Painting With Oil Paints

[Carl Edward Sambrook]

I have in the past tried using oil paints when painting a face, but it the results are always the same, the skin tones always become shiney, which is not the desired result. Can somebody please let me know what I'm doing wrong. I currently use acrylics which are good but I want to use oils as well, to bring depth to the skin tones.

 

[Wings5797]

Hi Carl,
I tend to use very thin oil paint on faces with lots of coats, slowly building up the highlights and shadows. Using distiled turpentine to thin oils will normally take the sheen out. Failing that a lot of the Guys here use a clear matt coat....someone will come along with the details of the many options soon, I am sure.
Cheers,
Keith

 

[Carl Edward Sambrook]

Keith, thank you. I will give it a go, I have in the past put the oil paint onto card to try and get some of the oil out, but no matter how long I wait the results are the same.

 

[JEsp.]

I use nothing but oils or the face. I place the oils on an index card and wait 45 minutes before i mix up the colors, again on an index card using no mineral spirits. when it drys it usually matt and not shiny at all, give it a try and hopefully it works for you.

 

[Wings5797]

Snap! I always put oils onto a piece of card too but as you say it never quite does the job.
I hope the turps works for you Carl.
Cheers,
Keith
PS: it speeds up the drying time

 

[Einion]

Soaking out some oil on a piece of card or paper is one of the main things that'll help achieve a matter finish with oils. Commercial oil paints will tend to have some excess of oil, particularly in the cheaper brands but even in some colours in high-end paints, so no need to worry about weakening the paint by making it underbound.

The primer or paint you're applying the oils to can make quite a difference too - the more absorbent and matt the undercoat is the more matt the oils will tend to dry naturally.

One of the other go-to methods to ensure a matt finish in oils is to speed dry using heat, either by placing the model under a lamp or in a heated chamber of some kind (slow cooker or homemade hot box). But I wouldn't go too far here, unless you're going for a uniform matt finish across the whole model skin should have some slight sheen.

Einion

 

[megroot]

I'm a oiluser only. Always put the oil on a indexcard and let the oil soak out just like JEsp.
But the pigment is very dry to paint with. I use a very very small quantity of W&N Liquin for make the paint more fluid.
I'll dry overnight in a drybox.
I'm always very satisfied with the matt colors.

Marc

 

[Andrew Craft]

skin should have some slight sheen.

Yep, I started to water down the tamiya X-22 clear to get the sheen on my acrylic skin tones after seeing skin done with oils. IMO it just looks more realistic, provided it's not too shiny.

Andrew

 

[Einion]

Yep, for me too it just immediately looks more real (in the flesh, unfortunately it can be hard to photograph well). Same deal with the eyes of course, which I think should be glossed and not have a painted catchlight, unless the whole model is done the same way.

Einion

 

[Tubby-Nuts-REMOVED]

Carl.. I,.. too can't move away from oil's. I always use the 'Acrylics', as base paint and intitial shading ! then turn to the oils. However there is an additional bit that you could try in conjunction, with using the 'Index-Card', method!... Once your oils are on the card,.. leave them for 30+ mins, as has been stated from a few guys above!.. and a slight twist on Einions method,...... But then blast a hot hair dryer over your paint for a couple of mins, so pretty much most of the oil has been dried out!... It does seem to give a much flatter finish, when applied. Then maybe, a quick, very light, over-spray with 'Matt Varnsh', between applications. Saying that! the more oils are over painted, blended, painted, and again blended, more so when the intial coat has dried, Its like 'Polishing', and buffing. Not what you want.

I am tinkering, with another method at the moment!.. Applying the oil as normal, once happy, then hit it with a hair dryer!... Dullcote, secondary Paint, Hair-Dryer, Dullcote! etc Without building up an excess of each.

Mark.

