posted by Andrea, MXP, Big Orang-Utang

HeyHo JungleLovers :)

I share with readers my way to paint with oils.
Please excuse me for my badEnglish :(
ok, GO!

I have always painted in acrylic, but recently I tried to finish my figures with the help of oil paints.
Using a technique different from that of classic oil colors, and quick in drying times.

The oil paint has some very specific things ... the color is brilliant, but it makes perfect shades.... but drying times can be very long. There is always the risk that some areas become too shiny and therefore may affect the final result. My way is a mixed tecnique, oils for finish over my acrylic painting, trying to exploit all the advantages. I think that oil painting makes skin tones, leathers with stunning realism.

This is my way of working with oil paints:

Step 1

Primer! Usually paint with acrylic my figure, defining the position,tone and intensity of the lights and shadows. At this point I try to exploit the softness and shine of oil paint, remembering that:

- Oil colors enhance the acrylic painting below
- The oil's colors do not cover acrylic base, I have to enrich the dominant tone painted before in acrylics, don't distorting the tone


Here are my tools

- Some long bristle brushes, I use only for oil paints
- Short bristle brushes of various sizes, some with synthetic bristles ... Economic and perfect for my purpose



- Thinner: Essence of petroleoum to dilute my colors .. simple white spirit to clean my brushes after painting session.




Why petroleoum essence? the answer is simple, the essence of petroleoum evaporates quickly and increase the fast drying. Help the opacity.


Step 2

Colors!



I use many brands of color, those that are on my workbench are:

OldHolland-Mussini-LB-WN-Maimeri
Old Holland,WN and Mussini are more expensive, but the quality is better. They have a good pigments consistency and quality. This range of Maimeri color are cheapest, I bought them in a Hobbystore:) .. but they do their job very well!

Open the color tube ...
Deposit the color of a normal common sheet of paper ...



Wait 10-15 minutes ... (coffee and cigarette:))

ok .. look ...



the paper has absorbed oil in excess .... Oil in excess is one of the causes of the excessive brightness and long drying times. Obviously the more the pigment of oil color is of quality, less oil is absorbed on the paper.

Step 3
With a toothpick or a small spatula (which I never find on my untidy work table) I take the pigment...



and put on my palette (a plain sheet of oven paper, which is found in every kitchen):)



Now, I'm ready to paint!

Step 4
I will need 2 brushes ...



dilute the color with the essence of petroleoum (use a normal brush), the color must be fluid but consistent



with the long bristles brush I deposit (with more accurately possible ) the color on my miniature,













Important. The short bristles brush (that you use for fade the color) should always be dry! otherwise the color run away from all sides!
clean the excess color on the brush on a paper towel




More better add a small quantity of colors anyway, and repeat the step that too much color.
When you change color (for example if you use a darker color to touch the deepest shadows) use another brush with short bristles clean and dry. In this way you avoid that all the colors overlap.
When the color are dry, normally the shadows "eating" the lights...in this case add other light tone.
Drying time depends on the amount of color you added.... usually in less than 24 hours, the color is completely dry without using heat. In case you have hurry,put your miniature under a 60W light bulb for 20-30min. BUT ATTENTION to resin or plastic miniatures!

I hope that you can find this article interesting :), this is my last figure painted in this way (skin and leather part). Mirmillo by AlexandrosModels in 75mm.







Edit by Roman: If you are interested in painting more with Oil there is also Roman's way available - both ways work, read, try and find your own :)