Oil Painting Glazing Techniques
The oil painting glazing techniques are used to give an effect of depth-of-colour by applying a number of layers of different paint. The ability to use glazing techniques is one of the main advantages of painting in oil paints. ‘Glazing’ is an overall term for this technique but it also has two different meanings;
Glazing usually refers to a specific style of painting where thin layers are painted by diluting a transparent oil paint by mixing it with a painting medium. This is the most basic type of glazing where a thin, translucent covering of paint is applied over an opaque layer which has been allowed to dry. This has the effect of light passing through the glaze and then being reflected off the opaque layer below. This technique can be used to create effects – such as the depiction of realistic skin tones – which would be very difficult to achieve with opaque paints alone.
The term ‘Glazing’ can also generally refer to just about any form of painting that enables you to view two distinctly different colours of paint at the same time. It is possible to see this effect in layers of paint which have been thinned with a medium, or where paint is scratched or scraped off of the surface. The term can also be applied to a stippling effect with the use of small spots of paint on the canvas.
Creating a Basic Glaze
Starting with an oil paint which has a transparency of colour; first let the paint dry out by exposing it to the air on a piece paper for about two hours. When the paint is suitably dry a ring of oil can be seen on the paper. With a pallet knife transfer the stiffened oil paint to a pallet and blend it with a glazing medium until it is of a similar consistency to syrup.
To apply the glaze lay your painting surface horizontally on a table top or floor; this will prevent the paint from running down the surface. The glaze can now be applied to the surface with a dry soft brush in a uniformly thin coat.
The Imprimatura Glazing Technique
The Imprimatura glazing technique was originally used by renaissance artists and it involves applying a glaze over a pre-coloured surface rather than a white surface. It is one of the most effective oil painting techniques for creating undertones (a colour seen through another colour). Imprimatura can be achieved through two slightly different techniques; depending on weather a pre-stretched or home made canvas is being used.
The first method is used when painting on a pre-stretched primed canvas. Initially the canvas should be stained by applying a thin layer of fast drying oil paint. The layer of paint can be left as a uniform area of colour or some of the paint can be wiped off creating a pattern to define the light and dark areas of the painting. By allowing the paint to dry slightly and using a dry paintbrush or piece of cloth some areas of paint can be wiped away. The remaining paint should be left to fully dry before continuing to paint.
The second method can be used when an artists makes their own canvas with an un-primed canvas material. The underlying colour is achieved by mixing the final coat of gesso with a small amount of acrylic paint, (oil paint should not be used to tint the gesso because it does not mix well). The colour of the tinted gesso will have an effect on the overall appearance of the final painting and the tint should be subtle.
An Effective Oil Painting Technique
By using one of the glazing oil painting techniques mentioned here, an increase in the paintings brightness and depth can be achieved resulting in a more dramatic image.
Artists’ materials online stock all of the Art Supplies needed to create oil paintings using the glazing technique. Winton Oil Paint is recommended for beginners as it is easily affordable and Georgian Oil Paints are recommended for more advanced artists.
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