How to Paint Gold Using Oil Paint

Painting metal can be a tricky prospect. While there are often pre-made metallic hues for paints these typically have shiny flakes of material in them to give the impression of metal shine and can end up looking amateur on a canvas. To really paint a metallic color like gold, you will need carefully examine the visual aspects of gold the way artists have done for centuries. Every object can be broken down into simple colors and shapes and the same is true for gold. Pay attention to the way light reflects off the surface of a gold object and strive to make use of these details in your painting.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Oil paints in: Dark Brown, Cadmium Yellow, Brilliant Yellow
• Linseed Oil
• Pre-Gessoed Canvas
• Oil paint brushes

1. 
    

   Paint the background of the canvas dark brown. This is natural color and will serve to offset the gold hues nicely. Paint the gold chalice base shape cadmium yellow. Do this with a half circle at the top with a vertical stem attached to the bottom of the half circle. Add a flattened oval shape for the bottom. In the middle of the stem add a small oblong oval.

2. 
    

   Add shadows to the gold chalice with brown ocher. Place the color in along the right side of the chalice, stem, middle oval and bottom oval. Do not paint the brown ocher all the way to the base of the chalice. Instead leave a small gap of yellow near the base and then Add a small curved ring of brown ocher just above the very bottom of the chalice. Add a horizontal line of brown ocher to the top of the chalice.

3. 
    

   Paint highlights on the gold chalice with brilliant yellow. Add this to the left side of the chalice in the same way you added the brown ocher to the right side. Add a small triangle of brilliant yellow to the upper middle section on the cup part of the chalice.

4. Add a horizontal line of brilliant yellow across the top of the cup. Add a small horizontal line of this color just below the cup where the stem starts. Paint a small triangle of this highlight in the middle oval on the stem of the chalice. Add a small curved line of brilliant yellow just above the base of the chalice.

5. Dip your paint brush in linseed oil. Wipe the excess off with a rag. Blend the colors together starting on the left side of the chalice and gently moving toward the center. Do this all the way down the left side. Wipe off your brush, add more linseed oil to the brush, wipe of the excess and now blend from the right side of the chalice toward the center of the brush. Let this dry for an hour.

6. 
    

   Load your brush tip with brilliant yellow and add tiny highlights to the rim of the cup with a thin curved line on the lip. Add a small dot of highlight to the very center of the middle oval on the stem. Add a thin line of brilliant yellow just above the curved line of brown ocher near the base of the chalice.

Tips & Warnings

• Go slowly in the blending phase to ensure that it looks natural. You want to carefully work the colors into one another.
• Do not overload your brush with linseed oil or it will run down the painting or smear your work.

Resources

• Golden treasure painted with oil