An introduction to oil painting

What is oil paint?

There are three main categories of oil paints: traditional, alkyd and water-mixable.

One thing they all have in common is that they’re all made up of pigment and binder. The role of the binder is to protect the pigment and act as an adhesive.

Linseed oil is the most common binder, being a strong and fast-drying oil. Using high-quality oil is vital because it’s the coating that we see the colour through. The right size and shape of pigment particles is also essential.

How is oil paint made?

The process of grinding together pigment and binder is known as milling. Each particle of our oil paint pigments is coated in drying oil. This is critical because poorly dispersed pigment particles will clump together and create poor-quality paint.

Today, Winsor & Newton oil colour is produced on triple roll mills. The rollers are usually either steel or ceramic and move at different speeds, coming together under hydraulic pressure.

Making oil paint requires astonishing skill and knowledge. Every pigment absorbs oil differently, requiring individual milling processes for each colour.

What will I need to get started?

You’ll need a surface (canvas or panel), brushes, paint rags to wipe off your brushes, a palette, palette knife, a cup for solvent, solvent (such as low-odour Sansodor) and, of course, oil paint.

What ranges do Winsor & Newton have available?

At the moment we have four ranges of oil paint, created with different artistic approaches in mind.

Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colour range

A traditional oil paint, this provides the widest choice of colours with the highest pigment strength, ensuring the cleanest, brightest colours and best mixes.

Winton Oil Colour

Also a traditional oil paint, this range offers dependable quality at an accessible price. It’s ideal for beginners who want to learn the fundamentals of oil painting, and perfect for any artist who needs to cover a large area or work on an underpainting.

Griffin Alkyd Fast Drying Oil Colour

Also made from pigment in oil, but in this case, the oil is polymerised to make a resin-like product, which results in a much faster drying time. It’s a useful tool for underpainting and can be mixed with traditional oils to accelerate drying even further.

Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour

Oils that can be cleaned up with water instead of solvents, whilst providing the same level of depth, lightfastness, performance and drying times as traditional oil colours. Perfect for artists working in shared spaces or those who are sensitive to chemicals.

Take a look at our four ranges in more detail here.

Using mediums

Once you’ve picked your oil of choice, you’ll want to think about a solvent. Solvents thin your paint to make it more workable, without adding to the drying time.

Recommended by leading art schools, and often the only solvent permitted in their studios, Sansodor is a good choice for traditional oils and alkyds. It performs like turpentine but has a low odour, and is the least hazardous of the solvents.

Artisan has its own range of solvents and mediums uniquely suited to the water-mixable formula.

All solvents should be used in a well-ventilated room. Make sure to clear away paint-soaked rags and palettes after painting, and dispose of them in an airtight, solvent and flame-proof container.

For more advice on mediums, check out our oil guides and our Masterclass tutorial video on how to use Liquin Mediums.

Choosing brushes

If you want to make a mark with stiffer bristles that leave a texture, choose a Hog Brush. For a smoother mark, go for synthetic Monarch brushes.

Artisan has its own special range of brushes that work well with other brushes, too.

For more information, read our guide to oil paint brushes and learn how to clean your oil paint brushes properly.

Choosing a canvas

Canvas is the go-to choice for most artists. Primed stretched canvases are easy to find, such as our Cotton Traditional, but wooden panels are also a great surface to work on. Find out more with our guide about choosing a surface for oil painting.