Oil paint consists of pigment that is ground into a powder and mixed with an oil. Linseed oil, or similar oils that retain their consistency, are most commonly used to produce oil paint. Oil painting began to be widely used in Western Europe during the 15th Century, and quickly showed itself to be a technique that could be used to create a huge range of effects – opaque, transparent, light, shade and many more. Oil paintings are often built up of various layers of paint, sometimes thin and transparent but most commonly thick and solid so that the consistency of the paint forms a visible part of the painting.
Oil
Oil