HOW TO OIL PAINT: Toning a Canvas

Before I begin an oil painting I will tone a canvas. This "How to Oil Paint" video is a lesson and demo on toning a canvas. It's a tutorial that includes tips you should know when toning a canvas.

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Howto & Style

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• toning
• canvas
• how
• to
• oil
• paint
• painting
• lesson
• demo
• tips
• tutorial
• don
• stewart
• artist
• chronicle
• artistchronicle

[bustachaina]

could someone explain to me what is the purpose of toning? I've been watching hours of videos... haven't found one that explains the WHY , just the HOW . What's the purpose of toning a canvas. also, i got a canvas that kind of feels rough to the touch.like a bumpy surface when you look up close. are there canvases i can get that are really smooth? because i don't want to see the texture of the canvas when i paint :(

[artistchronicle]

@bustachaina Judging how the first colors and values you put down will look when a painting is complete is difficult when you begin on a stark white canvas, so toning helps with that. Also, some artists let some of the tone show through here and there, which helps give a unity to the final painting. As for canvas texture, fine, smooth, medium, rough - all are available. For examples, visit UtrechtArt site, click on "canvas" at the top, then "texture" in menu to left. Hope that helps.

[artistchronicle]

Hobby, I know it looks completely smooth on videotape, but the texture of the canvas shows through when I tone, too. Some canvases have a tighter weave than others, so that may be affecting your results. Using more solvent may help. I don't use medium to tone with, but instead tone with a mix of 70-80% solvent (odorless mineral spirits) and paint. I'll wait no more than 5 minutes before rubbing off. If you don't like the results, remove it all with solvent and a rag and try again.

[artistchronicle]

Thanks, ForSunny and estudio! I appreciate the positive input!

[Luvuranime]

great thx for the video and advice

[Hannanstl]

basic science - oil will not properly adhere to acrylics.oil can be used with acrylic gesso however. :)

[artistchronicle]

@dynomax101 Good point. Yes, if you tone with acrylic paint - allow it to dry! That might take ten minutes, half an hour or longer, depending on how thinly it's been applied. BTW, a hair dryer can be used on acrylic paint to speed up the drying.

[dynomax101]

@artistchronicle If you tone with acrylic paint? To paint over with oils or acrylics? In either case, I'd wait a half hour for acrylics and maybe half a day for oils. Why? The priming you are talking about seems to be acrylic, which is hygroscopic. I'd vote to let this dry completely before overpainting with oils. It also gives the acrylic tone a little more time to cure. Just my thoughts...

[hobbyandstuff]

I tryed this today for the first time, but when i rubbed the canvas, it only took the paint from the upper fibers of the canvas. In your video, the whole cavas looks like it is completely smooth, and i cant see any texture. My canvas has the texture of the fibre

and i can still see some of the major brush strokes.... Should I have waited longer or used more/ less solvent/paint/medium ?

[ForSunny2]

love your videos! thank you <3