Wet on wet oil painting has been around for some time, but it is now gaining more popularity thanks to the amazing results it yields.
Traditionally known as alla prima, wet on wet oil painting is a special painting technique using oil paints that creates a unique finish that no other art type can recreate.
What are wet on wet oil paintings? Wet on wet oil painting is achieved by layering wet paints on top of each other, creating a blend of oil paints and colors. The name describes the technique quite well, with wet paint being painted onto wet paint without allowing the lower layer to dry first.
This type of technique was made more popular thanks to the famous artist Bob Ross, who inspired many with his beautiful paintings and helpful tips!
Keep reading to find out more on what wet on wet oil painting is, and some handy tips to get started.
Wet On Wet Oil Paintings
Wet on wet oil painting has a traditional name of “alla prima,” which translates to “the first attempt.” This is a great description for the painting, as the painting is usually completed in one sitting; you don’t have to wait for the paint to dry before moving on to the next color.
It is a great technique to use if you are short on time, or don’t have the patience to wait for ages to complete a painting. While you will have to wait for all of the paint to dry once applied, at least you will be able to see the finished product quite quickly.
How Wet On Wet Oil Paintings Differ From Other Oil Techniques
Wet on wet oil painting differs from other oil painting techniques in both application and how long the painting takes to be completed.
Firstly, oil paint is applied onto a canvas, and before it has the chance to dry, another layer, commonly a different color, is applied over this. The oil paint is layered on top of one another to create a finished piece. The key is to apply layers while the paint is wet, and not wait for it to dry.
Other oil painting techniques require you to leave the first layer of paint to dry first before you add the next color or layer on. With oil paint, it can take a while to dry, which means you will have to wait quite some time to paint the next color.
For this reason, wet on wet oil paintings take less time to complete, and you could finish a picture in one sitting. Traditional oil painting methods take much longer, as you wait for the layers to dry before applying the next.
Your oil painting picture will be completed quickly, and while you will have to wait for it to dry completely, you will be able to see the finished picture.
If you want more information on how to paint wet on wet oil paintings, here’s a wonderful tutorial from artist Ian Roberts on YouTube.
The Benefits Of Wet On Wet Oil Painting
Wet on wet oil painting has a few benefits that might suit you as an artist. While it might not be for everyone, you can’t deny some of the pros that it does offer!
Here are some of the best benefits of wet on wet oil painting:
Quick Painting
The stand-out benefit of wet on wet oil painting is that you do not have to wait for ages for the paint to dry before adding on more layers. Because of this, you can complete a painting in one sitting, and if you sell your art, this means you can complete more paintings in a shorter amount of time.
Great For Location Painting
Wet on wet oil painting is a great option for location painting, or when you have a limited amount of time with certain lighting. You can complete the painting quickly, without having to stop and wait for layers to dry.
This means that you can finish your painting while looking at a live location, without having to try and take a picture or remember the scene to paint later on.
Blending Opportunities
With wet on wet paintings, you can enjoy some beautiful oil paint blending opportunities that you might not have when layering paint on dry paint.
You can easily blend different colors together to create new tones and effects and achieve colors that you want to create to blend your picture beautifully.
Remove Mistakes
As the paint is wet while you apply it, and the bottom layer hasn’t dried, you can easily scrape off any mistakes and start again. This gives you the opportunity to fix any errors with there being little change to the picture overall.
The Challenges With Wet On Wet Oil Paintings
Wet on wet painting comes with some great benefits, but there are some cons to the technique as well.
Difficult To Control
If you add on too many layers and the paint is really thick, then you might lose control of what is happening on your canvas. Moving the layers around too much and playing around with too much paint can just end up creating a big mess on your canvas that can be too widespread to scrape off and fix.
Over-Blending
You need to be so careful to not over blend the colors on your canvas. One of the great benefits of using the wet on wet technique is being able to blend colors together, but there can be a line where you over-blend your colors and lose the colors you want.
By over blending colors, you might end up with brown and muddy tones that you battle to fix.
Quick Finish
There is an advantage to finishing a painting in one sitting, but it also takes away the ability to analyze your painting and correct it over time, which is something you are able to do with other techniques, where you have to wait between layers for the paint to dry.
Tips For Wet On Wet Oil Painting
Starting with wet on wet painting can be intimidating at first, but there are some helpful tips to use that can make the process easier!
Starting Off
To start off, you will need to apply a painting medium to your canvas. This can be clear, black, white, or colored, depending on the subject you are painting.
There are some canvas options that you can paint directly onto, but the painting medium does make it easier to work on.
Applying The Layers
It is important to start off by applying thicker layers at the bottom of the painting, and then applying thinner layers as you work your way up.
To do this, you can dilute the paint with some thinners to make it less thick when applying top layers. The thinner paint means that you will not dilute the thick bottom layers, and will not over blend the colors too much.
