Intro to Oil Painting lecture for our ARA Boston students who are approaching the painting program. Info for beginner oil painters who want solid technical info.
To those of us who didn’t have the luxury of attending any of the “top art schools” this is a well presented primer allowing the uneducated an opportunity to learn the basics. I thank you for taking the time to start the uneducated on the road to painting. This was a wonderful video. 😊
I like how you really pressed the issue of pigments. It is SOOOO important and honestly I hardly hear many artists talking about it. I don’t think enough people experiment with single pigments enough because it’s not often taught in intro type instruction. So I appreciate hearing you really drive the details of the paint itself and what is in it. I love oil painting and don’t do it enough. Thanks
I had the privilege of studying with Cindy MacMillan in workshops in Richmond. They were some of the best classes I’ve ever done. Thanks for posting this. I’m so glad the channel showed up in my suggestions list.
This is Amazing!!! Thank You Julie. This is much better than "Watch Me Paint" videos, or videos where an explanation of one or two concepts are drawn out into a 45 min. video just to rack up the AD views. I've learned more in this one video than I have reading multiple books or watching dozens of other videos. Looking forward to future videos like this one.
Excellent lecture to an Intro to painting class. I went to the Savannah College of Art and Design in the late 90s. Took Intro to Painting... I was HOPING that class was even 1% of this, instead we watched VHS demos of other painters copying other masters works from various movements and was told... now use what you learn and reproduce something that fits that movement. I hope their program has gotten better, but I switched majors after I realized how unstructured their painting program was. Took me many years of learning and trial and error to pick up what Julie lectured in the first 30 mins (this was before social media and RU-vid). Saved to watch again later.
SCAD got bigger and better since the early 90's. I went to CCA, Parsons, and a couple others and they all dance around instruction the 1st couple years. I guess to weed out the curious and then focus on the dedicated????
2:32:10 describing my EXACT situation... I've been drawing me whole life, but I'm new to painting. I've done 4 paintings so far and have been banging my head against a wall wondering how people are packing so much detail into such small paintings, I'm realizing now I've been using waaayyy too much solvent/medium. Thank you for this video!
Very useful. There is such a variety of information and opinion on the internet that it is helpful to have a one-stop, reliable and comprehensive lecture on the basics for beginners. 😊
Thank you SOOO MUCH for this video! There are so many of us new oil painters looking for great-quality, professional information in this format. I literally just subscribed. Please please please make more videos like these!
I watch this a few times this truly is the most articulated video on oil painting and what it’s about and how do use them I’ve ever seen thank you wonderful
This is the most amazing RU-vid video I have yet discovered after more than 3 years of searching for really educational art tutorials. I feel as though I am actually one of your lucky students. Thank you so much for this video. New subscriber 😊
Thank you so much! I have been fully engrossed in this lecture, and scribbling pages of notes! Brilliant lecture, found just at the right time for me. I have experimented with oils a little, but mostly painted in watercolour and acrylics. I'm really keen to try oils again. Looking at lists of paints and colours and short demos on the internet, had left me confused. But this lecturer has answered so many questions. Thank you for your very clear explanations. I can't wait to get started. Thank you and Best wishes, Pippa xx
Thank you for sharing such helpful information especially for a beginner oil artist like myself. You can try and learn the balance and ways of oils but unless you understand the substance you provided in this lecture you will never truly know how to work with oil paints and their mediums. Thank you again 🙏
Hi I loved this video I have learnt a lot of this my self by trial and error and by doing it's been a 20 year journey. I've enjoyed every minute of it but this information at the beginning of the journey would have been so beneficial. Your explanation and descriptions are so clear and precise and clarifying the difference between this and that. So impressed to share with other people.Thanks for your time and effort Sheila
This is an excellent video. Brava!! Alizarin, by the way, is not a pigment, it's a LAKE, which means it is essentially a dye. Traditional alizarin is fugitive and is now replaced by a synthetic version (Alizarin Crimson Permanent); however, this is slightly lighter than the original.
The modern version of alizarin crimson is quinacridone magenta (PR122) or similar quinacridones like quinacridone crimson. The reason alizarin crimson was often chosen in a limited palette was because it offered a cool red. For that purpose, quinacridone magenta is far superior. It gives cleaner mixtures and a broader range of color gamut than alizarin crimson. It also has excellent lightfastness, while alizarin crimson is fugitive. Most paint manufacturers produce Alizarin Crimson *Permanent* or Alizarin Crimson *Hue* with some form of quinacridone red/magenta/crimson pigments. Still, alizarin crimson remains a popular paint color because it’s what old paint teachers teach. People continue using it just because that’s what has always been done without bothering to know why. Also because Bob Ross uses it.
