Quote Originally Posted by j44ke View Post
I wouldn't paint oils over the acrylics. Oils are probably all that was used in this painting and you will be frustrated trying to get anywhere close. Things in the painting like the fog or the leaves have been done using some glazing techniques in which the oil paint has been thinned. There are ways to do this without super-saturating the paint with turpentine. And you can alter the drying speed of glazes as well by either mixing your own dryers or buying them pre-made at an art store. Balsa is pretty absorbent, so you'll want to really seal the surface with gesso. Layer and sand and layer again several times to seal the surface and create a smooth texture. You can also use masonite. I think linseed oil in the oil paint would retard the drying time and create an unstable final surface. Turpentine is the usual thinner, but as before, there are also glazing mediums that allow you to thin paint and hasten drying time so you can layer thin transparent layers of paint to built up atmosphere. Review a bit of color theory. There are ways to make black and white work in the space of your painting by adjusting their tint, or in the case of black, mixing a "black" out of other colors so that it will resonate with the surrounding palette of hues in the painting.
So if it is all oils paint, how do I set the background so that it does bleed into the thinned oil paints? To be honest, thats what I am most afraid of. Oil paints are the medium I have had least exposure to. Mainly because of the drying time and the host of agents one needs. (that and class rooms dont teach in oil...so no one ever taught me). My biggest issue is that I would take days off and the pain would still be wet.

hmmm...I am not sure if I have the time to do this.

...I gotta think about this.