Question on oil paints
- Thread starter Friar
- Start date
freakinacage
New member
i have just started trying them out. i am currently using normal artists stuff
generulpoleaxe
New member
artists oils are great 
just put a small amount on some card or folded tissue paper for a while to soak up some of the crap (i am so technical) and this will help to get rid of any shine.
a hair dryer speeds up drying time amazingly.
just put a small amount on some card or folded tissue paper for a while to soak up some of the crap (i am so technical) and this will help to get rid of any shine.
a hair dryer speeds up drying time amazingly.
Thunderhawker
New member
A can of workable fixative couldn\'t hurt either.
Shawn R. L.
New member
Not positive but the hair dryer MIGHT induce some cracking.
I think it\'s Windsor Newton that puts out a line of oils called Alkyds which are a true oil paint but they are (relatively) fast drying. 1/2 a day to a day. With how thin they are used when painting mini\'s the actual working time is 15 - 20 minutes or so.
I think it\'s Windsor Newton that puts out a line of oils called Alkyds which are a true oil paint but they are (relatively) fast drying. 1/2 a day to a day. With how thin they are used when painting mini\'s the actual working time is 15 - 20 minutes or so.
freakinacage
New member
the beauty is that you can paint outside in the summer now! no paint drying quickly on the model or ruining the brush
works great on large scale stuff that needs good blending. i think i shall be exclusively painting large scale models outside this summer! roll on the tan (and associated skin cancer!)
works great on large scale stuff that needs good blending. i think i shall be exclusively painting large scale models outside this summer! roll on the tan (and associated skin cancer!)
Friar
Dorks for Orks
I had a brief run with oils back when I played around on those canvas thingies and rather enjoyed em compared to acrylics on canvas but they both had ups and downs.
Just got done reading this article over at Historicus Forma and I gotta say I\'m quite keen on trying oils after reading this article I like the idea behind working with them. Thanks for the feedback
and rather enjoyed em compared to acrylics on canvas but they both had ups and downs. Just got done reading this article over at Historicus Forma and I gotta say I\'m quite keen on trying oils after reading this article I like the idea behind working with them. Thanks for the feedback
DarkStar
New member
I paint quite a bit in oils now. I use regular old artist\'s oils in a tube, a small spectrum and custom mix any color I need.
To speed the drying time I mix W&N Liquin Original into my paints when thinning them. I can paint an area in oils thinned with Liquin in the afternoon and it will by almost dry by the late evening.
It\'s a hell of a change from acrylics but I have more \"fun\" painting in oils these days. Something about freely blending paints instead of meticulously layering them is very satisfying.
I\'m still very much a novice when it comes to painting with oils, but I keep practicing and am starting to find myself reaching for oils more often when I start thinking about how to approach painting something.
*edit: Just read that article linked above, and that\'s pretty much the way I approach doing things. Following that painter\'s tutorial on your own figure will go a long way to getting you familiar with the technique. It\'s pretty much the same for every part. Basecoat in acrylics, add shading, midtones and blend, add highlights and blend, glaze.
To speed the drying time I mix W&N Liquin Original into my paints when thinning them. I can paint an area in oils thinned with Liquin in the afternoon and it will by almost dry by the late evening.
It\'s a hell of a change from acrylics but I have more \"fun\" painting in oils these days. Something about freely blending paints instead of meticulously layering them is very satisfying.
I\'m still very much a novice when it comes to painting with oils, but I keep practicing and am starting to find myself reaching for oils more often when I start thinking about how to approach painting something.
*edit: Just read that article linked above, and that\'s pretty much the way I approach doing things. Following that painter\'s tutorial on your own figure will go a long way to getting you familiar with the technique. It\'s pretty much the same for every part. Basecoat in acrylics, add shading, midtones and blend, add highlights and blend, glaze.
War Griffon
New member
Originally posted by generulpoleaxe
artists oils are great
just put a small amount on some card or folded tissue paper for a while to soak up some of the crap (i am so technical) and this will help to get rid of any shine.
My understanding was that they were glossy until dry and that they dried a matt finish???
Einion
New member
This actually helps increase opacity too, since it ups the pigmentation in the paint remaining.
They may be surface dry but they\'re not actually \'dry\' until they have cured and become relatively insoluble. This takes at least a few hours of low heat.
Not a worry on the hard surfaces we paint on and with the incredibly thin layers of paint we\'re talking about (speeding drying using heat for works on canvas does cause problems though).
Unfortunately the alkyd binder isn\'t capable of holding as much pigment so these are relatively transparent compared to true oils.
Some pigments do make oil paints that tend to go matt when they dry (e.g. French Ultramarine, Burnt Umber) but it\'s not at all uncommon to have oil paints dry very glossy, even in thin coats.
Speeding drying in a hotbox, under a lamp or in a crockpot is the way to ensure a reliable matt finish with oils using on figures. Soaking out a little excess oil for normal brands (not generally needed for high-end, mucho-expensive brands) is well worth trying also.
Einion
War Griffon
New member
Einion,
What is your opinion of teh W & N water based Artisan Oils???
Are they as good as normal oils and worth getting for use on figures???
What is your opinion of teh W & N water based Artisan Oils???
Are they as good as normal oils and worth getting for use on figures???
Einion
New member
I haven\'t used them myself so take this with a pinch of salt, but the general consensus from what I\'ve read is that they\'re not quite as good as regular oil paints - lower pigment load for a start, which the lower cost points to directly.
Water-miscible oil paints also don\'t mix with water anywhere near as well as one might expect.
I would basically recommend them only if you want to paint with oils but can\'t, or don\'t want to, use spirits or turpentine (as well as any mediums that contain them) for thinning down.
Einion
War Griffon
New member
Thanks for that Einion, I was asking because I read an article in a book a while ago that mentioned using those for doing terrain so I wondered if it was worth also having a go with them on figures.
The more time goes on and the more shows I go to and see the results obtained in oils the more I am tempted to try them but if I will be better off with normal oils for both then it might be worth me getting the normal oils on the other hand though just starting with oils the water soluable might be a better option to try.
The more time goes on and the more shows I go to and see the results obtained in oils the more I am tempted to try them but if I will be better off with normal oils for both then it might be worth me getting the normal oils on the other hand though just starting with oils the water soluable might be a better option to try.
generulpoleaxe
New member
appreciate the extra info einion
martin, use white spirits mate, brain cells don\'t last forever any way.
martin, use white spirits mate, brain cells don\'t last forever any way.
War Griffon
New member
Originally posted by generulpoleaxe
appreciate the extra info einion
martin, use white spirits mate, brain cells don\'t last forever any way.
lol Chris when you have worked with some of the substances I have white spirit isn\'t an issue trust me lol
I don\'t mind working with white spirit but I always remeber form the old days and using enamels what a pain in the butt it was having to use thinners and the taste is awful when you forget and lick the tip of your brush:|~
freakinacage
New member
rofl i agree on that one!
generulpoleaxe
New member
just as bad as when your using lighter fluid to set your pigments in place.
do that with each batch of tanks, i\'ll never learn :duh:
do that with each batch of tanks, i\'ll never learn :duh:
Dragonsreach
Super Moderator
Martyn Thanks to the book you mentioned
I went out and bought some Water Soluble Oils.Dead easy to work with for the Terrain and the one experiment I tried with a minis face wasn\'t too bad.
The Burshes clean up easily, Soap and Water. You can mix them with Acrylics :wow: and the oils are dry within 24 hours.
Oh yes they do taste awful you need a lot of \"Irish Mouthwash\" to get rid of that taste.
