Oil Painting Tips
This page will contain a collection of techniques and tips that I have found helpful. These are all very basic concepts in oil painting for the most part, but you must start with the basics.
Organize Your Paints
When setting up your painting palette, use the same order each and every time. This will help you because you will know how to get to each color quickly and instinctively. Your brain will just learn where the paint is and go to it when you need it instead of having to hunt for it.
Charcoal Pencils Ar Your Friend
When you begin your new oil painting, you should start out by making a rough sketch with a charcoal pencil. This will allow you to concentrate on choosing and applying the right colors instead of keeping up with the overall picture. Make light lines so that nothing will bleed through on the finished piece.
Go Big To Small
Start out using larger brushes and then finish up with small ones. Larger brushes will allow you to work quickly and make more powerful and dramatic strokes.
Use The Best Paint You Can Afford
Art supplies are not cheap, I know this, but trying to paint with cheap supplies is a major headache. Use the best paints that your budget will allow, starting with primary colors and then buying others when your budget allows.
Take A Step Back
From time to time, take a step back and view your art from a different distance, angle or with different lighting. This will allow you to see changes that could be made or to find ways to add color and texture better.
Clean Your Brushes
From time to time, you will need to clean your brushes in order to keep your colors true. You can use either a clean cloth or you can dip your brushes in solvent to get them thoroughly clean. When dipping your brush in solvent, be sure to wipe excess oil paint form the brush. This will just make the solvent work better. While you are cleaning your brushes, it is a good idea to clean your palette as well.
Tape Wax Paper To Your Palette
Instead of constantly cleaning your palette, you could us a piece of disposable wax paper. Simply wrap it around and tape it to your palette and then throw it away and replace it with a new one from time to time.
Use Separate Solvent For Cleaning
Use separate solvent for cleaning and for mixing colors. You want the solvent that you use for mixing paint to be clean so that the colors stay true. This will make it easier for you to get the color that you desire.
Fat Over Lean
Lower layers of paint will dry slower than higher layers. This uneven drying can cause your painting to crack. To avoid this, you will use the concept of fat over lean. Adding mineral spirits or turpentine will thin the oil paint, but also cause it to dry slower. You will use this thin or leaned oil first and then gradually decrease the thinning on higher levels, making the paint fatter. Thus you have fat over lean.
Use Acrylic Paint To Start
Consider using Acrylic paint at the beginning of the piece. This will help your oil paints last longer. Never use acrylic over oil paints because it will not stick well and will flake off.
Do Not Dry Your Painting In The Dark
This could cause a layer of oil to rise up through the paint and dry on the surface. This could cause yellowing of your piece.
Organize Your Paints
When setting up your painting palette, use the same order each and every time. This will help you because you will know how to get to each color quickly and instinctively. Your brain will just learn where the paint is and go to it when you need it instead of having to hunt for it.
Charcoal Pencils Ar Your Friend
When you begin your new oil painting, you should start out by making a rough sketch with a charcoal pencil. This will allow you to concentrate on choosing and applying the right colors instead of keeping up with the overall picture. Make light lines so that nothing will bleed through on the finished piece.
Go Big To Small
Start out using larger brushes and then finish up with small ones. Larger brushes will allow you to work quickly and make more powerful and dramatic strokes.
Use The Best Paint You Can Afford
Art supplies are not cheap, I know this, but trying to paint with cheap supplies is a major headache. Use the best paints that your budget will allow, starting with primary colors and then buying others when your budget allows.
Take A Step Back
From time to time, take a step back and view your art from a different distance, angle or with different lighting. This will allow you to see changes that could be made or to find ways to add color and texture better.
Clean Your Brushes
From time to time, you will need to clean your brushes in order to keep your colors true. You can use either a clean cloth or you can dip your brushes in solvent to get them thoroughly clean. When dipping your brush in solvent, be sure to wipe excess oil paint form the brush. This will just make the solvent work better. While you are cleaning your brushes, it is a good idea to clean your palette as well.
Tape Wax Paper To Your Palette
Instead of constantly cleaning your palette, you could us a piece of disposable wax paper. Simply wrap it around and tape it to your palette and then throw it away and replace it with a new one from time to time.
Use Separate Solvent For Cleaning
Use separate solvent for cleaning and for mixing colors. You want the solvent that you use for mixing paint to be clean so that the colors stay true. This will make it easier for you to get the color that you desire.
Fat Over Lean
Lower layers of paint will dry slower than higher layers. This uneven drying can cause your painting to crack. To avoid this, you will use the concept of fat over lean. Adding mineral spirits or turpentine will thin the oil paint, but also cause it to dry slower. You will use this thin or leaned oil first and then gradually decrease the thinning on higher levels, making the paint fatter. Thus you have fat over lean.
Use Acrylic Paint To Start
Consider using Acrylic paint at the beginning of the piece. This will help your oil paints last longer. Never use acrylic over oil paints because it will not stick well and will flake off.
Do Not Dry Your Painting In The Dark
This could cause a layer of oil to rise up through the paint and dry on the surface. This could cause yellowing of your piece.