@@ethonica That's very thorough; people will find it useful. Thanks!! I always use quinacridone magenta for a cool red-one has to be careful with it, though: it is a VERY strong tinter and it is easy to add too much to a mixture. As for "old paint teachers," this 77-year-old teacher tells his students to use quinacridone magenta rather than alizarin. It might be worth mentioning that alizarin is not that old a paint: it was created in the 19th century as a replacement for the even more fugitive rose madder. I agree with you that many painters today use alizarin because it's marketed as being "traditional," even thogh it's not really. It's the same with lead white (flake white, cremnitz white, bianco d'argento …), which is a terrible material that darkens and yellows after a short time-the old people used it only because it was the best available to them.
Tell it like it is, Sir. *winks* I enjoyed being nosy and reading your conversation. Btw.. I adore Lead White. Yes, it does not age well but then again... neither am I. Lead white and I make a great pair. @@michaeljohnangel6359
This is amazing and what ive been looking for. Ive been painting with acrylics for about 5 years and an just starting to play around with oils. It's been a bit confusing fumbling along on my own. I would dearly love to attend your class but it isn't in the cards for me. Thank you for sharing this video. It answered sooo many questions for me.
Happy to help! I also have some recorded classes which might be helpful. I recommend the Color Bootcamp one to get a feel for oil painting basics and color mixing/color studies.
Thanks for the video. I believe Gamblin 1980 line is student grade however what is nice is that it is just pigment and oil with no other fillers. Old Holland, Vasari and Michael Harding are my three favorites.
@@mariagalanis6476 Yes they do use marble dust..I completely forgot. Thank you! They do not use other binders and fillers which could alter the color. I use the 1980 for some of my palette knife paintings without issue.
Gamblin's site claims their 1980 line contains 50% less pigment than their "artist grade. So, the other 50% cannot just be oil, can it? (which would explain why I despise Gamblin as the wettest oil paint that must be stored on end.. :/ There must be fillers yes?
@@manicangel7796 100% correct- I corrected myself in another comment on this. I believe they use marble dust as the filler. I store all of my gamblins flat in tube and have not had any issue with it breaking. I only use the Gamblins about 1 time a month for some fun palette knife painting.
It is inexpensive, and an OK paint, I've heard (not that easy to get hold of Gamblin paints in the UK) but no Titanium-based paint is ever going to be a true replacement for Flake White. If you're in the USA, thank your lucky stars you still have a genuine choice: we've been robbed of ours.
@@RobertJonesWightpaint Definately not a replacement for the real thing and you are right we are lucky to have some choices still. I use the Gamblin Flake replacement in my studies and practice work as it is less harsh than Titamium on its own and has a warmer feel though it is still PW6
What's funny is I went 6 years to top art schools (plus even more "education"), and I never had a basic information class like this. However, in the end, I don't think it would have helped or made any difference since these are all things one quickly learns by simply painting.
@@sairama9248Wow, that's a pretty harsh conclusion to just call someone a liar, especially when I spoke the truth. What you get at most art schools is immersion in the field, exposure to perhaps some worthwhile teachers and other aspiring artists, but mostly you get the time to achieve things on your own. I don't regret the years in art school. There may be some specific unaccredited art schools where there is more discipline and demand that students follow defined assignments, but in regular accredited art schools these days, the student is very much left on his own. The reigning philosophy seems to be that it is viewed as demeaning to harshly criticize student's efforts, or for professors to do much more than make generalized comments and suggestions. In all my classes there was zero basic guidance about use of paints and materials like shown in this video. By the way, I have a lengthy resume' of successes and top awards, plus works in many important collections and museums, so I would really appreciate your toning down the insults.
Yes! Its difficult to get a proper art training in most art schools, especially in universities. To get a proper art training I needed to go through New Masters Academy and it changed my life. Came here for the recommended intro to oils.
@@peterp79 My point was that, even at the best top art schools, studio art is not taught this way it is demonstrated in this video. And I'm not saying that it should be! Art schools and professors mostly take a hands-off approach, where they are there to provide occasional feedback, but not "how-to" instruction. The exception is in printmaking (intaglio, lithography, serigraphy) where students must be taught the basic processes. My other point is that, generally speaking, top art schools assume that fine art students have painted for years already, so they should already be quite familiar with materials and other basics shown in this video.
