What Kinds of Things Can You Use Oil Paint On?
- Oil has been used as a binder in paint pigments for thousands of years, dating back to the Egyptian times. Oil paint pigments have been found on cave walls in France, for example. But it came to the fore during the 15th century, when Flemish painter Jan van Eyck created a stable pigment containing siccative oil. His painting "Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife" is said to be a prime example of the newly developed oil paint. It is painted on three panels of oak. However, since the 1400s, oil paint has been manipulated with lead oxide and by heating. Nowadays, most artists paint on canvas.
- Oil paint is primarily used on canvas for art, but it dries very slowly. In comparison to acrylic, which takes a few hours to dry, oil needs to be left for days to achieve full solidity. Often, acrylic has been used as a base to oil paint to create a more stable surface to paint onto. Artists use turpentine or linseed oil to mix with oil paint before it is applied to the canvas. This makes it smoother, extends the color and increases the paint's workability. Colors are usually mixed on a wooden board or palette.
- Oil paint is suitable for wood because it has the ability to expand and contract as the shape of the wood varies with temperature and age. It can provide a protective layer to the wood, but the wooden surface has to be primed with a mixture of turpentine and boiled linseed oil before the oil paint is applied. The oil paint also needs to be mixed with linseed oil and a turpentine so it is applied smoothly. Several layers need to be applied to the wood. This can take a few weeks since each layer needs to dry before the next is added.
- Certain types of oil paint can be used to protect metal structures, and metal objects such as the hull of a boat. Oil paint washes well and has a strong bond to most surfaces. However, the surface should be primed with a specialist primer before the oil paint is applied. This ensures that the surface is prepared to take the oil paint and increases the durability of the finish.
- OIl paint can be used to paint onto polymer clay. This is a synthetic plastic-based material that can be sculpted. The drawback is that the paint takes a long time to dry; in fact, it can take several months. Also, it cannot be varnished as the oil paint will stay tacky underneath. However, linseed oil-based paints can be used to paint the polymer clay. Be careful when using other oil paints because some types of paint may disintegrate the clay; choose paint that is oil-based, not petroleum based.