Oil Painting 101: How to Appreciate Oil Paintings

Since the dawn of time, man has expressed most of his innermost desires and thoughts through art. From prehistoric cave drawings to today's masterpieces, art is indeed a timeless imitation of life itself.

Among the many forms of art, paintings are among the most popular. Whether they are made of watercolor, acrylic, or oil on canvas also command some of the highest prices in the world of art. They are often housed in the finest galleries and museums and even some private residences. And because of this perceived high price tag and air of exclusivity, many people are put off, if not intimidated by art.

Which is really sad, as art is meant to be enjoyed by everyone and not just those who have money to splurge on high art or those people who frequent galleries and museums.

For one thing, oil paintings are not entirely expensive. While it is true that those made by the masters command prices which are prohibitive for most people, various affordable options are available for anyone who is interested in owning art.

Secondly, you don't have to be a connoisseur to appreciate art. All you need is a keen eye for details, some patience, and of course an enthusiasm to open yourself to art.

Art should 'Talk' to you

Appreciating art is always a personal experience. How an art form appeals to you may be different from how it affects another person. So it is important to look closely at a painting, for example and see how that piece of art affects you.

It may not look beautiful or appealing at first so you may have to pay closer attention until that painting takes your attention in some way. Spend some time looking at it. How do details such as the choice of colors, placement of objects, or any other detail in the painting affect you?

What is the painting trying to tell you? What is the story it is trying to convey? How art 'talks' to you is very important in appreciating art.

Look for symbols

Part of appreciating art, such as oil on canvas paintings is figuring out what the artist is trying to say through his work. Often, an artist would hide his message through symbols which he carefully integrates in his composition. Look for these symbols to make your experience richer and have a better understanding of the artist.

However, such symbolisms should only be your guide in the inner workings of an artist's mind and heart and should not cloud you on how that piece of art affects you.

Style

How an artist chooses to express himself through his artwork is often reflected on the style he picks to translate his message to the canvas.

Some would choose to be as lifelike as possible as seen in some works by the Renaissance masters while others would abandon this and be bolder in their works such as seen in abstracts and impressionists styles.

While some artists would show controlled and precise brushworks, others would be more haphazard in the use of their brushes and paints, creating a wild and chaotic play of strokes and colors.

In appreciating art, it helps to look for these differences in styles and see why the artist would want to execute his work that way.

The above guides are not meant to produce an instant art expert in anyone. It is only meant to start you on your way towards appreciating art. Just remember that art is meant to make you happy, angry, sad, nostalgic, hopeful, and various other feelings in between.

I hope you find this article helpful. Consider museum quality oil paintings for your next home decoration project. We have a wide range of beautiful landscape oil paintings of museum masterpieces that will enhance your home decor.