Gelli Plate Introduction

Let’s talk about traditional oils…

This time, we’re looking at traditional oil paints – rich, buttery, and full of history.

There’s something really lovely about oils – they move beautifully, blend like a dream, and have such depth in the colour. You can take your time with them, which is perfect if you like to build up slowly and make changes as you go.

But let’s be honest – they can be a bit more involved. So here are a few benefits and things to keep in mind:

Benefits:

• Gorgeous, rich colour
• Stay wet for a long time – so great for blending and soft edges
• You can work into them for days
• Feel very smooth and expressive to paint with

Things to be aware of:

• You’ll need to clean up with turps or an odourless solvent
• Are more hazardous
• Longer drying times – sometimes days or even weeks
• You’ll need good ventilation when using solvents or mediums
• They take a bit more patience
• You can get muddy colours very quick if you don’t layer correctly.

How I use them:

I still like to begin with a loose acrylic base to block things in quickly and let that dry. Then I move onto oils to build the mood and layers on top. It’s a lovely mix of energy and sof

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