History Of Traditional Oil Paintings

Oil paintings are works of art created by combining colors with a drying oil medium. The most frequently used medium is the linseed oil although walnut oil, poppyseed oil and safflower oil are also utilized. Choice of oil depends on its effects on the pigments, whether they dry faster or cause yellowish discolorations. The consistency of the oil paints may differ depending on the drying oil.

According to Brian Thomas, he considered the development of Western oil painting occurred in four overlapping phases - line design, form design, tone design and color design. The line design was based on the association among outlines and shapes, which became a popular trend during the end of the Roman Empire and the emergence of the Renaissance period. Color alterations allowed outlines to be accentuated. Artists typically used distant and typecast symbols in their oil paintings. These symbols appeared vague to integrate a religious impression. Notable artists of the line design included Holbein and Jan van Eyck.

The form design included the three-dimensional aspect in oil paintings. The artworks are both appealing and evocative. Painters at this stage gained a better understanding of space and learned to combine them harmoniously. Well-known artists involved Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo. Michelangelo expressed his work by silhouetting the key form with contrasting tones. The models of his artwork are often dressed in swinging drapes with their muscles prominent. By learning from other artists, Raphael was able to master the relationship of figures to each other. Leonardo utilized art to understand how ordinary items are constructed, and to determine how color is altered with various light gradations.

Tone design focused on shade and light as well as the sharpness of the oil paintings. There wasn't much importance put on colors. Pigments were simply used for decorative purposes. Tones were believed to livens up the paintings more. Artists such as Goya and Leonardo made the tone technique popular. Goya incorporated this design into his work by utilizing a dry brush and knife. Leonardo emphasized tones in his famous work, the Mona Lisa.

The last developmental stage of Western oil painting is the color design. Color design focused on creating harmony between warm and cold hues and lessened the intensity of tones. The pioneers of this technique were the English which began in the early 19th century. Distinguished painters included Constable, Turner, Cezanne and Van Gogh. Turner displayed impressive pragmatism in color, tone and drawing. Turner was able to create works of art under varied weather settings. It revealed his cognizance of oil paints and flowing creativity. Cezanne formed a spiritual impression on nature. Instead of experimenting with tone, he explored the possibilities of different gradations of color. Van Gogh exhibited the power of nature by using intense colors and tense strokes.

Oil paintings allowed the development of Western art in line, form, tone and color designs. Although these designs are not incorporated in today's artworks, these allowed contemporary artists to develop innovative techniques in their paintings; thus, displaying art's continuous evolution.

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