I've been oil painting for years, but all i ever use is oil paint straight from the tube. I always notice entire isles in the art store full of oil painting mediums and stuff and it's just been too overwhelming to wrap my head around. What are mediums and should I be using them?
>>2390227
>What are mediums and should I be using them?
>I've been oil painting for years
...are...are you sure?
different artists have their favorite mixes of medium with all sorts of stuff. i don't know the fine tuning stuff of oils but i do know that linseed is the standard basic one.
i like /The Complete Oil Painter: The Essential Reference for Beginners to Professionals/ by Brian Gorst a lot. i highly recommend this book if you want to continue to flaunt your experience with oil.
>>2390244
>are you sure?
Yes, like I said I just use the oil paint out of the tube. I thought stuff like mediums were option and I just never looked into them.
>>2390248
it's a simple google search away, my friend
for instance, i found this eye gore website when i googled "oil painting 101":
http://gregkimsey.weebly.com/oil-painting-101-mediums.html
how have you been cleaning brushes? do you use mineral spirits?
>>2390227
Ebin b8 m8
>>2390248
youll find that when you start using stuff like liquin and linseed oil, you end up spending a lot less overall.
>>2390227
linseed oil reduction go on michael harding website to see the recipe and others
It's necessary for some effects. If you thin crisp lines over dried surface, for example, you'd need more flow on your paint. For most of the early and mid stage of the painting, using paint straight from the tube isn't bad, but the painting might look dried out.
Mediums is probably one of the first topics you should have researched when starting out. Your not having done so even after painting in oils for years leads me to believe you don't have the required curiosity to be a great painter.
>>2390227
I thin with turps in the beginning then switch to pure oil paint for the rest of the painting. I only use medium if the paint is too tacky.
>>2390227
I mix my oil paints with linseed and varnish to thin them out a bit
>>2390642
>Mediums is probably one of the first topics you should have researched when starting out. Your not having done so even after painting in oils for years leads me to believe you don't have the required curiosity to be a great painter.
Wow, that's some mighty projecting your doing there. But I never even mentioned wanting to be a "great painter" in the first place. I do oil paintings for commissions and sell prints of my work so I'm not doing too bad. I don't get why every austist on this board acts like there is no middle ground, like you should either try to dedicate every second of your life to painting or just give up forever.
>>2390781
>like you should either try to dedicate every second of your life to painting or just give up forever.
Nah, but you should dedicate yourself to learning which obviously you are. People (or anons) just want to set up strict rules so that they can feel better about themselves because they "have the curiosity of a great painter".
Not that much help BUT certain brands usually offer a full catalog/explanation of their own mediums to use with paints, that's how I learned most of what is used, that and loitering for along time in the art section at michaels and reading every bottle lol.
Haha, you should have some spare linseed or walnut oil, and at the very least, some turpentine that might be kept in a good glass dropper.
Be very careful with turpentine, it's not for fools to play around with.
