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Oil paintings have been prized since ages for their gloss and sheen. These paintings are so called because the pigments present in the paint used for the painting are bound together by a particular oil which has the ability to dry up quite fast, and bind the pigments together strongly. Usually, linseed oil is used in these paintings, the trend of which began in early Europe. Oil paint started to be made in India, in the 15th century and in Afghanistan, by painters of Chinese origin. They were not incredibly popular in Europe until the advent of the Renaissance. Until then, tempera paintings were the norm.
The oil paints are usually boiled with a specific resin or a varnish. Pine resin and frankincense are commonly used. Apart from linseed oil, the other oils that are used in oil paintings are safflower oil, and oil from the seeds of poppy plants as well as walnut oil. The purpose behind using oils in the paintings was that the oil provides a yellowing, or a variably drying effect on the final work. Depending upon the kind of oil used, the sheen or the gloss of a painting can be altered. At times, different kinds of oils are used on the same painting to provide the desired effects according to the requirements of the subject of the painting, and of course, the painter’s preference.

Oil paintings are usually made on canvases made out of cotton cloth stretched between a wooden frame. This frame can be a ‘strainer’, or a ‘stretcher’. A stretcher is quite adjustable, while a strainer is rigid and can’t be adjusted at the corners. The subject matter is first sketched onto the canvas by the painter. This is done using either charcoal, or a kind of thinning paint. The paint is applied to the painting using paintbrushes or cloth rags, as required. Mineral spirits are at times used in the oil paint-varnish mixture. Cold wax too is used sometimes. The rule of thumb when it comes to oil paintings is that you should apply a thicker coat of paint on every previous coat you have applied. If you do the opposite, and thin the coats as you keep applying, the final painting may peel or crack.
Oil paintings are highly desirable as they last really very long, owing to the oil used in them and of course they’re really beautiful. The yellowing effect provided by the oil-resin-varnish mixture in them is what sets these paintings apart from the other types such as Impressionist, tempera, etc. The demand for these paintings is also quite high, as they make great decorative pieces for your home or office, and add a touch of tranquility and elegance to wherever they’re placed. You can shop for oil painting reproductions online, or actually visit famous auction houses and participate in them. Some famous oil painters are Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, and Vincent Van Gogh. Their works are highly acclaimed and buying a reproduction of any of their paintings to decorate your estate would be a very good option.