 

[kagemusha]

Hi Mark, a word of warning about force drying with a hair dryer directly onto the figure, oils primarily dry by penetration and oxidisation. Penetration is the oil seeping into the undercoat, and oxidisation is by the surrounding air/heat forming the surface skin that oils naturally form. In order for the paint to 'lock' on to the undercoat, it has to have time to dry. If you force the oxidisation process you cause the surface oils to dry quicker than they are meant too. This in turn prevents the underlying paint from drying properly, which can lead to rubbing off and, later on, cracking of the surface skin because there is oil trapped below it that cannot oxidise. In 35 years of using oils I have never had to resort to using heat, just a little patience is needed to allow things to happen naturally. Also I find that wiping the brush on a clean cloth is far more beneficial than soaking out oil on card as this means adding other ingredients to make the paint flow again. Personally, I have always found that by far the most effective way of applying oils is to use the least amount of paint you need and to keep wiping the brush on clean cloth during application to avoid 'overloading the surface. I accept that there are many different views on using oils and even more opinions on how heat/card is the answer to shine but, in my personal experience, it has many drawbacks in the long term.

Regards

Ron

 

[Tubby-Nuts-REMOVED]

Thanks, Ron!.. as always! your the voice of reason and experience. .......That will save some expletives, later on!... My tinkering in this area, has just come to an abrupt halt!........ Carl! Ignore me, it will save you money.. Hmm, back to the finger tapping! and patience!... Fortunatly, I was just tinkering with my silly test kits, which, are then stripped... But it could have been worse.... This is what I love about this forum, the experience and knowledge of other's.
Regards,

Mark.

 

[kagemusha]

Remember tho Mark, my post is based on personal experience. Many do force dry oils with great results. To me it defeats the object of using oils which, in the main, is their slower drying time. If you want fast results use acrylics but remember they can have 'shine' related problems too. Strange that eh!!!

Ron

 

[Tubby-Nuts-REMOVED]

Cheers Ron!.. The only (Direct) force drying so far has been on the 'Test-Pieces',.... So, thanks for your advice on this element. Otherwise, I only use this method, if the natural light is due to fade!... If there is one thing that I have plenty of!.. it's time.!!! Bit of a reality check!.. Whats my rush!... Just can't help tinkering!

Regards,

Mark

 

[Einion]

Many do force dry oils with great results. To me it defeats the object of using oils which, in the main, is their slower drying time.

It's normally used after the painting, so it sorta gives the best of both worlds

As for the surface-oxidation thing, that's not really a problem if the coat is very thin (as it would naturally tend to be in our kind of work) and the heating is applied for long enough - some hours usually.

Einion

 

[bed172]

I don't think you can beat oils for fleashy areas. I like a little bit of sheen in the flesh tones. I also soak up a bit of the excess oil on an index card for 30mins to an hour. I think also the more absorbant the undercoat is the better the results will be. Humbrol enamels work really well. And I too use very thin coats of the oil paints. Just putting down enough paint to coat the area and have something to blend into.
Bob

 

[kagemusha]

From reading many posts on PF regarding drying of oils, many people on this forum use heat drying over night to lessen the drying time between sessions as opposed to after the painting is complete.
As for "the surface-oxidisation thing", I agree it is not normally a problem, unless however, the paint is applied too thick. This in itself is the primary reason that you get a shine with oils and was a point I made previously when I said it is born of overloading the surface with paint. It all comes down to personal experience and a technique that works for you. Sometimes you have to break the rules in order to learn. Just don't be surprised if it comes back to bite you later on.

 

[Tubby-Nuts-REMOVED]

@ Einion, & Ron! Thanks...... I have had to learn the! 'Hard', lesson with oils... Less is more!... very, very, subtle applications. give the best results..... But still, if over-worked, can end up looking too 'Polished', and Glossy!.. especially if working over previously dried paint!

Mark.

 

[Tubby-Nuts-REMOVED]

Ron!.... Off subject!.. How do you send a P/M, e-mail. Someone is selling some kit!.... But not sure how to start the process?.. do you know?

 

[Tubby-Nuts-REMOVED]

Bugger-it,........ getting a headache!....... Sorry, Ron, best leave it

Mark.