About oil on canvas

The artists began to use oil in painting as far back as the XV century. The invention of oil painting is ascribed to the painter Yan van Ake. It's well known that oil for the paint compound was used by antique painters. Encaustic paints that were used in the antiquity included not only wax but also flax oil.

Study of the written sources such as treatises, notes and manuscripts let him arrive at a conclusion that oil paints were used as early as in the XIII century.

The legend about the invention of oil painting by Yan van Ake that was told by Vazary one hundred years ago after the death of the celebrated Netherlander, reiterated by van Mander and corroborated by the secretary of the Royal fine art school in the France Maremy in the 19 century has retained but as the legend that wanders from one book on the art to another one.

At present time oil is the most current medium in painting. Oil paints became so widespread owning to a number of advantages in comparison with other paints. After dry out they don't darken or fade, preserve glow and richness both in the case of using body-color dabs and glaze. Oil dries out slowly that gives a possibility to amend a painting in process and also to achieve smooth passages of colors and hues.

A painted by oil portrait will not become pale in the course of time. It'll preserve brightness and richness of the colors gladdening you and your close surrounding for a long time.

The examples of the portraits