Painting on Paper With Oils

What type of paper can you oil paint on?

Although oil paint and paper are traditionally not considered compatible, paper is an excellent flexible surface on which to paint in oil when properly prepared or when using new types of paper made specifically with paint. It is also relatively inexpensive compared to other media such as canvas, linen, and countertops and is particularly useful for small studies and painting sketches, as well as for medium-sized paintings or full paintings, in the form of decoration, such as diptychs or triptychs.

Classical oil painters have mainly painted on wooden planks and canvas for hundreds of years. Traditional painters generally did not use paper because the oil and solvents in oil paint can degrade it and because it is believed that oil paints on paper can be prone to cracking when subjected to changes in humidity. However, as the paint manufacturer, Winsor & Newton argues in the article Watercolor Paper Size for Oil Painting, "Oil paint is completely stable when painted on properly prepared paper. The weakness of oil on paper is due to the lack of stiffness of the blade ". against a table or a canvas ".

Priming

According to Winsor & Newton, "No matter what you have heard, it is perfectly possible to use oil drawing paper. Professionals appreciate it for its texture and strength. Invest in good quality watercolor paper. It has been finely primed with acrylic plaster primer. ".

Paper that is not specially designed for oil painting should be primed before painting with oil paint to protect the paper from the damaging effects of oil and solvents and to help the paint adhere and harden. You can use an acrylic plaster primer or matte acrylic medium as a sealer. Adding a layer of sealer prevents oil from being absorbed by the paper; otherwise, the paper will eventually degrade and the paint could peel or crack.

How to select and prepare a paper

• Select a good quality heavyweight acid-free paper, such as Arches watercolor paper. Use a weight of at least 300 g / m2 (140 lb) for small studies and sketches and 640 g / m2 (300 lb) for larger paintings.
• Learn to paint on paper with acrylics to learn more about what makes a good painting paper.
• Staple or pin the paper to a board and apply a coat of acrylic plaster primer in one direction.
• Mix the primer with water if necessary to give it the consistency of heavy cream.
• Wait until it is dry, then apply another coat of plaster in the direction perpendicular to the first direction.
• If desired, apply a third coat in the original direction when the second coat is dry. You can also sand dry layers of plaster between coats if you want a smoother surface.
• Note: The advantage of using acrylic plaster is that you can create textural effects on your painting even before you start applying the paint. You can also add other items like sawdust and gypsum sand for greater textural effects if your paper is heavy and sturdy enough to support it.
• You can remove your paint from the board by removing pins or staples, or by trimming the edges with an Exacto or matting knife.
• Tip: You can prepare a large sheet of paper and easily cut it into small pieces for a variety of different-sized painting media.

Types of paper

Watercolor Paper - As mentioned above, the thick, rough watercolor paper makes a good surface for oil painting. Cold-pressed watercolor paper is rougher than hot-pressed watercolor paper, but that's a personal preference and may not make much of a difference depending on how many layers of primer you apply and how thick it is.

Watercolor paper comes in sheets, as well as blocks and blocks. The blocs and the blocs are practical, easy to love and good to use for the sketches, the studies or the painting in plein air (note that you voudrez laisser votre peinture secher sur le bloc afin that you souhaitiez peut-être travailler sur plus 'a block) . Arches are known for their high-quality papers. Try Arches Watercolor Blocks and Arches Watercolor Blocks.

Printing paper: BFK Rives printing paper is also a good acid-free surface for oil painting when printing with acrylic plaster or matte gel. It is available in sheets of up to 280g / m2 or you can buy it in a 300g / m2 roll and cut it to the measurements you want.

Arches Oil Paper: Arches Oil Paper is specially designed for use with oily media and requires no preparation of any kind because, as the DickBlick website says, it has an "oil barrier. Powerful and efficient that evenly absorbs water, solvents, and binders. paint and pigment must remain on the surface. "It's ready to use without the need for a primer. It has the feel of traditional Arches paper and is durable and capable of withstanding a variety of painting techniques. The paper is 300 g / m2 (140 lb) and is also available in 9 x 12 inches and 12 x 16-inch blocks.

There are also oil painting papers from other manufacturers such as Bienfang, Bee Paper, Canson, Hahnemuhle, Royal and Langnickel, and Strathmore.

Examples of

John Constable Oil Sketches: The English romantic landscape painter John Constable (1776-1837) made many oil sketches on paper. Selon le Victoria and Albert Museum, << Au debut des années 1800, de nombreux peintres comme Constable, ont cherché à capture the effets subtils de la lumière et de l'atmosphère in realizing des sketches à l'huile à petite échelle à l ' Exterior. In his plein air oil sketches, the sheriff's color was applied in different ways: rich impasto (paint applied in a thick layer) and enamels (translucent oil paint), thick spots of bright color, and light touches of pure white. "Dry brush" effect, revealing the colors below. "

There are many other papers available, some high-quality and acid-free, and they are definitely worth trying and using. If you don't have one on hand, don't let that stop you from painting. I have also used lower quality paper, such as brown kraft paper, with and without plastering the paper primed, with good results. The paintings may not last for centuries, but that's okay, and the cheaper materials gave me more freedom to experiment.

Enjoy The Video Tutorial about Oil Paint on Paper? Learn How to Use Oil Paint on Paper!