A Place to Start: Oil Painting for Beginners
Learn to make gorgeous original art for your home today!
Welcome to class! Below you’ll find step-by-step lessons that walk you through the process of creating your very first oil painting. Each lesson includes a video feature and accompanying workbook pages. Print the entire workbook out first by clicking the link below so that you can have it ready for any note taking. My favorite art materials as well as checklists and important ideas are all included for your convenience.
Let’s get started! I am so glad you’re here!
Class Outline: A Place to Start: Oil Painting for Beginners (videos are below)
Part 1:
First Things First: Brushes and Tools
Safer Solvents and Additives
All About Oil Paint
Palette Set Up and Paint Storage
Part 2:
Great Composition
Starting your Painting
Creating Value Structure with Color
Colorize it (creating value structure continued and knowing when to stop)
Part 3:
Elements of Art (Self critique and ideas to keep in mind while you paint)
Principles of Design (Self critique continued)
Finishing your painting Part 1
Finishing your painting Part 2
Time to Celebrate!
First Things First
Welcome to class! The first thing we will explore are the brushes and tools you need for oil painting.
Safer Solvents and Additives
Learn how to keep your oil painting practice as safe as possible.
All About Oil Paint
Explore your materials and learn where to skimp and where to splurge when it comes to oil paint.
Palette Set-up
Working efficiently helps you save money and time. In this section, you can see how I arrange my own palette and store leftover oil paint so I’m ready to roll when it’s time to paint.
Great Composition
Learn the quick composition tricks that I use every single time I paint, and let me show you how to choose a fantastic source photo for your painting. These are skills that every artist needs for success.
Starting your Painting
Is that white surface scary? I’ll show you a fun way to de-stress that canvas and where to start painting!
Creating Value Structure with Color
This is where the magic happens. Squint to find your values and begin with your darks!
Colorize it! (continued)
Keep going with your mediums and finally your lights to make your painting sing. Afraid it’s getting muddy? I’ll teach you what to do about that too. Hint: it happens to everybody!
Elements of Art
Use the elements of art to critique your progress as you go. I’ll use a larger version of my own painting in progess to discuss each element and how I think about the painting as I move along.
Principles of Design
How do the elements of art work with the principles of design? Continue your self-critique and problem solving using a few more art ideas before you bring your painting into the home-stretch.
Finishing Your Painting Part I
Don’t stop! Now that you know the language of art, let’s work on your painting again and bring it to a happy place of beautiful resolution.
Finishing Your Painting Part II
You’re almost there! I promise! These are the final touches.
Time to Celebrate!
Yahoo! You did it! Hello Picasso! Now that you’ve conquered your canvas, what are your next steps as a painter?