If you have just started off with oil painting, then here are some smart tips that will make your learning experience a more enjoyable one.
- The selection of the right palette is of paramount importance while oil painting. Remember to always place your palette in the same order as you do your painting. This will support a convenient, orderly flow to your work.
- For a smoother quality to your painting, remember to buy a set of good quality brushes. Cheap brushes tend to lay their bristles after a few uses. It is also quite difficult to clean the cheap ones. Therefore, it would be wise to get a set of good brushes.
- To clean your oil painting brush properly, make a mix of a thinner and liquid soap. Dip the brush into it and wipe it off with a newspaper. This would make the brush absolutely clean for the next use.
- Sometimes it becomes confusing to select the right color combination to get an effect of lighter or darker shade. This confusion can be cleared up if you become aware of the different properties of oils such as color value, temperature, intensity, and hue. For examples, orange is intense, shades of red are best used for hues, and ivory black is the right choice for outlining.
- Cracks in oil paintings are common, but you can avoid it. This can be done by following a fat layer of oil paint over the lean one.
- Oil painting is an interesting style of painting with the use of varnishes. Varnishes can be prepared from a combination of several oils. Some of the popular oils used for oil painting are linseed oil, poppy seed oil, walnut oil, and safflower oil. The popularity of oil painting lies in its versatility.
- Last, but definitely not the least. Never let your oil painting dry in the dark. This will cause a thin film of oil to form above the oil paints, thereby yellowing it.
I hope these simple tips on oil painting will be of help to you. Keep painting!