Oil Painting – The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Oil paints are one of the most popular artistic mediums, and for good reason. They are versatile, archival, and economical. But it can be a struggle to pick up. There are some “rules” you need to be aware of and the techniques can take some time to become familiar with.

This guide covers most of the fundamental areas of Oil Painting to get you started.

• Why Oil Painting?
• What Is Oil Paint?
• Oil Painting Supplies
• Oil Painting Color Palette
• Surfaces to Paint On
• Oil Painting “Rules”
• Oil Painting Techniques
• Oil Painting Process
• What to Do After You Have Finished Your Oil Painting
• Oil Painting Books
• Oil Painting Videos
• Famous Oil Painters
• Famous Oil Paintings
• Oil Paint Clean-Up Time
• Varnishing Your Oil Painting
• Oil Paint Safety
• Additional Readings
• Want to Learn More?
• Thanks for Reading!

Why Oil Painting?

What are the advantages of using oil paints compared to alternatives like acrylics or watercolors? Here are some reasons:

• Oil paints are incredibly versatile. By manipulating the drying time and consistency with paint thinners and additional oil, you can explore a diverse range of techniques such as blending, glazing, and scumbling.
• Great artists throughout history have favored oil paints. It’s difficult to dismiss the advantages of oil paints when so many renowned artists have achieved remarkable success with them.
• Art collectors often hold oil paintings in higher esteem than acrylics, though there are exceptions to this rule.

You can't go wrong with oil paints. If you're just starting with painting, I recommend diving straight into oil painting, unless you have a strong desire to practice with acrylics or watercolors.

If you believe that oil painting is too complicated, I encourage you to rethink that notion. There are just a few fundamental "rules" to grasp in oil painting (which will be discussed later in this post), and the rest is quite simple.

What Is Oil Paint?

Oil paint consists of finely ground colored pigments suspended in a drying oil, typically linseed oil. The quality of oil paint depends on the quality and fineness of the pigments, as well as the medium employed.

You can enhance the fluidity of oil paint by mixing it with additional oil or incorporating a solvent; however, this process can weaken the paint. Generally, oil paint is at its most stable when used straight from the tube.

Oil Painting Supplies

Here is a fundamental collection of supplies and equipment for oil painting:

• A variety of small to large paintbrushes suitable for oil painting. Hog hair and quality synthetic brushes work well for this medium. For further details, refer to my guide on artist paint brushes.
• An easel.
• A palette.
• A basic selection of paints (explained below).
• A surface to paint on (also covered below).
• Odorless solvent.
• Linseed oil.
• Paper towels (for cleaning your brushes).

This post offers additional details about oil painting supplies.

Oil Painting Color Palette

I recommend using a limited color palette to encourage color mixing skills. At the very least, you should have red, blue, yellow, and white.

This is my current color palette:

• Ultramarine Blue
• Cobalt Blue
• Cadmium Yellow
• Cadmium Yellow Light
• Yellow Ochre
• Cadmium Orange
• Cadmium Red
• Alizarin Crimson
• Raw Umber or Burnt Sienna
• Titanium White

Be sure to check out my post about the Zorn palette.

Regarding various brands of oil paint, I have experienced no issues with any of the leading names (Winsor & Newton, Gamblin, Old Holland, Michael Harding, etc.). If possible, always opt for “artist quality” instead of “student quality,” as there is a significant difference.

Surfaces to Paint On

Canvas emerged as the most favored painting surface during the 15th and 16th centuries, replacing the previously used wooden panels. Today, there are two options available when it comes to canvas:

Stretched canvas panels: These are canvas stretched over a frame and will likely be the primary surface for your oil painting.

Canvas boards: An affordable and durable option compared to stretched canvas panels. Typically, canvas boards consist of canvas mounted on a solid backing, such as cardboard. I utilize these for practice pieces and demonstrations.

Additionally, you can paint on various surfaces like wooden boards; however, it's essential to ensure that the surface has been primed with gesso.

Oil Painting “Rules”

In oil painting, there are certain “rules” you should follow to prevent your paint from cracking.

Fat over lean: As mentioned earlier, oil paint consists of colored pigment suspended in drying oil. The more oil incorporated, the “fatter” the paint becomes, resulting in a slower drying time. Generally, it's important to ensure that the upper layers of paint are fatter (or oilier) than the lower layers. If not, the top layers will dry faster than those beneath, leading to potential cracking.

Thick over thin: This rule is based on the same principle as the previous one. It's important to ensure that the paint on top dries more slowly than the paint underneath. Typically, thick paint dries more slowly than thin paint.

In practice, I begin a painting with a thin mixture of paint and odorless solvent. Then, I move on to using paint directly from the tube to take full advantage of its texture.

Tip: Visible brushwork adds a distinctive charm to painting, yet beginners often overlook it. Below is a close-up of one of my paintings that showcases this technique. Achieving such visible brushwork requires using a brush loaded with thick paint.

These rules primarily apply to the traditional painting technique of layering glazes. If you use the alla prima method, you can be less concerned about these guidelines. Nonetheless, understanding them remains important.

To avoid any issues with the fat over lean rule, consider using paint directly from the tube. This method ensures that most of the paint has a similar drying time, preventing the top layer from drying faster than the one beneath it. While this is a helpful guideline, it's important to remember that drying times can be affected by various factors. Nevertheless, you should generally experience no problems in practice.

