Idiot needs help about oil paints

[TrineWitch]

Yup, I need help. I'm just about to take on my first painting using oils. However, I'm getting pretty confused with what I should do.

I'm hoping for a mainly red, white and black colour scheme, but how do I lay down a base coat? Should I lay down a base coat? I've looked up many different things but I get confused with all the jargon.

Also, what exactly is linseed oil used for? Most tutorials mention it, but... I dunno, I think I'm missing the obvious.

[Naino]

EDIT. Well, it seems 6 am really isn't the time to answer to these questions! I apologise for the wrong information, I should have checked things before babbling (it's just 'drying linseed oil' that does that). Just wanted to help, since nobody had said anything in five days. Sorry again, and good luck in painting. Thank you Elwell.

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I'm afraid I can't help you with the first question...By base coat, do you mean the base colour for your painting or the canvas coat (like gesso or rabbit-skin glue)?

According to my knowledge, linseed oil (I've seen 'purified' and 'stand oil' on our school shelves, people usually use the purified linseed oil for painting though) is mainly used for quicker drying of the paint. It also creates transparent colours and glossy surface since, well, it's oil. If you do 'layer painting' (or whatever the correct english equivalent for the style is) you usually have to increase the amount of linseed oil in your solvent, since your oil colours won't stick if the stuff you're supposed to paint on is oilier than them. Our teacher calls it something like "From thin to oilier" principle. But, the more you put linseed oil, the quicker the paint dries and the glossier your layers become.

The often used mix for solvent is one third of turpentine, one third of linseed oil and one third of dammar varnish ( dammar varnish is a transparent liquid that makes a glossy protection layer on a finished painting, it balances the differences in 'glossiness'...I don't remember why we use it in the solvent D: Gotta check the hand-outs...). You might want to start from that, and then continue experimenting by changing the amounts, using different variations and so. I know our teacher just puts 'about a cup of this, a little swing of that" so maybe I'm not the best person to ask about these things.

[Elwell]

According to my knowledge, linseed oil (I've seen 'purified' and 'stand oil' on our school shelves, people usually use the purified linseed oil for painting though) Actually, stand oil or other bodied oils are used more frequently than plain refined oil in mediums.is mainly used for quicker drying of the paint.Linseed oil, unless it has driers added, will slow down the drying of the paint, not speed it up.If you do 'layer painting' (or whatever the correct english equivalent for the style is) you usually have to increase the amount of linseed oil in your solvent, since your oil colours won't stick if the stuff you're supposed to paint on is oilier than them. Our teacher calls it something like "From thin to oilier" principle.In English, "fat over lean."The often used mix for solvent is one third of turpentine and one third of linseed oil and one third of dammar varnish ( dammar varnish is a transparent liquid that makes a glossy protection layer on a finished painting, it balances the differences in 'glossiness'...I don't remember why we use it in the solvent D: Gotta check the hand-outs...).Yes, maybe you'd better.You might want to start from that, and then continue experimenting by changing the amounts, using different variations and so. I know our teacher just 'about a cup of this, a little swing of that" so maybe I'm not the best person to ask about these things.Perhaps not.

TrineWitch, have you tried searching here for info? There's a ton of it.