Getting Introduced To Oil Painting
Chapter 1: Brief History of Oil Painting
Oil Painting is a fairly new form of art. It is the
process of painting with the use of pigments that
are bound together with a medium of drying oil,
particularly in early modern Europe, the linseed
oil. This usage of oil in combination with other
pigments to do painting counts back to 1400. There
have been many variations in the art form of oil
painting from that era to today’s date. But the
basics remain the same.
In Europe, fifteenth century was considered as the
transitional period. It was at this time, that some
scope of reality was visualized in art forms. Art
was undergoing a huge transformation from the
ornamental and mythological style of the middle
age, to a period of rebirth and revival. This also
marked the beginning of Renaissance.
There grew a sense of realization among the
artists, who began to understand the mathematical
laws and this led to a bunch of budding artists who
were keen in portraying sincere and realistic
things in nature. These artists initiated the use
of ‘nature’ as an inspirational source for their
paintings.
1.1 Story of Invention
It was at this time when Jan Van Eyck (1395-1441),
a northern renaissance painter wished to portray
nature in detail in his paintings. He wanted to
bring forth every bit of scenic beauty to the
canvas through his painting brush. Painting nature
in a way that it looks scenic and lively was not an
easy task. But, Van Eyck was determined to depict
nature in its true self in his paintings.
It is said that ‘necessity is the mother of
invention’. Jan Van Eyck soon realized that if he
needs to accomplish his desire to paint nature’s
beauty in detail on his canvas then he would have
to bring some improvements in the technique of
painting. This zeal drove him to discover a type of
paint that can bring liveliness to the canvas. And
Van Eyck became the inventor of oil painting.
In the early years, Van Eyck and other oil painters
did not purchase ready made colors. They usually
got the pigment from the natural sources such as
plants and minerals. They also added a binder to it
to form a paste that would allow them to paint.
Initially, the binder used was egg, and the
resultant end product was tempera paint, which had
the tendency to dry very quickly. This quick drying
property did not allow smooth transitions while
shading. But smooth transitions were essential to
achieve the effect of reality that Van Eyck
attempted to portray.
Therefore, Van Eyck initiated
the use of oil instead of egg. Oil worked as a
perfect binder and it gave results to the
satisfaction level. Oil when used as a binder had
several benefits. Besides having a slow drying
time, it also lends a glossier look to the
painting. With oil painting, an artist can apply
even the tiniest detailing on the canvas with the
help of the brushes.
Since the era of Jan Van Eyck to today, there have
been several changes in style and medium used for
oil painting. In the next chapter, I will tell you
about the different forms of oil painting mediums
that are now available to present day’s oil
painters.
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