This post will be useful for both art collectors who want to be sure that the oil painting they buy will live long and for artists who care about the quality of their artworks. I will not focus on artistic skills and style here but on the rules of using oil paints and mediums that ensure long life of a painting.
Oil paint is one of the most durable mediums
It is known that oil painting can preserve their qualities for decades and, under certain conditions, even centuries. But some of them loose their quality (fade, crack or peel) much faster.
Why Oil Painting Damages Fast
Oil painting may lose its quality shortly after creation due to low quality materials or violation of oil painting rules. This happens mostly to beginner artists, as experienced ones discover and correct their mistakes over time.
Things to Consider
Support. Oil artwork has to be painted on cotton or linen canvas or a special canvas paper for oil painting. Some artists also use cardboard. In this case it is important to make sure that the cardboard is primed and acid free.
I, personally, use cotton canvas or Fabriano Tela paper for oil painting. Some of my paintings created 15 years ago are still in a perfect condition.
Fat over lean rule. This means that every subsequent layer has to be thicker than the previous one. If a thin layer is applied over a thick one, it dries faster that the layer below and cracks.
Correct usage of solvents. Such solvents as turpentine should be used only for the first layers as they make oil paint very liquid and reduce drying time. Top layers should be painted with oils (such as linseed oil) or just oil paint.
Avoiding Low Quality Artwork
Checking if an artist followed the above mentioned rules might be not easy. But you can do the following:
- Ask for a close up video or photos to inspect the surface of the painting for possible damages or cracks.
- Check the artist’s background to be sure that he/she has some years of experience.
- It always fine to ask the artist few questions about the process.
To be honest, I saw only few examples when oil painting cracked due to not following fat over lean rule and only once when the top layer peeled off because the support was not suitable for oil painting. The vast majority of oil paintings are very durable.
I hope you find this information useful and it will help you to choose a quality oil painting that will inspire you for years.
