How to Oil Paint Landscapes Like the Masters
Oil paintings of landscapes can bring serene, natural beauty into any room. Throughout the history of art, landscape painting has always been popular. In addition to giving pleasure to those who appreciate the art, landscape painting, and more generally oil painting, can bring relaxation and enjoyment to the artist. In fact, holding a paintbrush in one's hand and creating beauty is one of the most singular pleasures there is. Painting in the tradition of the old masters connects an artist to a rich heritage of creativity and technique.
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Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Oil paint
- Pallet
- Brushes (large and small)
- Canvas
- Easel
- Turpentine
- Paper towels
- Book of old masters' paintings
Instructions
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Purchase an inexpensive collection of art prints from the masters. Look for a book that covers the history of art. Go to a local bookstore, particularly a large bookstore, as a book like this can often be found in the clearance section for very little money.
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Spend a couple of hours studying the prints. Take notes on how the masters you are seeking to emulate used their tools. Record how they used the paint, the paintbrushes and the space on the canvas. Recognize that there is no one way to paint like the masters, as every master was usually classically trained but offered a distinct way of painting. Choose one master's body of work to focus on.
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Spend another hour researching the tools and techniques the master you have chosen to study used. Search online or take a trip to the local library. Read reviews and commentary on the artist's work; this will give you insight into how this artist rendered the landscape and how you can imitate that style.
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Choose a landscape to paint. Start out with something simple like a field. Take a look at Monet's paintings of fields at different times of the day. Use this same technique even if it is not Monet you wish to paint like. Take a picture of the landscape you wish to paint at dawn, midday and sunset. Study the pictures together and notice the way the light changes. Harnessing light is one of the most important parts of landscape painting.
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Choose a time of day to paint your subject once you have taken some time to understand how light influences the landscape. Set up your materials in an organized fashion. Make sure you have a sufficient number of brushes (at least one good brush that is large, one that is small and two or three spares of varying sizes). Set up the easel in a place that is comfortable, and make sure the view from behind the easel is exactly what you wish to paint.
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Lightly trace with a pencil the outline of what you will paint first; this will remove some of the anxiety from the initial brushstroke, as you will have a guide. Use your pallet to mix the paint until you have the appropriate shade of whatever color you're starting with. Mix white in with any color you choose; never use a flat color.
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Paint until you are tired. Do not try to push yourself too much your first time, as you don't want to lose your enthusiasm. Be persistent, since you are taking on a task that the masters had professional training in. Be aware that the first landscape you paint may not be something you want to hang on your wall, but keep painting. Study the masters as you paint, particularly the artist you have chosen to model your work after. Let the masters' great works be your guide.
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Tips & Warnings
Always paint in an area where there is plenty of ventilation. If you are painting a landscape in nice weather, this should not be a problem. But if you are painting inside from a picture, make sure the windows are open.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Oil painting image by lefebvre_jonathan from Fotolia.com
