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Oil Bars
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Message
Posted
Does anyone on the forum have experience of using oil bars? Highly pigmented oil medium, mixed with various waxes in stick form. I wondered if they would be an alternative to traditional tube oils for plein air sketching/painting.
I’ve watched a couple of manufacturers demo’s and in the hands of ‘experts’ they look a possible alternative. No need to carry solvents, mixing mediums, palettes etc.....although I believe they can be used with the usual solvents and mixers.
Wouldn’t need to carry so much ‘stuff’ around.
Thanks in advance.
Posted
I have some Fiona, bought them years ago. Don't like them. What I remember is that they were sticky and if they were cold they didn't work too well. Yes, you can use thinner with them but they are not like oil paints. Sketching boldly would be how to use them - incorporating them with paints would be difficult I think, probably use them first, then add the paint later. Somebody with more expertise is bound to come along and give you all the info Fiona.
Posted
Marjorie thanks for the quick reply. You’ve highlighted one or two drawbacks for this medium already, especially if they don’t work too well at lower temperatures, ie painting outdoors this time of year with them. I was initially thinking of using them, not in great quantity, for mixed media work, particularly in abstract work for highlights or blocking.
Do you remember which manufacturer yours were, the ones I’ve been looking at are R&F an American company. Maybe they have made some advancements and improvements in their make up?
I was in the art shop in Castle Douglas today and asked if they stocked them......yes and no was the answer. None on the shelves but she had some left overs in the cellar! They were bright, brash colours....the dregs I would say of their original stock, I bought one to try, I don’t hold out to having much success with my one...lol
However, the R&F ones on the Jacksons site have an extensive range of colours, it’s the pastel shades I’m interested in...they look quite delicious.
Thanks again Marjorie.
Posted
I've used them in monoprinting to good effect - put simply I apply the oil bars to a sheet of of plastic and simply place my paper on top using a array of objects to make marks (these inclde toy cars, forks toy tractor wheels, combs thumb nails etc)- here is an abstract done last year to give you an idea.
Posted
I bought some for similar reasons Fiona. And also because I wanted to explore a more mixed-media approach with oil on top of acrylic. Being very keen on drawing and mark-making I thought they would serve both purposes. I found them clumsy and awkward to use and used neat, without solvent, they take for ever to dry out—not really convenient for sketchbook use. But I've got them now and they're not cheap. I found their density was useful with some colours to apply small concentrated 'accent' areas and I have since used them to create oil colour glazes by scraping off a chunk of oil bar and mixing in oil+solvent. Tubes would be much easier, true, but like I said, I've got them now and they're not cheap.
This uses glazes made from oil bars and neat oil bar, mostly in the sky.
Posted
Michael, thank you very much for the information and examples of your experiences with oil bars. The monoprint angle looks very useful, I especially like the heads......the textures.
John, having spent the last couple of days researching what I can about oil bars, the first thing that struck me was the price. Which, I don’t mind if they are useable, hence my enquires on the forum. If I can get an idea about their faults, benefits etc. it will make my mind up about how much of an investment I want to make.
Thank you for posting your example painting....love it by the way......I can see the textural effect and like that.
I’ve been venturing into a few mixed media paintings and like yourself wanted to use the oil bars for bold accent marks on top of gouache and watercolour. I use soft pastel at the moment but find they are not permanent due to rubbing off, so loose some of the sharpness and intensity of colour.
I quite like the idea of drawing with them also.
Many thanks for your input gentlemen.
Posted
I checked my oil bars, bought a set of 6 in a box, " slims", Windsor and Newton ( £15.40 so must have been years ago ), plus a chunky black and a chunky brown. I see they are now discontinued. They did come in useful as part of a still life😆 - can you spot the box? Tomorrow I might try them out again!
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