Oil Painting Tips for The Beginner

Now that you would like to surprised your love one with a beautiful painting of her/his memorable photo. Problem is you don't know how to start? Here are some tips to consider.

The very first thing to do is to start your oil painting with an acrylic underpaint because acrylic dries quickly. When you use oil as under paint it will take some time for it to dry. Acrylic underpainting can quicken your work with your canvas.

Make sure that you have a good lighting- The importance of good lighting is it brings out the color more and also lessens the strain on your eyes. It is advisable that you paint on a place with plenty natural sunlight or if not buy an indoor light that has a good lighting.

Good ventilation is also necessary- This is very important especially if you use oil paint thinners and cleaners because some of these chemicals is toxic and not good for your health so be cautious when working with this product. Consider using a water soluble oil paint instead because this can be diluted with water and eliminating the need for other solvents.

Make sure that you follow the rule of "fat over lean". This means that each layer of your oil painting should have higher oil content than the ones below. This reduces the chance of your paint to crack.

Objects that are advance are warmer and more intense compared to not advance objects. So to create an illusion of distance in your paintings, paint receding objects with cooler less intense color.

Sometimes there is an instance in which you cannot draw anything. You had the idea but you cannot picture it out. Most often these instances are called uninspired moments. So what you will do is put down your brush and gets some fresh air, walk for a while or listen to music. Do not get discourage, everyone experiences that not just you. Walking and getting some fresh air makes you relax while music can affect your mood, it can brighten up a heavy feeling.

Avoid holding your brush as if you are holding a pencil that is too close to the bristles. Oils brushes are made long for a reason so better be familiar with it. This is made longer so that you can paint further away from the canvas. Hold the brush either in the middle or the end of the brush, start practicing right now.

Have a habit of clean working environment. Keep your painting place clean and organized. An organize environment makes a better working place, so nice canvas is possible to be made.

A painter's partner of every canvas is its brush so invest into a good set of paint brush. Hog hair brushes are recommended than cheaper brushes that easily shed their bristles. Nylon brushes are suited for acrylic paint.

You can now start creating your first owned oil painting. Enjoy!