Metallic Oil Colors: Copper, Rich Gold, Pale Gold, and Silver

Kit King

How do you capture the glistening of water? You could paint a reflection, but it still won’t reflect the sun like water. It won’t catch your eye, or dance with you like water.

Kit King, Cold and Clear, oil on linen

The real metal pigment in the Silver emulates the reflective nature of water. When light hits the painting, the little beads of water glimmer and the painting comes to life- suddenly there is movement and breath.

I opted not to use white for the highlights, but rather thick strokes of Silver, which protrudes further than the rest of the flat surface, so that the raised areas catch the light and reflect a vibrant, specular highlight that gives the illusion of an ultra-bright white. Given the reflective nature of the Silver, the painting shifts in value as you walk by it – unlike traditional grey which remains fixed – the painting moves with lights and darks according to your position to it and the light in the room, and a little dance happens between the subject of the painting and the viewer.

Kit King, Mirage, oil on linen

This movement is an important key to my work. I’m always looking for new ways to step away from traditional fixed and stagnant portrait painting to give breath to my art, and push the boundaries of oil painting as a medium. The metal pigment series of oil paints by Gamblin is just one way I chose to explore this.

Kit King

Artist