During the afternoon of the 8/12/2016-I was tasked with producing an oil painting on an A2 stretched board-from a secondary image that was pre collected and printed in monochrome and in A5. I felt that as this was a reference image, I didn't need to go additional lengths such as A4 and full colour.
After a short explanation of the media, we were using, by the tutor; with the vital elements spoken of, regarding the nature of oil paints, how to correctly dispose of them and their properties as a medium and how the paint would alter the surface it was applied to.
A completely new medium to me, oil paint was exciting as it was unfamiliar. And evidenced in both the completion of a successful piece and my through enjoyment of using oil paint, its safe to say, that I am delighted to have used this medium and proud of what resulted in the application of it.
Now oil paints are very different from typical medias such as acrylic-which are applied flat in solid colour and dry swiftly. Oils may never dry fully-so in order to preserve a piece done in oils-one must apply a glass case over the piece. When working with oils, one uses the piece as part palette-i.e. paint is mixed mostly on the canvas- as one works-rather than in a separate palette. Which is a disposable cardboard one for oils.
More importantly-oil and water do not mix-so the standard process of cleaning brushes and plastic palettes with soap and water, and washing the contents down the sink-is not a suitable cleaning process for oil paints. And the typical water pot is replaced with a commercial vegetable or sunflower oil when rising ones oil painting bushes. Noting that there are separate and different shaped brushed used when painting with oils.
When disposing of oil paints, one disposes of the cardboard palette straight into the bin, and the murky oil in the cup-soak it up the liquid as much as possible to do so, with tissue-and dispose of this is the bin. Plastic palettes aren't used with oils, as the shiny smooth surface of the plastic means that the paint would slide off, in a manner that resembles a raw oily egg, sliding with lubricated ease, down a polished marble column.
In terms of the application of oil paints, one applies them in a impasto like fashion and with texture and relief based gestures. As evidenced in the image below, this is how I applied my oils in a mannerism that spoke of a expressive gestures. When the paint is applied to the non primed paper-which is something we didn't have time to do-it soaks through the sheet leaving a semi transparent film-which closely resembles the result of greasy food left to sit above thin cardboard containers.
The piece below is an A2 oil painting replica of a secondary research image from my Pinterest board. Before applying the paint I drew a basic and light outline of the image-as a guide for when it came, the application of my oils. Once my outline was complete- I applied a thin layer of red paint-in the suited fashion for acrylic paint-one I had been corrected that I was applying oil in the fashion more for acrylics-which is perfectly acceptable considering I had never used oils before.
With an adjustment of my process, I went and applied scarlet red and bright red in a gestural impasto like manner, with spots oil white, black and extra oil placed in various areas to add tint and shade as well as a an impression that the paint was gritty and unpleasant-dripping and running down the paper-the way blood trickles down, the inside of a woman's thighs during menstruation.
The reflection in this painting speak to me, that both the process of painting this image and a woman's life process is not smooth nor attractive- it a bloody and compulsive process.
I am most pleased with the overall outcome of this piece because it provides a grim and truthful reflection of the sufferings of being biologically female. From producing this piece-I feel that I am superbly confident when using oils-despite my application, needing evolutionary development.
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