There’s a “rule” in oil portray that you just’ve doubtless heard: Paint fats over lean. In case you’re unsure precisely what meaning, or whether or not it applies, let’s break it down.
Some Background
To know this precept, it’s vital to grasp the fundamental construction of oil paints. Oil paints are merely pigment and oil. The oil is critical as a “car;” that’s, a way of controlling the distribution of pigment and its binding to the portray’s floor. Over time, the oil dries, entrapping the pigment in a sturdy movie. This gives the completed portray with a wealthy and luminous high quality that viewers establish with oil portray.
Fats vs Lean
Oil paint utilized instantly from the tube has a somewhat thick, buttery high quality. Because of this, a painter would possibly solely be supplied sufficient paint for a number of thick brushstrokes. To cowl a bigger space, an artist must modulate the viscosity of the paint. This may be performed in two methods. The primary approach is to enhance the stream by including extra oil to the paint. The second approach is to skinny the oil by including a solvent, degrading the construction of the oil binder. These two strategies of modulating oil paint is the place we get the phrases “fats,” which means paint that incorporates extra oil, and “lean,” referring to color that’s been thinned with solvent.
Why is that this vital? Keep in mind, the pigment is suspended inside a layer of oil, so the structural integrity of that layer turns into an vital issue within the longevity of an oil portray. Lean layers of paint dry sooner and shrink extra rapidly, whereas fats layers dry extra slowly and stay versatile longer. When you apply a lean layer over a fats one, the lean paint will dry and shrink sooner, resulting in cracks within the extra versatile, oily layer beneath it.
What Ought to You Do?
To place this into observe, you’ll wish to use your “lean” layers — these thinned with mineral spirits or different solvents – to make up your preliminary layers. As you construct your subsequent layers, cut back your solvent use and incorporate linseed oil or portray medium.
When you’re working wet-into-wet, this common rule also can assist with layering of coloration. In case your preliminary “lean” layers, are allowed a while to take a seat, your subsequent “fats” layers might be utilized with out an excessive amount of mixing with the underlayer.
What Ought to You Purchase?
Listed here are some choices for solvents
Gamblin Gamsol
Richeson Signa-Turp
Solvents
Listed here are some choices for mediums
Blick Studio Linseed Oil
Gamblin Solvent-free Medium
Chelsea Classical Studio Linseed Oils
Ultimate Ideas
When you’re simply studying to color, decide up some solvent, seize a bottle of medium, and comply with the “fats over lean” precept. To study extra about oil mediums, try this text right here.
Sources:
- “Fats over Lean Rule Defined.” Winsor & Newton–North America. winsornewton.com/na/masterclass/fat-over-lean.
- “Complicated Ideas in Oil Portray: Fats over Lean.” Pure Pigments. naturalpigments.com/artist-materials/oil-painting-fat-over-lean.