Glazing in oil painting involves which technique?

• A. A method of applying an opaque glaze to ensure strong colors
• B. Used with oil paints to layer transparent colors over a dried opaque color; colors interact and visually blend without being physically blended on the palette; can be used to create skin tones and other complex colors
• C. Only for watercolors
• D. A finishing varnish for acrylics

Answer: (B)

Glazing in oil painting is the technique of applying transparent layers of paint over a dried underlayer. Because the glaze is see-through, light can pass through the glaze and reflect off the underlying color, giving the surface a luminous depth. This allows you to influence color, value, and temperature gradually, building complex tones—such as realistic skin tones—by stacking multiple transparent layers without mixing the colors on the palette. The effect comes from the interaction of the layers visually, not from mixing pigments together before applying them. Glazes are typically thin and transparent and are used over a fully dried layer to maintain clarity and prevent muddying. That’s why this approach—layering transparent colors over a dried opaque color to create subtle, blended results—fits best. It’s not about opaque glazing, not limited to watercolors, and not a varnish for acrylics.