Art-Devine-Slasher » Oil paintings

Oil Painting tips: How to use Oil Paint

Nkolika — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:00:41 +0000

Sunny day

2.5″ x 3.5″

Oil on paper

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 itSimilar Posts:

Oil painting of an Elephant: Finished

Nkolika — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:27:09 +0000

I apologize for not posting earlier than now. My mother’s 73rd birthday was on the 8th (yesterday) and since she is spending some time with me; I spent the day with her and tried my best to make her day special.

Amazingly my latest attempt at baking turned out beautifully and I was quite impressed with myself. My daughter was confused when I was jumping around the whole house singing happily.

It sure does pay to keep trying and to never give up at anything you want to excel in. I wrote a short note about this under Pencil drawing and it has been generating a lot of comments.

I (and you) was once as tiny as the baby elephant in this painting and my mother was (and has always been) very close by to protect me. Just like the huge mother Elephant shields her precious little one.

As a mother now, I appreciate my mother in ways words cannot express. And the little I can do to put a smile on her graceful face, I would do. I cannot take away all her worries and pains because these are what make life what it is. But I can make her smile and I did. I thank God for making it possible for me to do something special for my mother. The day was fun, all her children called from wherever they were around the world and most of her grandchildren sang happy birthday to her.

Now back to our work, we have come to the end of our painting demonstration and it has surely been fulfilling.

Below are shots of the finished painting.

To all of you who followed my step by step painting demonstration of this oil on canvas painting of an Elephant right from Step 1 to now: I want to say a big thank you. Nothing gives me so much pleasure as showing you how I paint. Not only did you share in the painting process itself but you also shared in the thoughts and pains that accompanied with it.

This painting is for sale at my Etsy shop; if you are not registered on Etsy you would need to register to buy. If you do not want to go through the hassle of opening an account on Etsy you can buy it from my website

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Oil Painting of an Elephant: Step 5

Nkolika — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:12:48 +0000

So far I have been demonstrating the painting of an Elephant on primed 16″ x 20″ canvas using Winsor and Newton oil paint.

The technique I am using is the glazing technique. See the different types of oil painting techniques.

I started in step 1 with a charcoal sketch and monochrome under-painting. This formed the basic structure or skeleton of the painting.

In subsequent steps from step 2 to step 4, I carefully built up the painting with the application of thin layers of paint on one another after leaving each previous layer to dry.

In this step, I have continued to touch up the painting by enhancing the darkest areas (shadows) with a dark tone which is a mixture of prussian blue and burnt umber.I also used the same mixture to outline the creases and wrinkles on the trunk and legs.

For the tusks I used a mixture of titanuim white + yellow ochre to produce an off white colour.

I also added the grasses in the foreground. For this I used a size 0 round brush and a mixture of sap green + prussian blue for the darkest tones. For the lighter tones I used yellow ochre and a bit of cadmium yellow and painted it in while the paint was wet.

The image on your left shows a close up shot of the painting as it is so far. You can see the grass she is eating and some other features.

For the grass in her mouth I used a mixture of raw sienna + sap green and a bit of titanium white.

There is a smoothness to the painting which is characteristic of glazing. This is quite unlike the alla prima technique I used to paint the African drummers.

The alla prima technique is faster to use and the paint stays fresh with rich brushstrokes. Each technique has its beauties and they all produce awesome works of art.

Every artist has a signature style which often takes time to discover and entails trying out different styles on hundreds of paintings.

I try out different techniques and though over time I am inclining more to a particular technique; I still continue to explore.

Below is a closer shot of the painting. The next post would show the finished painting.

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Oil painting of an Elephant: Step 4

Nkolika — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:50:13 +0000

There is a big leap from the painting in Step 3 which was reddish. That is the beauty of oil paint and painting in general. You can play around with your paints till you arrive at what suits you best and every brushstroke is magical in its own way.

In this step, I have applied a layer of burnt umber with a bit of ultramarine blue. I have also added a dab of white around the lighter areas to enhance the effect of light .

The one quality every painter that uses oil paint and the glazing technique has to master is patience.

Unfortunately I am not a very patient person and the glazing technique is one technique I hardly use now. But like I mentioned in Step 1, I enjoy trying out new things and techniques.

What is the colour of my Elephant? Elephants can be black, brown, gray or just any colour that you want to make them. I try not to be limited to a particular colour or look.

As an artist I believe having the ability to create should go hand in hand with a freedom to explore. Great discoveries have been made on the canvas by the masters and I too keep making discoveries each time I paint.

There is never an end to what you can do when you put aside all inhibitions and restrictions and paint the way your soul prompts you. Thus, never limit yourself to what the world considers normal.

This snap shot shows my palette and the colours I am using to create this painting. Because the size of the painting is not very big (16″ x 20″) I have limited myself to 4 brushes. I also use a rag to wipe off excess paint from my brushes.

I must confess that the best part of making this painting is painting the little baby. She is so tiny and the way she snuggles close to her mother shows the beauty that lies in the security and protection motherhood harbors. I guess that may be why I was so drawn to the image.

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Oil painting of an Elephant: Step 3

Nkolika — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:35:18 +0000

In this step I have applied a thin glaze of cadmium red deep hue all over the entire painting. This makes it appear reddish.

For the lighter areas I wiped off some paint with a rag. This lets the 1st layer of paint which I applied in step 2 to show through creating the effect of light.

You can see how the monochrome under-painting I did in step 1 is adding form and structure to the work.

For the tusks I have left it unpainted, thus the whiteness of the canvas makes them stand out remarkably.

I have also started work on the sky, background and foreground.

For the sky I used titanium white and cerulean blue.

For the shrubs in the background I have used sap green with prussian blue (for the darker parts). I blended it in a bit into the sky to create a distant effect and soften the edges. Thus the titanium white and cerulean blue of the sky also appear in the shrubs.

