Oil painting materials

Oil Paints

Oil paint is a mix of a powdered pigment bounded with a medium of drying oil.

Linseed oil is commonly used as a carrier in oil paint. Oil paints can be mixed with linseed oil as a medium to make paints more fluid; this medium also increases glossiness and makes paint more transparent.

Linseed oil comes as cold pressed, alkali refined, sun bleached, sun thickened, and polymerised (stand oil).

Traditionally, the old masters used to prepare oil paints themselves. Today, ready-made oil paints available in tubes from any art supply shop. It is possible to paint with oils without diluting them with solvents, by using brush pressure to spread the paint out thinly. In this case, oil can be used as a medium and to rinse your brushes.
There’s no need to buy every oil paint available. In fact, a limited palette of few chosen paints would serve you nicely. Here are some suggestions of what colours fine artists may go for: