Leonardo was born the illegitimate son of Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman named Caterina, in Vinci, near Florence. He was educated primarily by Verrocchio, and much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan. He later worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice and spent his last years in France, at the home awarded him by Francis I.

Leonardo’s first opportunity for greatness came via Verroccio, who had him paint an angel in his “Baptism of Christ” piece. As you might expect, Leonardo did a fantastic job at this 1st opportunity. In fact, it was so good that Verrochio himself decided he would never paint again. Leonardo continued working with Verrochio for a few years, and then the two parted ways.

As time went on Leonardo found himself in Rome, where most artists of the time would eventually wind up. He was given living quarters in the Vatican by Pope Leo X in consideration for completing his commissioned pieces for the Church. Leonardo did not create many new paintings during this period, concentrating on his drawings instead. Although he would later become famous for his future studies of scientific subjects and anatomy, he would eventually find the time to do so. As you know, he is probably as famous today for these scientific discoveries as he is for his works of art.

His most famous works are probably the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. They certainly are the most reproduced. It’s a shame that we don’t have more of his work nowadays to enjoy.

Perhaps fifteen of his paintings survive, the small number due to his constant, and frequently disastrous, experimentation with new techniques, and his chronic procrastination. Nevertheless, these few works, together with his notebooks, which contain drawings, scientific diagrams, and his thoughts on the nature of painting, comprise a contribution to later generations of artists only rivaled by that of his contemporary, Michelangelo.

Michelangelo:

Michelangelo was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer. Despite making few forays beyond the arts, and his extreme reluctance to do so when it was forced upon him, his his body of work is truly outstanding! In fact, it is usually he or DaVinci who is credited as the most important personality of the Renaissance period.

Michelangelo Buonarroti was born into nobility, but was not raised by his parents. His father shipped him off to a stone carver and his wife at an early age, because his mother was constantly sickly and frail. While living with his surrogate parents, young Michelangelo learned the skills that would serve him throughout his life Of course, being a nobleman, his father was displeased when his son told him of his artistic intentions. It took some major convincing for Michelangelo to continue his apprenticeship.

Michelangelo’s output in every field during his long life was certainly prodigious. And when the sheer volume of surviving correspondence, sketches, and reminiscences is taken into account, he is the best-documented artist of the 16th century. His two most famous sculpting works are probably the Pietà and David, which were sculpted prior to his 30th birthday.

In one of biggest ironies of life, Michelangelo created the most famous pieces of art in the world using mediums that he really didn’t like. Not only did he not like painting frescoes, he didn’t think he was all that good at it. Of course he went on to create the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling and The Last Judgment on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel. And although he also had a low opinion of architecture, he achieved fame by pioneering the Mannerist style at the Laurentian Library. Ultimately, at the ripe old age of 74 he succeeded Antonio da Sangallo the Younger as the architect of Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Vincent van Gogh:

Van Gogh was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art for its vivid colors and emotional impact. He was born in Zundert, a village in Brabant, in the Netherlands in March of 1853.

Vincent’s first exposure to the art world was when he worked at a prominent Hague gallery, which had been established by his uncle Vincent. His brother Theo later worked for the same company. After working for the art dealers, Vincent took the job of assistant teacher, and preacher in a boarding school in England, but this was short lived and his obsession with evangelical Christianity made him want to become a clergyman like his father, so he tried to enroll in a theology school, but was refused admittance.

After many trials and tribulations, Vincent stated working as an independent artist in Brussels, while his brother Theo providing him with support. His latent, prodigious talents soon emerged, and soon he had developed his own unique style.

Van Gogh’s bold use of color and composition that would eventually became his trademark, were first seen in his Hague paintings. Van Gogh clearly had a soft spot in his heart for the downtrodden,as evidenced by many of these early works.

He later moved to Montmartre, France, where he discovered the works of Monet and other French Impressionists. It was here that he had a chance to meet with Gauguin, and Henri deToulouse Lautrec. This would be the turning point in van Gogh’s career, as he enrolled in the highly praised Fernand Cormon workshop where he further learned to use light and color in novel ways.

Throughout his adult life van Gogh demonstrated symptoms of mental illness. Despite a widespread tendency to romanticize his ill health, modern critics see an artist deeply frustrated by the inactivity and incoherence brought about by his bouts of sickness. According to art critic Robert Hughes, Van Gogh’s late works show an artist at the height of his ability, completely in control and “longing for concision and grace. Alas, his frequent bouts of mental illness finally took their toll. He died largely unknown, at the age of 37, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Pablo Picasso:

Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Clito Ruiz y Picasso Ruiz Picasso, better known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. He was born in Malaga, Spain, to artist and teacher Jose Ruiz Blasco, and his wife Maria Picasso. A decade later, young Pablo Picasso learned how to paint from his father, who had been appointed teacher at the Da Guarda art school in La Coruna.

Young Pablo would go on to be the co-founder of the Cubist movement. In addition he is recognized for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. He is perhaps best known for the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Guernica. It is commonly believed that the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War had inspired some of his greatest pieces.

In his early years Picasso was already demonstrating an incredible amount of artistic talent. He would go on to paint in a realistic manner throughout his childhood and adolescence. However, during the first decade of the twentieth century his style would change as he experimented with different techniques,theories, and ideas. His world renown accomplishments would make him a household name, and bring him a huge fortune throughout his life. He is truly one of the best-known personalities in twentieth century art.

Rembrandt:

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered the most important artist in Dutch history, and one of the greatest painters and print makers that ever plied their trade in Europe. His lifespan falls into a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age.

He was born in July of 1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. As he grew up he had the chance to study the life of the masters such as DaVinci and Michelangelo. However, he seemed to be most influenced by the work of Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio, a revolutionary artist known for his unusual use of lighting, and the strangely out-of-place eroticism of his subjects, even biblical figures! As in the works of Caravaggio, Rembrandt’s background composition remains dark, while his subject is illuminated in a manner which makes the image appear nearly three dimensional.

