Oils

I completed the oil demonstrations in this book with Grumbacher Pre-tested Oil colors, with the addition of Permalba White, a product of the Martin/F. Weber Co. Permalba White, a mixture of Titanium White and Zinc White, has a creamy, spreadable texture that makes it easy to paint with and to mix with other colors. The oil colors I used in this book include: Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cerulean Blue, Naples Yellow, Permalba White, Raw Sienna, Ultramarine Blue Deep, Viridian and Yellow Ochre.

OIL COLOR MIXTURES

Oil color mixtures are basically the same as the acrylic mixtures, except some of the colors are a little different and have different names (never mix oil and acrylic paints). Substitutions for acrylic to oil are as follows:

• For Ultramarine Blue, use Ultramarine Blue Deep. (Ultramarine Blue is available in some oil brands, but Grumbacher makes Ultramarine Blue Deep.)

• For Scarlet Red, use Cadmium Red Light.

• For Titanium White, use Permalba White. (Titanium White is also an oil color, but I prefer Permalba White.)

• For Hooker’s Green Permanent, use Viridian.

• For Yellow Oxide, use Yellow Ochre.

• For Hansa Yellow Light, use Cadmium Yellow Light.

• For Red Oxide, use Indian Red.

RETOUCH VARNISH

Oil paints tend to dry to a duller finish than when wet, which can make matching color mixtures difficult in subsequent painting sessions. Try applying damar retouch varnish once the painting is dry to the touch. Be sure to use with plenty of ventilation. The varnish takes only a few minutes to dry. Retouch varnish temporarily restores the luster and color to a painting so that it looks the same as when you first applied the wet paint. Since it is thin, retouch varnish allows the paint to keep drying underneath, which will prevent it from cracking later. When the painting is finished and fully dry, apply the final picture varnish. The colors will be restored and will all match because you used retouch varnish when starting each new painting session.

Oil Paint Brand Choices

I like Grumbacher oil colors because they are archival and permanent with rich color and a smooth consistency. There are many brands of oil paints available, so experiment and find out what works best for you.