Oil Painting

Oil paintings have a great mystique and, in the minds of many, the medium is somehow more prestigious than others. On top of that cachet, oils have a tactile pleasure no one can deny. Their pure colors, buttery consistency and distinct scent are a sensuous delight. Oils are well suited for any genre and for almost any style, from quickly executed alla prima to carefully controlled underpainting followed by glazing.
Oils’ long drying time lets you create paintings with delicate blending, fine detail and textural affects, great for painting portraits. On the other hand, oils’ long open time doesn’t let you make corrections immediately by layering wet over dry paint.
Oil paints are made from pigments and a binder, traditionally linseed oil, which is pressed from flaxseeds. Oil and pigment were combined and used as early as the 12th century, but traditional egg tempera was far more popular. By the 15th century, Dutch painters adopted oil as their primary medium; it provided far more versatility than egg tempera.
The late 18th century heralded the beginning of shops dedicated to the manufacturing of art materials and related items. By the mid-19th century, paints went from being ground by hand and stored in animal bladders to being kept in collapsible tubes similar to the type in use today. The ease of working with paint stored in tubes spurred the movement to look to the outdoors as a source of inspiration.