After having achieved an usually high amount of success as a portrait painter, his later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Nevertheless, his etchings and paintings were remained popular throughout his lifetime, and his artistic reputation never falter during his lifetime. He was so highly thought of that nearly every important Dutch painter would end up studying under him. Rembrandt’s greatest creative triumphs are exemplified n his portraits of his contemporaries, illustrations of Biblical scenes, and his self-portraits. In reality, it is his self-portraits that open a window to his inner soul. They create a unique and intimate biography, in which the artist completely portrayed himself without vanity and with the utmost sincerity.

In both painting and printmaking he exhibited a complete knowledge of classical iconography, which he molded to fit the requirements of his own experience; thus, the depiction of biblical scenes came from his intimate knowledge of the specific text, his assimilation of classical composition, and his observations of Amsterdam’s Jewish population. Because of his empathy for the human condition, he has been called “one of the great prophets of civilization.

The first place that you can check would be with an art gallery that specializes in paintings. Shopping at these can be a fairly expensive option, but if you are an avid collector then cost will not be an issue for you. Shopping at these locations will also help provide you with some protection from people selling reproductions as originals and they might even be able to provide you with paperwork verifying authenticity.

The second place to check for these items would be your larger craft shows. You might not think about using this venue, but at some of these you will be able to locate local artist that are selling their paintings here for a reasonable cost. By purchasing here though you will also notice that the art will usually have the artist that made it present as well.

The third place to look for these would be at various flea markets. Flea markets might not seem like a great place to shop for art, but if you consider that some people will end up clearing out attics to provide products for these locations you might be able to find the diamond in the rough here and obtain it for a low cost.

The fourth place to look for these would be on the internet. With the internet becoming so popular today you will notice more people are selling items of all shapes and sizes on here. You can at times manage to find some excellent oils on the internet at a very reasonable price. If it is possible you will want to make sure that they are able to provide you with a certificate that they are authentic paintings and not reproductions.

The fifth place that you can find these for sale at would be estate sales. If you are a buyer of art then you will notice that many people have estate sales when they pass on hosted by their families. At times the families will not know what all the person has in the home and sell everything. Some times the items that they are selling can include the original oils that you are looking for.

As an art collector you probably realize that original paintings will cost you more than prints. However, finding the original oil paintings for sale can be a challenge at times. The five places that are mentioned above will provide you with a great start as to where to look to find these items. You will also want to realize that other places will be able to provide you with what you are looking for as well.

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The term oil painting denotes the use of oil in the paintings. For one, the pigments used to paint are mixed with oil or rather the base medium is oil. The oil that is usually used is Linseed Oil. Linseed Oil is harvested from Flax seeds that are easily available. A few other oils are used in the place of Linseed Oil. These include Walnut Oil and poppy seed oil. Mixing the dry pigments in oil helps to bring out a version of the color that no other medium can. Different oils produce different gloss intensities. The sheen can therefore vary depending on the oil used to mix the pigments. The oil-pigment mixture is painted onto a canvas. Oil Paintings are strictly canvas art. Canvas Art refers to those forms that use the canvas as a base. A thinner material may not be able to sustain and retain the color and effect.

Oil painting is never done directly on a canvas. The design or scenery s first etched onto the canvas using a pencil or charcoal based drawing implement. The oil mixed pigments are then slowly colored in. The oil based pigments do not dry quickly. Therefore the process of painting has to a slow one. Sometimes to hasten the process, artists mix a quantity of turpentine into the mixture. Since turpentine dries quickly, it helps the oil paints to also dry faster. Very rarely does the artist manage to paint the entire picture in one coating. If the artist decides to use a second coating, then the mixture has to be changed.

Every subsequent layer of oil paints should have a higher content of oil. This actually helps to quicken the drying process. Given that the paints are rendered heavy by the thick oil base, drying oil paintings is a real skill and one which requires patience. The oil paints do not dry by evaporation, like other paintings, such as water color paintings. Oil paintings dry by the process of oxidation.

Many oil paintings also make use of other mediums. The most commonly used ones are Resins and wax. Both add to the effect of the oil pants and at the same time affect the sheen and texture of the oil paints. The use of other mediums can even adversely affect the design of the painting. But this is true for any art form that attempt to mix two different mediums. The oil paintings have to be coated with a layer of varnish before it is considered finished. The varnish helps to protect the painting.

You must compare prices of the oil paintings you are targeting. You should be assured that your seller is trustworthy. Make sure that there are no complaints about the company before you purchase your oil painting be it genuine or a reproduction painting. Before purchasing an oil painting you should be knowledgeable in the original and reproduction paintings. Spot the difference and see what you need and prefer. You could research in libraries or online about the oil painting you are trying to purchase. Being an art collector does entail a lot of knowledge on the past and present work of painters and their work. Know who is who in the oil painting world and make sure you are paying for the painting that would fit your homes and your budget.

Since her painting career began, she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious N.Z. Royal Easter Show K.G.Fraser Award & Gold Medal Awards. Gail’s work has been reproduced for the International market & has also been featured in the ‘International Artist’ & ‘International Pastel Artist’ magazines & books.

Traditional portrait painting consisted of an extensive long drawn out process that may have acquired months and required hours of uncomfortable sittings that stressed both the artist and the subject. Today hand painting and creating an oil painting from a photo, relieves the burden, reducing the time constraints on the subject and allowing the portrait artist to work in peace at the privacy of their own studio. With the creation of the photograph, portrait paintings took a back seat to the term portrait. What used to be the only method of capturing an image, quickly lost it’s popularity due to time constraints and costs.