Art-Devine-Slasher

Sunny day

2.5″ x 3.5″

Oil on paper

Click here to buy

I am a very practical person, more of a D.I.Y person who has come a long way by being willing to learn as much as I can about things I am passionate about.

Using Oil paints can be quite daunting thus you need some tips to guide you. I have compiled some tips here which have helped me which I am very sure would help you too.

Oil Painting tip 1:

Work from thin to fat i:e use less diluents on the upper layers of your painting. This is a golden rule in oil painting and it ensures that your finished work does not crack.

Oil Painting tip 2:

Always have a piece of newspaper, kitchen tissue or cloth beside you for wiping off your brush. During a painting session it is easy for the painting brush  to pack in a lot of paint. Having something to clean off the excess paint is especially useful keeping your brush light.

Oil Painting tip 3:

Make sure your painting surface is free of dust.

Oil Painting tip 4:

Always paint in a well ventilated room. Oil paint is made of toxic materials which can be dangerous. The other media used with oil paint are also toxic especially
turpentine (see tip #9). Thus it is important to work in well ventilated rooms so as to ensure that you do not inhale the fumes.

Oil Painting tip 5:

Do not use black as an under painting. Use earth colours (raw umber, burnt umber, raw sienna or burnt sienna) or any other colour you wish to use.

Oil Painting tip 6:

Be confident.

Oil Painting tip 7:

Make sure the lids and tops of your oil paints are screwed on tightly. This is to prevent your paints from caking up while in the tube.

Oil Painting tip 8:

Clean your brushes first then use a mild soap. You can clean your brushes by referring to tip #2.

Oil Painting tip 9:

Stop using oil paint if you start reacting to them. I remember the first time I reacted to turpentine. I developed burning red eyes, running nose and a cough with associated generalized body itching. All this stopped when I gave myself a break entirely from painting for some weeks and when I resumed painting; I kept away from turpentine. The lesson here is to be vigilant and recognize any adverse effects early.

Oil Painting tip 10:

When mixing your paint; avoid mixing much at a time so as to keep your paints fresh.

Oil Painting tip 11:

Use oil or acrylic based primers to prime your canvas or painting surface. This to give your surface tooth and prevent them (especially canvas cloths) from soaking up your paints.

Oil Painting tip 12:

Do not be afraid that your oil paints would dry up overnight. They can still be used by removing the caked up upper layer.

Oil Painting tip 13:

Do not squeeze out too much paint at the same time as they may dry up on your palette.

Oil Painting tip 14:

Do not be too bothered about how the finished work would be.

Oil Painting tip 15:

Avoid inhaling or ingesting the paints as they are toxic. Some artists use face masks when painting in order to minimize the amount of paint that they inhale.

Oil Painting tip 16:

Do not be afraid of making mistakes. Oil paint is a very forgiving medium. You can make corrections even after your work is dry by simply repainting the area you wish to correct.

I hope you found these useful. Painting with oils can be quite frustrating but that should not deter you because it is a beautiful medium and there are various techniques you can use to bring out the best in your painting. Its forgiving nature makes it the best medium for beginners. So give it a try.

Be sure to check out the other how-to articles on art and painting.

Do you have any tips of your own? Please feel free to share it

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