Oil Painting Techniques

In this post, I explore various oil painting techniques. Here are the techniques that I use most often:

• Scumbling: A dry-brush technique that entails gently dragging your brush across the canvas to create a broken color effect.
• Thin washes with solvent: Mixing oil paint with solvent allows you to create a very thin wash of transparent color that dries quickly. This is typically how I start my paintings.
• Multi-colored brush strokes: Leaving various colors unmixed on your brush enables you to produce stunning multi-colored streaks.

I don't use glazing very often. Instead, I prefer to layer paint on the canvas through scumbling, which creates a fascinating broken color effect.

Oil Painting Process

Here is my overall method for creating an oil painting:

To begin, I apply a thin wash of paint mixed with solvent to the canvas. I typically choose an earth tone, such as raw umber or burnt sienna. This process eliminates any white areas on the canvas, making it easier to paint over.

Next, I create a rough sketch of the composition, incorporating more detail for complex subjects.

Third, I swiftly block in the overall shapes and colors, aiming to establish the structure and color harmony. I prefer not to get entangled in details at this stage.

Fourth, I refine what is on the canvas until all issues are resolved.

Finally, I sign the painting and complete my post-painting processes.

Below are some tutorials that showcase my process:

Landscape Painting Tutorial – Capturing The Overland Track in Oils

Beginner's Oil Painting Tutorial – Overcast Day in Bali

Oil Painting Guide – Reflections of New Zealand

Oil Painting Tutorial – Discovering the Secrets of the Lake on a Bright, Sunny Day

Painting Tutorial – Afternoon in Queenstown, New Zealand

Tutorial on Landscape Painting – Mount Barney

What to Do After You Have Finished Your Oil Painting

Here is a summary of my process after completing an oil painting:

• I leave the painting on the easel for a few days to ensure I am truly satisfied with the result.
• I wait for a cloudy day to photograph the painting outside.
• I place the painting in a safe spot to dry, away from direct sunlight and dust.
• I create a tutorial about the painting for Draw Paint Academy.
• I share the painting on relevant social media platforms.

Oil Painting Books

Alla Prima II: Expanded Edition – Everything I Know About Painting – And More

Illuminate Your Oil Paintings with Vibrant Light & Color

Landscape Painting: Key Principles and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Work

Ken Howard: A Personal Perspective on Light (Atelier Series)

Daily Painting: Create Small Works Regularly to Enhance Your Creativity, Productivity, and Success as an Artist

Several additional books have been added to my oil painting reading list.

Oil Painting Videos

Check out my oil painting videos here.

Here are some additional channels you may find interesting:

The Art Students League of New York

Draw, Mix, Paint

DG Paints

Sergey Gusev

Jeffrey Watts

Academy of Fine Arts

Color in Your Life

Kevin Hill

Famous Oil Painters

Explore these renowned oil painters:

• Vincent van Gogh
• Frida Kahlo
• Claude Monet
• Rembrandt
• Joaquín Sorolla
• Berthe Morisot
• John Singer Sargent
• James Abbott McNeill Whistler
• Caravaggio
• Lucian Freud

Beautiful close-ups of these paintings are available on Wikiart.

Famous Oil Paintings

Numerous iconic oil paintings have been created throughout history, far too many to count. Here are just a few renowned oil paintings from different eras:

Oil Paint Clean-Up Time

The downside of oil painting is the cleanup time. No matter how hard I try, oil paint seems to get everywhere. To clean up after your oil painting session, it's best to use solvent or turpentine, though soapy water can help as well. Since the paint is oil-based, water alone is not effective.

It's important to care for your brushes to ensure their longevity. If you don't clean them properly after a session and don't plan to use them again soon, they won't last long. I typically clean my brushes by working them on a bar of soap and rinsing them with warm water. For more information on cleaning your oil paint brushes, click here.

Varnishing Your Oil Painting

Varnishing your oil painting can safeguard it against environmental damage. Without a protective layer, dust, debris, wind, and other elements can harm the painting over time.

Varnish serves as a protective layer between the paint and the environment. It is important to use a removable varnish, as this enables the restoration of the painting in the future if necessary (colors often fade over time).

The process is quite straightforward. You must allow the painting to dry thoroughly. For artworks with thick layers of paint, this may take as long as 3 months.

You typically have the option of choosing between gloss or matte varnish, depending largely on your personal preference.

Next, apply your varnish evenly across your painting with a large brush. Here is a demonstration of the process:

Oil Paint Safety

Oil paint and its associated mediums can be toxic, so it's important to handle them with care. If you are sensitive to chemicals, consider using gloves. Additionally, be sure to keep your paints out of reach of children.

Ensure that you paint in a well-ventilated area.

Additional Readings

Beginner Tips for Oil Painting

Acrylic or Oil Painting – Which Medium is Right for Beginners?

7 Best Oil Painting Demonstration Videos on YouTube

9 Essential Oil Painting Techniques for Beginners

Getting Started with Oil Painting

Want to Learn More?

If you're looking to enhance your skills, check out my Painting Academy course. I’ll guide you through the essential fundamentals of painting. It’s ideal for absolute beginners to intermediate painters.

Thanks for Reading!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post; I hope you found it useful. Please feel free to share it with your friends.

Enjoy your painting!

Daniel Scott

Artistry Workshop