Q: Practical tips on oil painting

[Boogieman]

I recently got a set of W&N artisan water soluble oils and I got some questions before I start painting. I think I got all I need in my setup: the paint, water soluble linseed oil, an easel, canvas (cotton), a palette, a palette knife and some brushes. I made a list of questions, will appreciate any answers.

1. Are there really no differences painting with water soluble oils compared to regular oils, except for the turp?

2. The brushes I got are sable/synth. (W&N sceptre gold II) in alot of sizes, both flat and round. They work great for painting gouache, will they do just as good for painting oils?

3. I live in a small apartment and I sleep in the same room I paint in. Will the fumes kill me? (No turp I know, but still, I hear the paint is toxic too)

4. Can I leave paint out of the tube for a day before I continue to paint or is it gonna "go bad"? Can I revive dried paint by adding linseed oil or does that fuck it up?

5. Fat over thin. That just means add more linseed oil in each subsequent layer of paint, right?

6. What's the point of buying linen canvas when cotton is so much cheaper?

Thanks for your time.

[Elwell]

Most of your questions have already been answered... do a search for "oils" or "oil paints" or "oil questions" or...

1. I'm not a big fan of water "soluble" (no such thing, actually- it's miscable) oils. I think they're stupid. You can't thin them with water the same way you could with solvent, and there are ways of using real oils without turps. But since you already have them, they'll do for now.
2. Those will be fine if you're using the paint fairly thinly. You might want to pick up some bristles, too. Do be aware that using your brushes with oil wil probably ruin them for use with watermedia.
3. "I hear the paint is toxic too" Oh please :rolleyes:. Do you smoke? Eat fried food? Ride in or walk in front of motor vehicles? Use household cleaners?
4. Some colors dry faster than others. Many will stay wet on your palette for days, but some may skin over quickly. Even if they do, the soft paint undernesth is still usable. Once oils really start to dry, they can't be "revived" by adding oil or solvent. It's a chemical change, not a physical one like with gouache.
5. It's fat over lean. But yeah, basically.(It's actually more complicated than that, and using water miscables makes it harder, but don't get all bent out of shape. You won't be painting anything that deserves to last 500 years for a while anyway)
6.They're different. Why would someone buy a Lexus when a Saturn will get you from one place to another just as well?

[glikster]

"I hear the paint is toxic too" Oh please :rolleyes:. Do you smoke? Eat fried food? Ride in or walk in front of motor vehicles? Use household cleaners?

...but don't get all bent out of shape. You won't be painting anything that deserves to last 500 years for a while anyway)
6.They're different. Why would someone buy a Lexus when a Saturn will get you from one place to another just as well?
You, sir, are my idol.

[Boogieman]

They call me lazy for a reason...

How would you use real oils without turps? I still got the reset for those water miscable ones. About the toxicity thing, it's just what I heard. Better safe then dead you know? Thanks for the answers.

[dbclemons]

:blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah: :rolleyes:
...
1. Are there really no differences painting with water soluble oils compared to regular oils, except for the turp?

Not really, you should follow the same rules with these as you'd follow for regular oils. They're made with oils and pigment also. The oil TYPE is usually a plant oil like safflower, with an added siccative to make them water mixable. Each brand of these handles that in a different way, but that's basically it. Some brands have better quality colors than others too.

...2. The brushes I got are sable/synth. (W&N sceptre gold II) in alot of sizes, both flat and round. They work great for painting gouache, will they do just as good for painting oils?

Synthetic brushes will work fine.

...3. I live in a small apartment and I sleep in the same room I paint in. Will the fumes kill me? (No turp I know, but still, I hear the paint is toxic too)

It's only toxic if you eat it, so don't do that and you'll live ;).

4. Can I leave paint out of the tube for a day before I continue to paint or is it gonna "go bad"? Can I revive dried paint by adding linseed oil or does that fuck it up?

The paint as it came from the tube will be as wet as long as regular oils, or maybe a bit longer, so leaving it out for a day or two is okay. It might harden on the outside film, but you can break that open and dig it out sometimes. If you keep it covered it'll dry more slowly.

5. Fat over thin. That just means add more linseed oil in each subsequent layer of paint, right?

"Fat over lean." Yes, more or less. For the first layer you can use just paint from the tube and water in the initial layer, and then cover that with a layer that has more medium. When that dries each additional layer should have more medium in it than the one below it (fatter.) Don't overdo the water or medium volume; use only as much as you need. It's not watercolor.

6. What's the point of buying linen canvas when cotton is so much cheaper?

Linen is better quality. It's more dense than cotton, and has been proven to last longer. Cotton is cheaper mainly because it's used in more products so it's easier to come by. The only benefit that cotton may have is it's easier to stretch and has a more regular pattern in the weave. If you choose cotton, get a dense weave with a high weight (12-14oz.)

-DBC

[DavePalumbo]

The only benefit that cotton ... has a more regular pattern in the weave

funny, I count that as a strike against it. to each his own

[dbclemons]

That they BOTH have a weave is a strike against them, in my book. It's a reason why I prefer panels. Cotton also can get chunks of the outer hull of the cotton boll in them at times, more of a problem when buying rolls.

-DBC

[Boogieman]

Thanks dbc, very very helpful.

[Dizon]

don't be so pedantic. You're just starting and learning anyway, so you don't need to get expensive stuff like linen.