All About Oil Portrait Painting (2019)

From the time that oil paints are mixed in the palette and transferred to the canvas to form either a Van Gogh or a Solly Smook, the art lover is enchanted by the hues and techniques used for creating an oil painting portrait.

Most art auctions like the Sotheby’s have got sold out due to the reason that they were treated as stories rather than mere pieces of art.

“A story isn’t a charcoal sketch where every stroke lies on the surface to be seen. It is an oil painting filled with layers that the author must uncover carefully to show its beauty.”

-Amelia Rhodes

Art lovers shall choose their oil paintings because

• Bold colors and layers
• Magnificence and beauty
• Soul of the painting that captivates them

The most mesmerizing oil painting portrait ever sold in an auction is Pablo Picasso’s ‘Fillette a la corbeille Fleurie’ at a price of almost $115 million in 2018, according to research by Mutual Arts.

Other artists apart from Picasso have also made a mark in the hearts of many art collectors to be in the top list.

1. All-time favorites

If you are a new art collector who is confused about where to start, then it surely is the favorites list that one should resort to for references for famous oil painting portrait artists for buying a masterpiece.

• Mona Lisa, the epitome of beauty

The first to rank in the favorites list is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa oil painting portrait which is charming and legendary, giving a reason for being added to the collection by those who have a fine taste.

 

• A Starry Night

Oil painting portrait images like ‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent Van Gogh are up for collectibles by art lovers who fancy museum collection at their premises and love such modern art collection due to its subtle brush strokes and hues.

 

• Watch it like ‘The Night Watch’

For art collectors who love the bold and royal style of oil painting portraits may choose Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’. It depicts ancient soldiers watching the palace over the night. This makes the perfect painting to be hung in a drawing room or the hallway. This would capture eyeballs of everyone who passes by it.

 

2. Types of oil painting portraits

Oil painting portrait can be classified into many variants. But the most prominent types of such portraits which can be added to one’s art kitty are

• Scumbling- The merger of shades

If you fascinate ‘The Morning after the Deluge’ by Turner then you are in absolute love with the Scumbling type of oil painting portraits on larger canvases. These are charismatic in their ways and can be hung best at a wall with dim lights.

 

• Alla Prima- Layers and layers of colors

The painting ‘San Vincente Cape’ by Joaquin Sorolla has been painted in such a way that different layers of paints appear on it which is known as Alla Prima. This technique involves oil painting portrait layers on a piece of the canvas without the existing layer dry. Art collectors having a fetish over layers must have one of thee in their collection.

 

• Glazing- Shine like a star

‘The girl with a pearl earring’ by Johannes Vermeer is one such example of the glazing type of oil painting portraits. Paintings in this genre appear more attractive. They can either be bought for work, home or even gifted as a souvenir.

 

• Chiaroscuro- Colors play hide and seek

Such an oil painting portrait focuses on light and dark aspects of the subject and is of the Italian origin. Rembrandt’s ‘An old man in red’ focuses on such a type of painting and is suitable either for a living room or banquet hall.

 

• Impasto– Experience shadow in a painting

Oil portrait paintings involving shading techniques for focusing light and shadow on the subject belong to this genre of paintings. Van Gogh’s ‘Saint-Maries’ is a seascape which involves bold brushstrokes to be suited on any wall.

 

• Grisaille– Go monochrome with Florence

Grisaille is a type of monochromatic oil painting portrait with shades of grey. It is more prominent in frescos and canvasses. Those who have a fetish for shades of grey can pick the ‘Batessimo della Gente’ by Florence.

 

• Blocking in- The oil painting with a blocked view

A totally different type of oil painting is the blocking-in where a particular view or subject is blocked in through bold shades of oil colors. The under-painting with casein by Larry Seiler has been collected by many art lovers.

 

3. Factors you must consider while buying an oil painting portrait

Just as some contests have applied conditions for declaring their winners, similarly there are also some conditions for buying the art piece.

• Deciding upon the venue or place for display

If one chooses a large sized oil painting portrait online then either a hallway or either a study should be appropriate for placing the same. Also, if the painting size small or medium with the frame then a bedroom or living room shall be suitable. In the workplace, the shades of the painting need to match the décor

• Quality and aesthetics that are expected

There is a certain quality which is expected while looking and choosing a particular oil painting portrait. A blurred painting with pastel shades may not be appreciated by all. Also, the aesthetics also should be considered while placing a certain painting at a particular place. An emotional painting just cannot be placed at the workplace as it may not suit the environment.

• The occasion and reason for purchase

Sometimes a particular art fan or collector may not require any particular reason to purchase an oil painting self-portrait. He would love to bring such art pieces home and store them. Also, for gifting a friend or family member on their birthday or anniversary there cannot be a better option than gifting them either miniatures or medium-sized oil painting art pieces.

4. Oil painting portraits that ended up as blunders

With famous artists and their blockbuster masterpieces, there are also some oil painting portraits that did not make an entry into the box office and were highly discouraged.

• The ruined Caravaggio paintings

A few of these have been missing since ages. But a certain art lover ruined it, who had discovered it after long. While recreating the same portrait over a large-sized canvas which dated back to the 1600s roughly, the canvas couldn’t accommodate the layers and the colors eventually burst out with cracks. Colors also were squeezed out. Such blunders need to be avoided while recreating other oil painting portraits.

