Help: Oils not blending

[Arturo Lopez]

Hello. Just finished painting a sculpture I made of one punch man. I had a difficult time with my oil paints not blending. I base coated his head using AK acrylic paint. Then used Daler Rowley oil paints. Before hand I let the oils drain of excess oils as saw on a uTube video - Should i next time not do this ? Could the issue be with AK paints base coat being too flat ? Thoughts ?

Thanks.

 

[Banjer]

I am by no means an expert but I suspect you have leached too much oil out and made them too dry. Oils need to by fluid to work properly. also Daler Rowley aren't the best of oil paints.

There are experts in oils on here and I am sure someone will put you right.

Bill

 

[pkessling]

I used a variety of Acrylic paints for undercoats. The most difficult to paint over are casein based Plaka brand. I used the texture of the undercoat to “set the texture.” Plaka is like painting over sandpaper but yields a very realistic texture for heavy wool.
I never thinned oil paints and I did use artist grade paints which have a higher ratio of pigment: W^N, Rembrandt, Old Holland, etc. The key to painting with oils, in my opinion, is that you have to spread the base color out very thin. I used a square tipped badger hair brush for this. Shadow colors were dded one at a time and blended into the base colors. Followed by the highlight colors. It is important to have more contrast then you think, because you will lose contrast when the paint dries. I always forced drying of the paint by putting in a crockpot (slow cooker) over night

 

[Tecumsea]

There is a very good Video on Utube of Alexandros (From Alexandros Miniatures) presenting his Oil painting technique. Each presentation is in English and about one hour long. They were recorded at a World Expo. I have painted in oils for years (Badly) but found it very interesting. He also uses a limited Palette of about 12 colours and paints in a very wet method. Like Phil above I recommend using quality artists colours rather than the student grade Rowney.

As Bill says above you have probably overdone the leeching out of the paint carrier and tried to use the paints too dry.

It all comes with practise so give it another go.

Keith

 

[megroot]

Well, I'm a dinosaur and paint only in oils.
Your start is good, and avoiding shine you doing well with let the oil out of the paint.
Then it is very important that above your basecoat with acrylic you lay a very thin layer of oilpaint above it.
If it doesn't cover the acrylic the first layer, let it dry and do a next one.
Then with a tiny amount of paint you do the highlight and shading. You can do it wet on wet, or wet on dry.
Normally you have to go for a second run.
With shade's you work from the deepest folds to the top, and with the highlight from the top to down. Remember, less paint is more.
Here is the video of Alexandros: http://kws.figurines-tv.com/index.php?mod=articles&ac=commentaires&id=345

Marc

 

[Arturo Lopez]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I’ll check out the video recommended. I may have to use water soluble oil paints because while I was using regular oils had allergic reaction to them.

 

[Historex Rob]

Well, I'm a dinosaur and paint only in oils.

Marc,

Do you mean that you do not base coat in acrylics? I saw a post by another user in an older thread (user: yellowcat), who also said he painted in oils only without acrylic base coat.

I ask because I have done this too (17 years ag0). I have not painted in a long time, but I plan to go straight oils over an airbrushed "primer" coat of acrylic white.

I never had any luck getting smooth coats of acrylic. They always came out blotchy and patchy. The oils go one smooth, and I found that two coats was sufficient for good base coverage over which I then started shading/highlighting. To me, a base coat of acrylic followed by a coat of oils is the same as two coats of oils. If I have to paint the figure twice to get a basic foundation of coverage, I might as well get a smooth, workable finish using oils. I never tended to use heavily diluted "washes", and I never really used "thinned" oils to work the surface, and so I never had to worry about working through the "base" coat of oils.

This is/has been my thought process.

Is this basically what you do?

 

[megroot]

Marc,

Do you mean that you do not base coat in acrylics? I saw a post by another user in an older thread (user: yellowcat), who also said he painted in oils only without acrylic base coat.

I ask because I have done this too (17 years ag0). I have not painted in a long time, but I plan to go straight oils over an airbrushed "primer" coat of acrylic white.

I never had any luck getting smooth coats of acrylic. They always came out blotchy and patchy. The oils go one smooth, and I found that two coats was sufficient for good base coverage over which I then started shading/highlighting. To me, a base coat of acrylic followed by a coat of oils is the same as two coats of oils. If I have to paint the figure twice to get a basic foundation of coverage, I might as well get a smooth, workable finish using oils. I never tended to use heavily diluted "washes", and I never really used "thinned" oils to work the surface, and so I never had to worry about working through the "base" coat of oils.

This is/has been my thought process.

Is this basically what you do?

I first prime and then do a basecoat with acrylic. But not every time. There are oilpaint colors that covers very good, such as marsbrown, burnt umber. Then you don't need a basecoat in acrylic. A second run with the oil-basecoat is enough.
When your acrylic is to blotchy and patchy it isn't not thin enough.
I use also acrylic undercoat when I had to paint over a dark color. For instead a French Blue coat and under that white socks. I make sometimes mistakes by painting not pointed enough and destroi the surface where the white has to come. Then I use acrylic to cover the blue instead of 10 coats of white to cover the blue mistakes.
Ivo Preda said a while ago, why should you underpaint with acrylic. It can also be done with oils.

Marc

 

[Historex Rob]

I first prime and then do a basecoat with acrylic. But not every time. There are oilpaint colors that covers very good, such as marsbrown, burnt umber. Then you don't need a basecoat in acrylic. A second run with the oil-basecoat is enough.
When your acrylic is to blotchy and patchy it isn't not thin enough.
I use also acrylic undercoat when I had to paint over a dark color. For instead a French Blue coat and under that white socks. I make sometimes mistakes by painting not pointed enough and destroi the surface where the white has to come. Then I use acrylic to cover the blue instead of 10 coats of white to cover the blue mistakes.
Ivo Preda said a while ago, why should you underpaint with acrylic. It can also be done with oils.

Marc

Thanks, Marc. Appreciated.

 

[fogie]

I prefer W&N oils and mix everything from a short palette of five basic colours.
(plus the two neutrals)I use a piece of scrap card upon which to create the colour,
and a touch of Spike Lavender oil to arrive at the right consistency. No need for
acrylic undercoat or any other 'gee-whizz' additives.....works every time.

Mike