I really appreciate this magnificent lecture that is rich with a plethora of knowledge.. I have one question regarding the layering process.. you’ve mentioned that the next layer must be equal in drying time to the one underneath it or slower.. meaning, starting to lay a new layer with the same drying time is fine, taking in consideration that the previous layer has already started the drying process.. the question is: do you mean it’s good to lay down the next layer with no need to wait for the previous layer to dry out completely? If so, how much time to wait for the previous layer to be ready for the next one, considering that the previous layer is just paint with no added mediums or thinners? I hope I’ve made myself clear.. thank you so so much.
The previous layer needs to be dry before you paint on it again. “Dry” and “fully oxidized” are two different things. If the previous layer isn’t dry, you will activate the paint and it will be gross and chunky. If the layer is dry, the paint sits on top of the previous layer. In terms of layering the paint in general. You ideally want paints that will dry faster to go down first, (like paints with solvent, or paints with a drier added) and then slower drying layers (like just paint or paint with added oil) to be put on top. You want the added flexibility and slower drying layers on top. You want each successive layer to be equal to or slower drying than the previous layer. Oil paint takes a long time to fully oxidize and you don’t want a lower layer to dry slower than the top layer.
Ive noticed that artists refer to some paints as being transparent. I believe this is the wrong word. Transparent means clear like glass. Translucent would be the proper word.
when you mentioned oiling out, you mean just put oil on the areas that looked like they have turned soft like velvet? someone suggested that was damaged canvas and not the oil in the paint sinking in. if it is damage to the canvas will oiling it out solve the issue and then varnishing it wont show it?
Alkyd paints are going to be incredibly fast drying. However, I also find how they act when you paint with them is less than desirable. They feel loose and watery sometimes and I don't love their consistencies. I do sometimes use them to "cut" regular oils for a first layer. It's kind of a compromise in a way.
You are hilarious as you have some idea that us artist types are like nurses or doctors. I've never known any real artist to be so practical. I paint in a frantic mess. I would love to see what your art is like???
Oil paint manufacturers have different formulas so some of your comments are not correct .Wiliamsburg Kings Blue is not the same as their Ultramarine Blue+ white. It also has PB15.3 in it. Calling "Hues knockoffs" isn't correct. Some artists use artist quality hues to avoid using toxic colors like Cadmiums. In Gamblin Artist quality paints Cad Yellow Medium and Cad Yellow Deep are different pigments. In WinsorNewton, Cad Yellow Deep is PY35 + PO20 And Cad Yellow Pale is only PY35. The holes on the grey scale are used for laying the scale on a painting/photograph to determine the value.
Yes you are correct on all accounts. However know that my goal here is accessible and digestable information for a beginner to start painting. I sometimes find that "useful" does not always mean perfectly technically correct. I'm trying to keep things at a simple level for anyone to understand.
I would have loved a deeper delve into Lead White as well. I used OH Cremnitz #1 for a long time (50/50 Zinc/Lead), and loved that white. Lately though I'm seeing Titanium and Lead more like an opacity spectrum, and have both on my palette, for the full spectrum.
Painting realism is challenging and it starts with knowing this information. Is there a specific information you would like us to cover in a future video?
I’m an acrylic painter that occasionally use oil . But this tutorial seems very old school. It’s interesting but there’s no mention of of water based oils or Liquin being used to speed drying.
This is meant for total beginners. I do not think beginners should be using additional driers becuase it changes the way the oil paint works. Same with water based oils... they act different. I prefer students start with the basics first and then get more complicated.
This is not old school either, this is just simple basics and solid technical information. I'm not having them use pig bladders to store their hand ground oil paint or anything.
This is extremely valuable content, and she did cover alkyd mediums. The only thing she missed was surface tension causing beading when oiling out, which is easily overcome by applying slight pressure in a circular motion with a bright.
Obvious is Obvious. This is maybe good for aliens who've no idea how paint works? Over explaining the obvious stuff I would think most artists (at any level) would of learned early on.
things my be obvious to you, but this information is not obvious to everyone. This info is for our students who have completed the drawing program and are now going into our painting program. We want them to start out on a good foundation of information.
Is there something you have a hard time understanding what I mean? Happy to elaborate if there's any confusion! Let me know any time stamps and I can clarify
"Just sayin..." punctuates the needlessness of your comment. I for one, appreciate all the "stuff" Julie so generously gives us [non-paying] seekers. Also, I noticed that less than supportive comments here are reciprocated with an offer of support back to the commenter. Just sayin... : )
Asking if something 'makes sense' is a way to get students to speak up now if they have a question directly to what she has just discussed! There is value in asking after an explanation if something makes sense!
@@z-man7883 you'd be surprised at the misinformation people have and I like to use humor to provide useful information. If you don't like how I teach then you don't need to continue to watch the video. I'm here offering free videos to help people who want to learn.
