# Looking for Feedback



## Zildjian1232 (Jul 12, 2016)

*Salutation my Artist Friends!*

Here are several question that I have for the experienced community of Oil Painters. I have only painted one picture in my life recently and have become hooked like the many here. I was gifted a painting experience for my 33rd birthday by my girlfriend at a place called " Art with a Twist". Below are my questions and my first painting done with Acrylics but very interested with Oils at this point.


*All Feedback Is Much Appreciated!*

(1) Oil Paints - What paint would you prefer that share quality and value and why? (not looking to pay the Bob Ross price just yet)


(2) Brushes - What brand of brushes should I be looking at and what are the essential tools I need to have in my bag of tricks? ( I don't mind paying for good quality tools that compose the work)

(3) Canvas - What should I be looking at in a decent quality for a canvas? 


(4) Easel - What are some of the functions I need to consider that will work adequately for painting with oils?


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## Susan Mulno (Apr 13, 2015)

Welcome to the forum! 

I like your painting. I am not familiar with oils, so I will leave your questions to those who are.


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## M Winther (May 14, 2016)

It depends on your personal preferences and style of painting. Today, studio quality oils are fine with regards to permanence ("hues" are often equally good as expensive pigments). But if you want paints that have the perfect viscosity and flow, then you should choose artist's quality. It depends on whether or not you often make detailed paintings, or if you make glazes and such things. Some painters choose studio oil paints for certain pigments and artist's paints for others. But you must decide whether or not to use whites that contain zinc oxide. With time, it may cause the paint layer to become brittle. 

It's the same thing with brushes. Although most oil painters prefer flat hog brushes, it depends on personal taste. Some artists use expensive easels, but Matisse always used light tripod easels for plein air painting. Pierre Bonnard didn't use an easel, but preferred to fasten the canvas with thumbtacks to the wall. Linen and cotton canvas are both fine, but cheap cotton canvas is sometimes made so thin that it can easily get damaged. However, cheap cotton canvas can often be used, provided that you put an extra layer of gesso on it. Otherwise the paint has a tendency to seep through the canvas.

If you are not going to use oil paint for its structural qualities, then you should perhaps remain with acrylics, because it has fine qualities missing in oil paints. Acrylic pictures can be made very light, like they are shining from within, because the light can travel through several layers of paint. This is not possible to do with oil paints, which tend to become more opaque and dull. Unlike what some people say, acrylics is superior for _trompe l'oeil_ painting. If the Old Masters had had recourse to it, then they would have used nothing else, because they were very interested in deceiving the eye. In order to paint in a new "light" style, David Hockney went from oils to acrylics, in the sixties. One can hardly do this kind of painting, using oils. /Mats Winther










http://architizer.com/blog/hockneys-cool-depictions-of-so-cal-modernism/


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## Zildjian1232 (Jul 12, 2016)

Mr. Winther,


Thank you very much for the in-depth response. I have much to learn as I am embarking on a new craft. I have professionally reached some personal goals as a musician of 27 years, however, the names you referenced in your response are unfamiliar to me. In regards to your suggestion, maybe I should pursue the acrylics and then later discover the oils. I really am a fan of the flat and dull images on oils. Something about the colors really draws me in as I have always personally been drawn to earth tones. 


Thank you for everything shared as these words are truly wisdom in this field. 


Respectfully,


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## zahira (May 26, 2016)

I think if you want to paint with oils you should start with oils, personally I find them a much more forgiving medium and in my opinion easier than acrylics 


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

I agree that oils seems to be much more correctable (forgiving). I started with acrylics and worked with only that for a year before I switched over to oils, reason being acrylics are much less expensive than oils. I wanted to be able to make a decent painting before I invested a lot of money into my hobby. Your first painting is already a very decent painting. Bottom line it is personal preference so no one can really advise.


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## dickhutchings (Oct 6, 2015)

Zildjian1232 that's a real nice painting for a first! Holy cow! I hope you don't mind me hopping on your thread but you already started what I would have if I was to start another thread.

I mentioned in another thread that I have an acrylic painting going into an art gallery. I was told when I brought it in that mine was one of only 2 acrylic paintings in the show. With that in mind, I'm seriously considering picking up some oil paints and see what it's all about. I want to get a basic set of primary's and white. Since that will only be 5 or six tubes, I think I'll go with the best I can afford. Can one of you give me a brand or link to what I should buy?


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## zahira (May 26, 2016)

I used art spectrum and Windsor and newton. But I think the most important thing is to make sure you buy the artist quality.

I recently tried acrylics and I found them much harder to work with than oils


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

@dickhutchings My favorite paint is M. Graham and the second favorite is Windsor Newton Artist quality. 

Be sure to get a medium too so you can make it the consistency you want and speed up the drying time. I use M.Graham Walnut Alkykd Medium -- it's wonderful. I tried mixing mediums from suggestions of recipes from other artists but I think this ready made stuff is really good. One medium I do not recommend is Wilson Bickford's. It turns dark and gets clumps.


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