How does glazing enhance oil painting?

Glazing enhances oil painting by applying transparent colors over opaque layers. This technique allows the artist to build depth and richness in color without altering the underlying layers. The transparency of the glaze lets light pass through, reflecting off the opaque layer beneath, which can create a luminosity that adds visual interest and complexity to the artwork.

Using this method, artists can achieve subtle shifts in tone and value, allowing for more nuanced and sophisticated color variations than would be possible with direct painting methods. This creates a sense of depth and allows for corrections or adjustments to be made without disturbing the underlying work, making glazing a powerful tool in the oil painter's arsenal.

The other methods suggested, such as mixing colors directly into wet paint, creating dry brush effects, or using multiple brushes for texture, do not leverage the unique properties of glazing, which emphasize the interplay of transparency and light in oil paint.