The magic of Oil Paintings is indeed remarkable. Humble pigments mix with linseed oil to create poetry on canvas like the Mona Lisa . But the process of oil painting, as any oil painter will tell you, is not that magical, it involves sweat, toil and incredible perseverance. India has seen commendable variety of Oil Paintings in its comparatively recent love affair with it – from Raja Ravi Verma's depiction of Saraswati to M.F. Hussain's interpretation of the Hindu Goddess of learning, the vast strides taken in this field are noteworthy, to say the least.
History of Oil Paintings
The recipe books of ancient Greek chemists show the discovery of a strange method of preserving colors- drying oils like walnut oil, poppy oil, hempseed oil, castor oil, and linseed oil as varnishes to seal pictures and protect them from water.
These very recipe books tell us the story of the birth of Oil Paintings. Through centuries monks carefully guarded these recipes, until it resurfaced in the 13 th century when this very method was used for painting details over tempera pictures.
However the brothers Van Eyck in the first half of the fifteenth century perfected this method and they are called the fathers of Oil Painting today.
Technique of Oil Painting
Though different artists employ different techniques for oil painting, they necessarily have to go through certain steps. They first have to prepare the surface; the most commonly used surface is canvas. However many famous works, like Da Vinci 's Mona Lisa was painted on a wood panel. Then the canvas is coated with glue and pigments, and then the artist draws the outline of the Painting, and then he applies pigments mixed with oils for color. Most artists paint in layers: painting in layers helps in perfecting the little details of the compostion and also achieving the right colors. When the image is finished and dried for up to a year, an artist often seals the work with a layer of varnish.
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