 

• The Egyptian Sarcophagus or Sarcophagi

Another blunder occurred with the Egyptian Sarcophagus painting or the Sarcophagi. It happened in a way that in the absence of alabaster in the certain museum, plaster which had a sloppy nature was used instead. This made the Egyptian figure horrifying over the years due to the use of the same as it turned yellow.

Sloppy plaster and canvas are not compatible with each other and hence should not be used on canvas.

 

• Impasto goes wrong with El Tio Paquete (ca. 1819-20)

Francisco de Goya’s oil painting portrait, El Tio Paquete goes wrong in a way that it does not look anything like an impasto at all due to its dark background and the painting of a human face in plain oil colors. This is in contrast to impasto which involves layers of colors which are visible to the eyes. Such mistakes should be avoided in an impasto.

 

5. Top artists who specialize in oil painting portraits

There are some of the artists who have their expertise in oil painting portraits since long. They can be trusted with the quality and finish of their oil painting portrait from a photograph.

• Los Angeles beauty Akika Kurata

The oil painting portrait constituting of a girl and her expressive eyes have made this particular female artist famous in Los Angeles. It made her painting being auctioned with other famous and older artists. This particular painting is surely a beauty for an alley or an accent wall

 

• Get emotional with Solly Smook

The emotional oil painting portrait displaying a girl named Anna Blou is fit for an office space. It’s due to its subtle and bold color usage and not making the emotions heightened. this is yet another famous painting which has been liked by art lovers to place it on the walls of their home or office.

 

• Get modern and layered with Andrew Salgado

This piece of modern art through layers of oil paints resembles realistic portrait oil painting techniques. It depicts the face of a young boy making rounds of discussions in the art world. This is praised by many art collectors. For art lovers who fantasize modern art shall place it either at work or at home.

 

6. The oil painting portraits which are trending at the auctions

There are particular portraits which have been developed out of oil painting. They are widely being encouraged at various art auctions worldwide. Here are a few portraits that break the records at various auctions.

• Flaunt your study through a Frank Sinatra

The portrait of Frank Sinatra by Norman Rockwell is doing rounds of auctions in various museums as well as art galleries. This painting is among the top searches on the search engine. The positive smile and use of brighter hues make this painting appropriate for home as well as office.

 

• Paul Swan’s ‘Modern Madonna’

‘A Modern Madonna’ by Paul Swan which depicts a woman and her daughter hugging each other. Thus, depicting love and affection is a rare painting of its kind. This portrait is best suited for hospitals and homes where expecting mothers reside. It brings positivity and joy through its pastel hues and is also known as oil painting house portraits.

 

• Highlight it with Nico Vrielink

A yet another famous artist who is famous for painting the busts of women with the highlight techniques is Nico Vrielink. He has his art pieces auctioned very often. It happens at a very flamboyant price due to the quality and finish of the art. The painting also gives a very positive vibe to its viewers.

 

7. Trusted sources for oil painting portraits

All sources which provide paintings on sale cannot be trusted in a way that they may cheat or be fraudulent or may even charge oil painting portrait commission added to the taxes.

• Shop the right painting in a store

A physical or brick and mortar entity selling oil painting portraits in a way that bills and documents are provided as a proof of purchase shall be trusted for purchase.

• Online stores are the new rage

The same applies to online stores in such a way that art lovers and collectors shall trust the particular source through a bill or invoice just like a physical store.

• Painting kiosks, cause stores are mainstream

Some art collectors or lovers find painting kiosks better than the stores. This is due to personal services and price constraints. This happens while comparing both quality components as well.

8. Topmost oil painting portraits of 2018

Here comes the epic list of famous oil painting portraits from last year which were super hit on the auction list.

• Shake hands with Andrew Maw

The hand series developed by Andrew Maw was one of the top oil painting series of last year. It was demanded by most art lovers who fancy action of the hands. It can suit either an alley or a room.

 

• The lady with the birds by Daniel Bilmes

This particular oil painting portrait by Daniel Bilmes depicts a lady rising and birds flying from next to her by getting startled from her rising. It has subtle and pastel shades to be suited on any wall.

 

• Get to know animals through Jennifer Gennari

This painting describes a cat and its subtle reflection upon the surface it is resting upon makes it a subtle and simple painting to be loved for keepsakes. The work is suggested for art lovers who prefer animal art.

 

• Enjoy a classic oil portrait by Jordan Sokol

Paintings by Jordan Sokol mostly include the human essence of portraits. One such famous artwork is the Crimson which describes a modern girl through a combination of subtle and bold hues.

 

• Appreciate a detailed scene with Maya Brodsky

Maya Brodsky is famous for her detailed artworks. It resembles that of an animated picture or game view from a particular arcade game. The finish and hues of such a painting have made it famous.

 

• Romance with Maria Kreyn

If romance is your genre then the ‘Alone together’ masterpiece shall work for any contrast wall with dim lights. The shades describe the intimacy and love expressed through the painting.

 

• Love your daughter with Tim Lowly

This particular artist expresses all his compassion and love towards his daughter through his paintings. Bold colors and detailing make it appropriate to be fitted in the kid’s area.

 

Conclusion

Art in the form of oil painting portrait is highly encouraged by all as it constitutes a charm and attraction through its hues and shades. The ways with which different colors and tones are blended together give your portrait a unique look which no other kind of portrait could produce. And by now you would be clear with different types of oil painting portrait and the factors you should consider while buying one.  You must preserve the moment to cherish for eternity by converting it into a handmade oil portrait painting

So Doesn’t an oil painting suit as the best gift option for all age groups and all respective occasions?