A Brief History and Explanation of Oil Painting

Oil is one of the oldest painting mediums which still sees frequent use in painting today, but it has not always been as accessible as it currently is. Oil painting is synonymous with the renaissance period, impressionist artists, and, more recently, Bob Ross with his happy little trees. With the advent of new technologies over the years, oil paint has remained a popular choice for artists. So why has oil paint endured when other techniques fell out of style? Let us take a brief look into the history of oil painting from its earliest uses to its most recent developments.

A Long Time Ago

The oldest oil paintings found to date are in the Afghan region of Bamiyan. These murals were painted onto cave walls and depict Buddhist monks praying, as seen image above. Analysis of the murals found layers of the preserved paint to contain oils, most likely based on walnut or poppyseed, which were common binders for pigment. This mural is dated to around 650 AD, meaning that oil paints were used for artistic purposes for a much longer time than originally assumed. Oil paints would not see widespread use in Europe until the Renaissance period in 15th to 16th century.

During the mid-15th century, the Early Netherlandish Painters rose to prominence. Artists like Jan van Eyck and Hieronymus Bosch pioneered the use of oil paints for their slow drying qualities, which allowed for a greater degree of control over the paint application. The slower drying time meant it was easier to create blends with greater subtlety than other paints available at the time. This style of painting spread gradually to Italy, and then throughout Europe. Within a period of around 20 years, painting on wooden panels with oil paint had become the norm for many artists. As adoption of such techniques increased, oil paintings became highly sought after and many artists would travel to paint commissions for wealthy patrons. Paintings of portraits and religious iconography in particular were exceptionally popular and this popularity lead to oil painting had establishing itself as the dominant style of painting in Europe for centuries to come.

Birth of the Paint Tube

John G. Rand was an American painter born on 27th January, 1801 in the town of Bedford, New Hampshire in the USA.

You've probably not heard of him. He may not be particularly well-known to most artists today, however he made one of the most important contributions to art during the 19th century. John G. Rand invented the first paint tube. While this may not seem particularly revolutionary to modern eyes, it's important to note that until that point, paint was still being stored in pig bladders—which was not ideal. A pig’s bladder would be filled with paint, tied off with string, punctured, and paint would be squeezed out. For the most part, any waste was discarded as resealing a pig’s bladder was not an easy task. All that changed in 1841 when Rand patented his design for a collapsible tin tube with a screw top cap for the storage of oil paint.

“Without colours in tubes, there would be no Cézanne, no Monet, no Pissarro, and no Impressionism.”

These are the words of Pierre-Auguste Renoir one of the key impressionist painters, who attributes success of the impressionist movement to the convenience and portability of paint tubes. Tubes made moving paint safer, storage more convenient, and granted painters instant access to a wide variety of colours. This saved artists from having to painstakingly mix each colour by hand on the spot or plan which exact colours to use beforehand. This immediacy allowed for more spontaneity than had previously been seen in oil painting. Artists were able to make choices of which colours to use in the moment which was a cornerstone principle of the impressionist style.

While the impressionist painters met with pushback from more classically-minded painters and art scholars of the time, no one could deny the power of the paint tube. The invention of the re-sealable paint tin was occurred not too long after, cementing the age of easier access to oil paints.

In more recent times

Oil paint continues to be a versatile and popular medium, and with the resurgence in popularity of the late Bob Ross, interest in oil painting has only increased.

The calming TV painting guru introduced new generations to the joy of painting with his easy-going demeanour. A proponent of the Wet-On-Wet painting style, Ross would use thin layers of oil over a slow-drying base coat to very swiftly establish blends, tone and layers of colour. This technique has been long employed, going back to the time of the old masters, where it was known as Alla Prima. This was a technique Ross experimented with whilst stationed in Alaska when he was still with the US air force. Ross would paint landscapes using this technique to turn out finished pieces on his half-hour breaks. Encouraged by friends and mentor, Bill Alexander—who had his own local television show named "The Magic of Painting"—he took to public broadcast TV to share his expertise in “The Joy of Painting”, each episode being an easy to digest half hour lesson. Ross always placed great importance on being happy whilst painting, and always taught with an easy confidence and steady encouraging manner which has led to a fresh following to spring up around him in recent years.

Whilst it can look daunting at first, oil paint has never been more accessible. Oil paints are now designed for artists of all skill levels, from Daler-Rowney’s Student Quality Georgian Oil paintsto the bespoke artists' quality oils of Michael Harding. Alongside that, there is a plethora of instructional content available for free online from tutorial videos, product and technique demonstrations, all the way to the entirety of Bob Ross’ own "Joy of Painting” shown free on YouTube. Anyone, even those with zero oil painting experience, can acquire a basic knowledge of the materials they will require and the fundamentals needed to begin painting.

So, What Oil Paints Can I Buy?

At ARTdiscount, we have a variety of oil paints available to buy. Ranging from student, to intermediate, to professional, we have something for all skill levels and preferences.

	Daler-Rowney Graduate Oil Colour  Available in 200ml tubes, Daler-Rowney Graduate Oil is an affordable range of oil paints ideal for students and hobbyists looking for reliability and performance. Graduate Oil colours are smooth, easy to use, and mix well together, drying to a low gloss satin sheen within 5 days.
	Daler-Rowney Georgian Oil Colour  Daler-Rowney Georgian Oil Colours are made from carefully selected permanent, organic pigments ensuring the highest standards of durability, reliability, lightfastness and working properties. These rich, low-odour oil paint colours can be used directly from the tube with brush or knife, or thinned to create the finest of glazes.
	Daler-Rowney Georgian Water Mixable Oil Colours Daler-Rowney Georgian Water Mixable Oil colours offer artists the possibility of experiencing oil painting without the need for solvent-based mediums. An alternative to traditional oil paints, Georgian Water Mixable Oils can be thinned, mixed, and washed using water.
	Bob Ross Landscape Oil Colours Available in both 37ml and 200ml tubes, Bob Ross Landscape Oil Paints are specifically formulated to work well with the wet-on-wet technique, which involves applying wet paint on top of wet paint. These paints have a smooth consistency and blend easily on the canvas.  The Bob Ross line also features oil colours designed for painting Floral Techniques and Wildlife Painting.
	Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Colour Available in 37ml and 200ml tubes, Winton Oil Colours have been made to the highest standards within moderate cost limits. The application of traditional skills and modern colour chemistry techniques has resulted in a range of carefully selected colours, primarily designed for use by both amateur and student artists.
	Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colour A supreme quality Artists' Oil colour produced from the finest pigments. Quality standards include the use of single pigments wherever possible to create individual colours. Combined with strength of colour, single pigments ensure clean, accurate mixing to provide you with endless colour possibilities.  Every Winsor & Newton Oil colour is made with fine art pigments and formulated to enhance each pigment's natural characteristics- providing excellent tinting strength and coverage to ensure every colours performs as it should.