Debunking Top 3 Myths of Oil Painting
MYTH 01: Oil Painting is expensive.
Growing up, Oil painting was never meant for the general public. It is not for the fainthearted, and only the rich and upper class society as well as those who are highly educated are exposed to this medium perceived to be of a luxury pursuit.
It is a common perception among people to think that oil painting is known to be an expensive medium and it is costly to purchase and have a taste at this medium, much less to speak about having an Artistic practice.
However, the truth is a little amount of Oil paint spreads to more areas of the canvas than what we could possibly imagine. And all you need is a tiny bit of paint for each of the colours you use (much of the size of a tip of your last finger) to complete an A4-sized painting.
MYTH 02: Oil Painting is Difficult to learn.
It is not surprising to hear that Oil Painting is a difficult medium to learn when you notice the exquisite paintings that has existed for centuries in museums are painted with this age-old medium.
For beginners, one should look for a medium that possesses strong precision in colour accuracy. Oil paint is a perfect medium for learning due to its richness in colour that is highly suited for still life painting. It also possesses a slow-drying attribute, which makes it the ideal medium for learning, whether you are a slow or fast learner.
One can compare Oil paint with Acrylic paint, as they are both perceived to be similar in nature. However, for those who had used Acrylic paint before, you would have noticed the transition in colour, where it dries to a duller tone than what you had applied to the canvas. On the other hand, Oil paint maintains its richness in colour even after drying over a long period of time.
MYTH 03: Oil Painting is Toxic and they smell.
Claude Monet lived for 86 years, and he painted close to 2,500 paintings, most of which were in oil paint. Pablo Picasso lived till an old age of 92 and his paintings totalled up to more than a five digits.
Indeed, there are some oil paints such as lead white, cadmium and cobalt that contain toxic materials but they are only toxic when you consume or sniff them hard. If not, they are completely safe to use.
Oil paints have little or no odour too! What smells are other solvents such as turpentine and varnishing mediums. However, we can use them only when we need to.
At LACA, we believe in teaching the right concepts and techniques in Art. With our knowledge and expertise, you can be sure to walk away with a skill on hand even after your very first lesson and gain some aesthetic knowledge you never know it existed during your Art lessons!
Shop for our Introduction to Oil Painting (Trial) or Oil Painting Beginner I Course to have a go at this beautiful medium.