For the foreground I have used Sap green, cadmium yellow and titanium white. To create the effect of distance I made the foreground lighter in the distance.

I have kept everything loose because I want the focus to be on the elephant.Similar Posts:

Oil painting of an Elephant: Step 2

Nkolika — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:14:00 +0000

I started off previously in Step 1 by making an initial sketch on canvas using a charcoal pencil and fixing with a fixative. After the sketch I made a monochrome under-painting with Prussian blue and left it to dry. Now I am going to use the glaze technique to finish the painting.

Glazing is an Oil painting technique that involves the application of several thin washes of transparent colours on each other. The previous layer has to be dry before you apply the next. The colours qualify each other and mix in the eye thus producing a richness that one colour or mixture of colours cannot produce. I am using liquin as my diluent.

After making the monochrome under painting, I applied a thin glaze mixture of raw sienna + burnt sienna + cadmium yellow pale hue. Mixing my paints with liquin in a ratio of 1:3.

Sorry about the poor picture quality. At least I hope you can see what I have achieved so far. The monochrome under painting has given the painting a solid structure and all I’ll be doing is to apply thin layers of paint to keep enhancing the painting. Like I pointed out in Step 1; this is the first time I am painting an elephant, so I am also learning as I go on.

What do you think?Similar Posts:

Oil painting of an Elephant: Step 1

Nkolika — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:34:07 +0000

I love trying out new things and projects. I always love a new challenge and I am not so much interested in what the end result would be……good or bad it does not matter (though I aim for the best always).

What matters is starting off. I decided to attempt painting an Elephant and will be showing you how I would be doing it.

I am using a reference photo of an Elephant and her baby which I got from a magazine. Magazines and publications make excellent sources of reference photos for painting. They come in handy especially when one is learning to paint and ideas seem to run dry.

To make the sketch I used the grid format. Though it is tedious drawing the lines over and over again, it gives a very good approximation as to the right magnification while maintaining the proportion.I used a charcoal pencil. Though you can use a lead or graphite pencil.

There are several ways you can use to make a sketch or draft of the subject of your painting. Aside from the using the grid method, you can use tracing paper to trace the picture and then transfer it onto your canvas. Or you can make a free hand sketch. Whichever method you use depends on what you are comfortable with

After laying down the sketch, I erased the lines with a rubber eraser and sprayed a thin layer of fixative on it. This is to make sure the charcoal does not stain my paint.

The drawing is then left to dry, after which it would be ready for the 2nd stage and the application of the first layer of paint. The work is on primed canvas and I would be executing it with oil paint.

I then used Prussian blue to redraw the whole picture, bringing out the dark parts, the creases and shadows. This serves as a monochrome under painting. Monochrome meaning one colour.

I scanned the picture and blew it up on my laptop in order to see the wrinkles and fine details well. Otherwise you can use a hand held magnifying lens.

I have split the work into several steps and would be posting the follow up steps regularly.

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The marvel of a New Life

Nkolika — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 08:35:10 +0000

Pink Abstract

2.5″ x 3.5″

SOLD

It has been a very hectic week and carrying my increasing weight around has been a challenge that I look forward to everyday. Never knew there would be a time I would feel so comfortable being fat. So comfortable to the point that I would actually joyfully flaunt it. It sure is a thing of great joy watching the way one’s body changes so much in order to accommodate a growing life. For me it is the most wonderful part of God’s creation. A feet that no man has been able to emulate and one that every living being should appreciate.

As artists we struggle to create little things which are often never complicated but our Father in heaven has shown us time and time again that He alone is the master creator. The painting above is an oil painting; one of the very many created under the influence of strong hormones. It was painted entirely with a palette knife and I can comfortably say that every knife stroke was made in unison with every kick in my womb.

I was featured again in another ETSY treasury. Do make out time to visit and click away. Very many thanks to Elizabeth Graf who is also a wonderful artist.

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Painting of African drummers: Step 6

Nkolika — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:52:33 +0000

I woke up this morning a bit frustrated with myself. Wanted to put up some pictures yesterday but my camera chose that particular time to pack up. It had been showing some signs lately and I feel it’s time to get a new one. Never knew one day I would feel so paralyzed without my camera. Over time I’ve realized that a camera should definitely be part of every artist’s equipment. I go everywhere with my camera……………always ready to capture anything that comes my way. Will have to work towards getting a new one soon.

Yesterday was a very beautiful day (aside from having to cope without a camera!!!) because I went for a scan. It was a glorious experience. Watching our tiny tot move around and his/her tiny heart beating so rapidly. It’s amazing how God creates and leaves us totally in awe of His mighty works. The tiny tot has been moving for awhile now and I have been feeling very unsettled lately. I guess it’ll take some time before I get used to the feeling of a being moving within me. Aside from the unsettling feeling, it’s a wonderful experience. From now on I would be constantly reminded that I’m sharing my body with someone.

Below are some updates to the painting of the African drummers (was able to take some shots today)

I have left out the details on the faces. Trying to keep things simple with more emphasis on the drums.

Still got a small portion to work on. I have been a bit confused with that part because it’s not clear in the reference picture I am using. I guess I have to figure out what to put there. But I’m certain the man’s holding a musical instrument.

This is a close up shot of the background.

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Painting of African Drummers Step 5

Nkolika — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:57:58 +0000

I focused on the drums today. Adding more highlights and depth here and there to give it a more solid shape. For some reason African drummers like using rubber ropes/strands to tie around their drums (yet to understand why they do that!!!). Thus I used a mixture of burnt umber and alizarin crimson to put in the strands.

An artist needn’t be a clergyman or a churchwarden, but he certainly must have a warm heart for his fellow men.

Vincent Van-Gogh

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