Why Oil Paint?

Oil paint has been found in oil paintings from 650 A.D. in Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan. It was possibly made from walnut and poppy seed oil. In Mediterranean civilizations, mastic and wax were commonly used as a medium because it dried faster and did not darken or crack the paint like linseed oil did. Organic oils (made from different seeds such as linseed, walnut, poppy, hempseed, pinenut, and castor) were most commonly used in early oil paints because of its slow-drying characteristics. Olive oil could have possibly been used, but was opposed since it took much longer to dry. These oils were mostly used for varnishing and sealing paintings from water or any possible damage. Antonello da Messina added litharge to the oil paint mixture, which had a honey-like consistency, and called this new mixture ogilo cotto or cooked oil. Jan van Eyck was the first artist to use oil paint and created the modern technique of oil painting in 1410. His mixture contained mineral pigments and was boiled in linseed oil. The mixtures and techniques of oil paint have been improving continuously as time went on by various artists.

Artists choose to use oil paints because of the unique and great texture it creates. It is thicker than many other paints. Although it is a slow-drying paint, it can also be an advantage. If an artist is working on a painting and cannot begin painting it until much later, it will still be wet, so the artist will be able to continue altering it by adding various components. Using a fast-drying paint like tempera paint causes the artist to have to work on dry paint, so the artist will not be able to adjust different parts of their painting.

Critique Feedback

The use of color in both the White Objects painting and Surface and Texture painting was accurate. My brush strokes in the surface and texture painting made the objects look fuzzy instead of sharp and detailed. This is especially important for the egg shell parts of the painting since the thickness is very thin, delicate, and sharp. The fuzziness of the lines makes the painting look messy and not sharp enough. The value and depth of the paintings were accurate as well. However, the objects in the surface and texture painting don't bond and should form more of a unity with each other. The compositons that were shown in my paintings were praised. However, the background of the surface and texture painting don't seem to have much depth which makes the objects look like they're floating. I just have to add more shadows in the fabric to make objects look more realistic. There is also more contrast in the surface and texture painting than in the white objects painting.

What is a Portrait?

"Georgia O'Keeffe" by Alfred Stieglitz

The composition of this photograph is very simple and only consists of the person's face and hands. It was unique of the artist to include another part of the subjects body rather than just having her face. This small feature adds more of a story or emotion to the artwork. It seems like she is either hiding something or she's cold or that she wants to just keep to herself. It keeps the viewer's wondering what the concept of this photograph is. The fact that it is black and white also contribute to the mood of the photo, which seems like it is calm or serious. It isn't just a plain photograph of a person, there is also a story behind it, which makes it more interesting.

"Yoko Ono" by Annie Liebowitz

Annie Liebowitz's composition in this photograph is very unique because the subject that is supposed to catch the viewer's eyes seems to be unseen unless looked at more observantly. Yoko Ono seems to be camouflaged within the entire scenery. It looks like she is part of the tree. It is also unique because portraits tend to have a similar composition of having a closer shot of the person rather than having them hidden like in this one. The colors in it are also very nature-esque with different shades of greens and other natural colors. Also, the person in portraits tend to be the main subject, yet in this one, the giant tree's power looks like it overshadows Yoko Ono because it is the biggest subject matter in the photo. The fact that Yoko Ono blends in with the tree could show that she is a part of nature or vice verse. Annie Liebowitz factors in different subjects within this piece of art rather than just having the person's face or body.

"Self-Portrait" by Chuck Close

The composition is kind of ordinary and does not have much uniqueness but makes the viewer only look at the main subject, which is the man's face. The artist uses a unique way to paint the his face, by painting a small section at a time. Each square looks like there is something else inside of it. When all of the squares are combined, it creates a lifelike figure. Although each of the squares are completely different close up, it creates different shadows and highlights within the portrait. Close up, it looks like there are a variety of bright, unique colors; from far away you can see that they create neutral colors when they are combined. The artist uses simple geometric shapes, and yet creates a complicated and detailed self-portrait.

White Objects Painting

I think this painting was really difficult for me for many reasons. It was really hard trying to mix the paint to get the right colors. It was especially difficult making the correct shadow colors for the fabric. Creating the creases in the fabric was the most difficult part of this painting. Using the highlights, shadows, and mid tones creates value to the painting, which was very challenging for me. It was really hard making everything look 3-D. I think my favorite part of this painting is the pitcher, which seems to be the main subject. Although creating shadows of the objects was the most difficult, I think I did my best to make the objects look 3-D. I also think that I put the shadows in the right places of each of the objects. The shadows, mid tones, and highlights help make each object have the shape that they are.

Where I'm At

Most of the things I'm learning in this class is challenging because I have not taken intermediate drawing and painting. This is a huge setback for me because I do not know most of the basics of painting. However, I think the most challenging part of this course is creating shadows in my paintings. It is very difficult for me to make the objects in my paintings to look realistic and 3-D. It was especially difficult to make round objects look round like in my orange painting and white objects painting. I think I have progressed the most in mixing colors. Although it usually takes me a long time to create the right color I am looking for, I am eventually able to do so and it makes my paintings look more realistic. I think I have also improved a lot in general as a painter, for I haven't had much experience in this medium. Looking at examples of paintings from our history helps painters today create new concepts and techniques in their painting. Observing the differences and similarities between different paintings also help find new painting techniques and a variety of ways of painting. Many painters' ideas for their paintings usually derive from past painters, and form who they are as an artist.

A Sense of Place

Andrew Wyeth

Edward Hopper


These two paintings are very different in mood for a number of reasons. The one by Andrew Wyeth looks gloomier and darker, whereas Edward Hopper's looks brighter and happier. Unlike Hopper's painting, Wyeth has an animal as the subject. The first painting looks sadder, empty, and more enclosed. The second painting looks happier and more open because of the opened door with a wide view of the bright, calm ocean. The darker painting uses more neutral and dull colors like various shades of whites and greys. The brighter painting uses a variety of bright colors.

Surface and Texture

Water Lilies by Claude Monet

I think this is the most interesting painting because the artist uses his colors in a nice, clean way. He also uses a lot of green in this painting but also uses small hints of pink, which is the color of the flowers. The pink creates a nice contrast between the other color. Monet uses texture to make the painting look softer. The composition of the painting is nice as well because Monet spreads out the subjects throughout the painting, so there isn't much blank space in it. It also forces your eyes to look at the entire painting rather than just one specific part of it.

I think this painting represents calmness and tranquility and is very pleasing to the eye. Monet painted a series of 250 oil paintings of water lilies and this painting, which was painted in 1905, was part of this series. These water lilies were from his flower garden in Giverny, which was the focal point of his paintings for the last thirty years of his life. His paintings are being displayed in museums all over the world. This specific painting is also currently being displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.