How to Oil Paint Steps

Try painting a landscape using oil paints.

Oil painting uses oil-based paints instead of water-based paints, which are used in acrylic or watercolor painting. Since oil-based paints cannot be washed off with water, oil painting requires the use of linseed oil to thin out the paint and turpentine to clean the paint off. There are a few guidelines to follow when oil painting that will ensure that the paint will go on smoothly and adhere to the canvas properly.

Things You'll Need

• Oil paints
• Paintbrushes
• Cloth
• Palette
• Palette knife
• Canvas
• Easel
• Drop cloth
• Turpentine
• Linseed oil

Instructions

1. Prepare your painting area by laying down a drop cloth, setting up an easel, placing a canvas onto the easel, and placing a jar of turpentine and a cloth near your work station.

2. Squirt a large amount of white oil paint onto a palette.

3. Dip a large flat paintbrush into linseed oil, then mix the oil into the white oil paint with the brush.

4. Paint the white oil paint over the canvas in long, horizontal brush strokes. Cover the entire canvas. This will prepare, or prime, the canvas for your painting.

5. Squirt dollops of oil paint onto a palette, spacing them about two inches apart. This will give you room to mix the colors together.

6. Use a palette knife to mix the colors together into whatever combination you prefer.

7. Apply the darker colors of oil paint to your canvas first. For example, when painting a mountain scene, apply the darker background colors on the mountain, hills, trees, and bushes.

8. Apply the mid-tone colors second. These colors will be lighter than the first and will begin to add definition to the painting.

9. Apply the light colors last. These colors will be very light and will add highlights to the objects in your painting.

10. Rinse off your brushes, palette, and palette knife using turpentine. Wipe off the excess using a cloth.

References

• Guide To OIl Painting: Oil Painting Techniques

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish