Creative news fork

The Best Way to Begin Oil Painting: A Step-by-Step Guide Blog

Jun 23, 2022

Learn online classes in painting

Discover thousands of courses in the art of painting, drawing and more.

How to Paint Oil in 5 Easy Steps

First things first: What is oil paint? Oil paints are made of pigment powder and oil, usually the linseed oil. They dry more slowly than most other paints and need special attention when applying as well as cleaning. Below are the steps you should follow when getting started with oil painting.

Step 1: Gather All the Materials

For beginning oil painting, you'll require the following supplies:

  • Paintbrushes made of the hair of hogs (preferable) or fibers made of synthetic
  • Oil paints
  • Canvas or any other surface that you can paint on
  • Solvent (preferably it is odorless) or linseed oil for thinning your paint
  • Mix the paints like a piece of thick card, and an instrument for mixing (don't apply your brushes yourself)
  • Paper towels , old rags or even paper towels
  • A cane

A majority of good paint brushes indicate whether they're suitable to be used for oil painting. Similar to paints, it's possible to purchase an initial set of brushes or select individual brushes. Find a mix of circular or square shapes in different dimensions. Similar to paint it's recommended to begin with a smaller collection and then add to it when you've had the chance to experiment.

The best option to paint on is a stretched canvas or the canvas board. Whichever surface you choose it is important prepare it using the gesso (see Step 3 below).

Step 2: Establish a Safe Work Space

A lot of people are under assumption that it is impossible to do oil painting at your home. The truth is that you do need to take care. The oil paints can possess an unpleasant smell. Additionally, the solvents needed to thin paint and clean your brushes are toxic. Pick a place outside or inside a space with lots of ventilation. It is recommended to use latex or nitrile gloves is advised when working with paints because some paints contain harmful substances that could be absorption through skin.

Step 3: Prime Your Canvas

If you're learning to draw oil onto canvas, you need to know one important aspect you must not skip. Oil paint is thick, and it will soak into your canvas or other surfaces if you do not apply Gesto before applying. This can not only affect the look of your finished art work, but it may result in the degrading of the canvas with time. Gesso also helps the paint go onto the canvas more quickly.

Step 4: Sketch Out Your Painting

Once you've prepared your canvas, you're now ready to begin your oil painting. The most common method for artists who use oil paints to start by covering their canvas with a thin wash of the color that will be the basis of their painting. After that, they sketch the most prominent shapes, lines, and focal points onto the canvas with pencil or a light layer with black ink.

Step 5 Step 5: Apply Paint Layers

When you're ready to paint, you'll have to build your paint color and colors. One of the essential oil painting rules is to remember the "fat over lean" rule. This prevents oil paint from cracking after drying (or it taking a long time to dry in the first place). The heavier the paint is, the "fatter" it gets and the longer it'll need to dry. This is why you'll want to apply lighter (thinner) paints first beneath the fatter (oilier) layers, to stop cracking. How long will oil paint need to dry? The answer depends on the thickness it is, but it could take up to three months or more.

Discover How You Can Make Use of this versatile medium

Introduction to Oil Painting by Ashleigh Atmore

How to clean Oil Paint Brushes

Learning how to paint the canvas with oil is only one step in the oil painting process. It's important to know how to clean up, too.

Since oil paints are made of oil, it isn't easy to remove them from your brushes by soaking them in water. Oil paint shouldn't be allowed to dry on brushes since this could ruin them.

Step 1: Wipe off Excess Paint using the help of a Rag and Solvent

In order to make washing simpler, clean any paint off your brushes using an old rag or a towel. Next, add turpentine or another solvent onto an old cloth and wipe away any traces of paint.

Prior to throwing towels or rags out, let them soak in water because the chemicals that have been applied to them could make them combust.

Step 2: Wash with Hot Water, Detergent and Warm.

After that, you should run your brushes in hot water. Rub them in using a small amount of dishwashing soap. Make sure that all color is removed before you stop cleaning.

3. Dry out at the Open Air

Set your brushes inside an jar, with the bristle side upwards, and place it in an area with good air circulation, such as a windowsill. Make sure you don't place them in dark cabinets.

5 Tips More for Oil Painting

We'll be answering a few frequently asked questions about how to apply oil paint.

1. Are Oil Painting for Beginners?

Absolutely! All you need is to know the basics of oil painting, as the medium has some distinctive characteristics that are not found in other types of paint.

2. Do you need to add oil to your Oil Paint?

It is only necessary if you wish to increase the fluidity of the paint. Paint made of oil is the most durable right out of the tube but if you want to experiment with texture then you can add more oil, or thin solvents, to the paint. It is important to be aware of this as it could cause the paint to weaken, but.

3. Can I Add Water to my Oil Paint?

No. The water and oil are going to separate, and you will not be able to paint with the paint.

4. How Long Does Oil Paint take to dry?

Up to three months. Since oil paint has a long drying time It is possible that you'll have to complete your work at different times. This is a an aspect of painting, therefore, have fun!

5. Do I need special equipment to do Oil Painting?

Apart from the things mentioned below, it's not much. If you're completely novice to painting, it's possible to buy a few essential pieces of equipment for painting, like palettes and an easel. If you've used various types of paints for a long time and possess a lot of it.