To thin out your paint, you could just dip your brush into the thinning agent, and then into your paint. The top layers of paint should have an ink-like consistency, to make it easier to blend.
It does take some time to work out the perfect consistency, and you will be able to figure out what works best on your painting over time.
Use Light Touches
You should only use light touches when working with wet to wet painting, as this is the best way to apply new layers without disturbing the bottom paint layers too much.
By applying too much pressure, you might push the new color into the bottom layer too much and create a muddy color, instead of just layering the color down as it is.
Only touch the surface of the painting with the paint and not the pressure of the paintbrush. It might take some time to work on the correct pressure to use.
Take A Break
While you can use wet on wet painting to finish a painting in one sitting, you don’t have to. Regular oil paints can take up to a week to dry completely, so you do have some time to come back to the painting after a day or two.
You also have the option to scrape off dry paint if you have left it for too long, and then reapply new layers to the canvas. To make this easier, you can add linseed oil or Liquin Original to the canvas to oil out the canvas a little more, before adding more wet paint on.
Equipment Needed For Wet On Wet Oil Painting
It does help to have good quality materials when taking on an art project, as the quality of your materials does show in your artwork.
Better quality materials will also last a long time and will make the whole process easier too. Here are some of the things you need for wet on wet oil painting:
Brushes
Oil painting obviously requires some brushes, and mostly, this is a personal choice as to what brushes you choose to use.
Flat or angled brushes are really handy, and some fan brushes can help with the blending too. Different sizes of each will also help with different details and finishes, so a good range of quality brushes is great to have!
Palette Knives
Palette knives can be so helpful with gentle blending and flowing lines, and they can help you achieve different finishes that you might not be able to achieve with paintbrushes.
Once again, the palette knives you choose will depend on personal preference.
Palette
A good palette should be large enough to hold the different colors you want, without the colors mixing together too much and creating a muddy color.
Thinners
You need thinners when working with oil paints, and there are some good no-odor or low-odor thinners available that can be used. Just remember to use the thinners in a well-ventilated room!
Brush Cleaner
Visit your local art store to purchase a white spirit brush cleaner. Make sure to choose one that will not damage your brushes over time, but which effectively removes oil paint and is odor-free.
Paints
To paint, you will obviously need some good oil paints. There are many different oil-based paints to choose from, and you might already have a favorite brand.
Make sure that you have all the colors you need to get started, and that you lay your colors out on your palette to be easy to use.
What Type Of Canvas Is Best For Wet On Wet Oil Painting?
Wet on wet oil painting can be done on a variety of prepared surfaces. There are pre-prepared surfaces to choose from, such as canvas boards and cotton canvas, which would be primed already. While already primed, it can help to apply a painting medium to the canvas to make it easier to work on.
Applying an extra layer to the pre-prepared canvas reduces the first layer of paint from sinking into the surface too much, and you can get layering quicker and easier.
You can also prepare other surfaces to paint on, such as plywood, hardboard, or MDF. You can treat the surface with an acrylic gesso, which will prevent the first layer of paint from sinking into the surface. It also gives a good texture surface to paint on.
This slightly roughened surface allows the paint to grab hold onto the medium better. Give the surface at least 2 coats for even coverage.
Palette Knife Painting
If you wanted to try something different, you could do palette knife painting using the wet on wet oil painting technique.
This does take some practice, as you cannot thin the paint before picking it up with the palette knife, or it will not stick to the knife. The process is very similar to frosting a cake, and can actually be a lot of fun.
You will be able to achieve new textures and effects using a palette knife that you would not get when using a paintbrush. You could either use a palette knife for the whole painting or use both brushes and knives to complete your picture!
Final Thoughts
Wet on wet oil painting is a process where wet paint is applied onto wet paint already on a canvas. This means you do not have to wait for the lower layers of paint to dry before applying new colors, so you can get a painting done in one sitting.
Using this technique, you can create texture and new colors on the canvas, which you would not be able to do just with traditional, drying techniques.
There are some great benefits to wet on wet oil painting, but some cons too, so have a read through the above guide to understand the technique properly, and hopefully try the technique out soon!
Related Questions
Which brushes are best for wet on wet oil painting?
You can use the same brushes for wet on a wet oil painting that you use for regular oil painting. Many artists who use the wet on wet oil painting technique prefer to use hog bristle brushes, but softer brushes are also good as they do not apply too much pressure to the painting, which could disrupt the bottom layers.
How do you dry a wet oil painting?
To dry a wet oil painting, you should leave it to dry in a well-ventilated area. Warmer environments are preferable, as oil paint dries slower in colder environments.
Do not use extreme heat sources, such as a hairdryer, as these could end up ruining the painting.
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