We have many more grounds upon which to work and we have coatings such as acrylic medium to finish the surface.  With such a surface treatment, the oil will not penetrate and is workable for longer periods of time.  Rag papers, illustration boards and the like make great base materials for oil.  Other odd and unusual surfaces can also be prepped to take oil.  Cotton fabric can be adhered with rabbit skin glue to create a unique and versatile surface.

Quick drying oils available today make the oil sketch (especially that done in the field) a very practical recording device.  Studies done in this material will dry quickly enough that you can use a pad or spiral notebook of pages without worry of smearing.  With conventional oils, the paint will remain soft for longer periods; and in some applications, that is good, too.

Try it for yourself.  Oil sketching done outdoors offers a wider window of workability when compared to using acrylics.  And capturing the essence of a moment in time is fun.  With oil you can do it easier and perhaps rekindle a practice enjoyed in the 17^th and 18^th centuries.