Just say no!!! 😝✋

In my previous video on preventing oil paintings from yellowing, I mentioned avoiding 'oiling out' your painting. Let's clarify what it is, why you should steer clear as an oil painter, and what to do instead. 👇

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m varnishing my painting in the video cuz I’m not about to oil out a whole painting just to make a point. The technique remains the same – use an oil medium and apply it with a brush or rag (as I somewhat awkwardly mimed at the start of the vid). Just beware that an oily rag is a fire hazard!! (see my recent vid on how not to burn down your studio). 🔥

First, what is oiling out? 💦
It's a technique to even out shine by adding an oil medium layer, making the painting look glossy and revitalizing matte/sunken areas. Artists tend to use the same oil medium that they used in the painting. It’s a different technique to ‘laying down a couche’ which I discussed in an old video. That’s when you add a layer of oil over a dry layer of painting you’re about to paint over & you then pick up that oil into your paint as you go.

What is a ‘sunken’ area? ⚓️
Sinking (in oil painting) is when the oil in your paint gets pulled down into the layers below leaving an area that looks really matte and dry. It’s most common with lean colours like the umbers. The issue is varnish doesn’t fix unevenness in the sheen of the painting so these areas remain visible.

Why avoid oiling out? ⏳
The issue is that the added oil layer darkens and yellows over time, unlike varnish which is removable, so your painting won’t age well.

What can you do instead? 👩‍🎨
The best thing you can do is add enough oil medium to your paint as you go so you don’t get sinking. Unfortunately knowing the right amount of oil to add to each pigment takes time and practice. You can see in the video I still managed to find a small, sunken area to demonstrate the issue. So, if you have a situation where you’ve got an obvious sunken area, only oil out that specific area - not the whole painting. Then once it’s fully dry, add a gloss varnish over the top.

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