• Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial
Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial

Get Started With Oil Painting For Beginners and Reconnect With Your Creative Side

9/10/2016

Comments

 
Oil Painting Tips for Beginners by Malcolm Dewey
So you want to start painting? I am delighted with your decision, because painting is one of the most rewarding pastimes available to us. No doubt you have some time available and want a relaxing hobby? Painting will do that for you. If you want to rekindle your painting talent from earlier days before other commitments got in the way you also have my undivided attention.

You see I intended to follow an art career after high school. But back in the day art and career were two words that did not go together well. Instead I went into the attorney business. Like many other artists before me, including the famous Henri Matisse and Wassily Kandinsky, I did eventually escape and returned to art. Phew!  Now I have the pleasure of painting professionally and teaching other artists how to paint better too. I am truly grateful for that.

Which brings me back to you. In this article and ones to follow I am going to take you along a journey of discovery. I hope to show you how to paint with confidence. More importantly how to focus on what is important so that you get excellent results quickly. My job is not to peddle a paint-by-numbers system. You deserve much better. Instead I will show you how to see like an artist so that you can develop your unique style.

First let us make sure you have the necessary kit for painting. I am going to focus on oil painting since that is my first love.

Equipment Essentials:
A word of caution here. There is great potential to spend a small fortune then experience buyer’s remorse. Often the precious materials are then stored away never to be seen again. We do not want that to happen. So my list of materials is lean and ripped. Essentials that will not cost a lot, but will give you the results you will be proud of.

Paints:
A few colors are critical:
1. Titanium white
2. Cadmium red light
3. Cadmium yellow light (or lemon)
4. Ultramarine Blue
5. Cerulean Blue
6. Alizarin Crimson

Convenience Colors:
1. Burnt Sienna
2. Yellow Ochre

So few colors? Yes, it is far better to get good quality student paints than too many colors. I will show you how to mix colors with confidence and you will get better results. Plus your confidence as an artist will soar when you discover how you can mix all the colors you need from the above few tubes. A good student brand is Maimeri Classico for example. Chat to your art shop owner if you can for more tips on the many brands available.

Brushes:
Keeping things real once again means having a few good brushes. When it comes to oils I am a big fan of top quality bristle brushes. The type called “long flats” are excellent. Two of these in sizes 6 and 8 will do. Then a rigger for a few fine lines now and to sign your name.

Also fine hair brushes like the mongoose type are not as expensive as sable. Of course there are excellent synthetic brushes and even combination varieties. For inspiration try Rosemary & Co or brushes by Raphael in France. If you are lucky your local art store may keep them.

Cleaning Materials:
A good brush needs proper care. I find that old fashioned kerosene (turpentine) works best to clean oil painting brushes. Take precautions of course. I have a video demonstrating this cleaning method here. Now I do this at the end of the day’s painting only. During painting I simply wipe off the brush with paper towel.
Avoid using cleaning spirits or kerosene while painting as the paint does not benefit from these volatile fluids. Alternatively artist white spirits can also clean your brushes. There are a few eco-friendly products to try as well. Maimeri eco brush cleaner comes to mind.

On the subject of safety please work in a ventilated space and use rubber gloves. Better safe than sorry.

Easels
Another potential money trap that I fall into now and then. One good H-frame easel for your studio will do for a start. Later you can add a plein air paint box and maybe a desktop easel for travel. If you paint large scale then a wall mounted shelf may work for you. The cost is nominal. I have promised myself a fancy easel with counter weights and such, but honestly I paint just fine on my humble H-frame. As far as plein air goes my favorite painting box is homemade!

Painting Surfaces:
If you are starting out then the best size to work on is 6 x8” and 10 x 12” panels. Larger painting panels or canvasses are not ideal for learning and add frustration. Truth is that you will be tempted to paint a large canvas. Go for it. But do not despair if the results are not as intended. Have fun with it. For learning sound painting technique the small panels will be perfect.

You can get pre-made panels like Gatorboard, or have MDF panels cut to size or even make canvas covered panels. If you need to prime them use gesso or similar acrylic primer. A few coats is all you need. Remember to use a cheap brush for this and not your expensive ones.

Preparation:
Always have a few sketch books, soft pencils, a charcoal stick or two, felt tip markers (wedge shape tip) in black and gray.

Mediums:
Sometimes you may need to add a touch of medium to soften your paint. You can purchase many brand name varieties. But make your own with a 50/50 combination of artist’s white spirits and linseed oil.
 
Palette:
A simple tear-off pad is convenient. Or use the traditional wood variety. Glass sheets are also popular. The main thing is use a large palette for more mixing space. A painting knife is handy for mixing paint and for applying paint too.

You are almost ready to begin!
Lastly though you will need a place to paint. Ideally you have a space where you can leave your paints undisturbed. It is a real pain to have to pack up then unpack everything to continue painting another day. This could turn your passion into a chore after a while. Some people have studios, sheds or a corner in the bedroom. It does not matter so long as you can start painting easily when the desire is there.
​
Conclusion
The above is all the material you need to start painting this weekend. The important thing is to start. Have fun getting your painting kit together. It is exciting, but the best is yet to come. When you have your first painting ready to display I guarantee you will be hooked on this wonderful creative journey.
 
Do you have any questions on materials? Or any issues about starting your painting adventure? I would love to hear from you.

This article first appeared in my guest post for Sixty and Me

Comments
    FREE Book
    Picture

    Color Tips for Artists:
    ​Free
    Picture

    Book Bundle Special
    See More
    Picture

    Author

    Malcolm Dewey: Artist. Country: South Africa
    View Portfolio:

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Art Business
    Artist Notes
    Books Worth Every Dime!
    Its An Artists Life
    Musings
    News
    Painting Course
    Painting Demonstration
    Painting Tips
    Podcasts
    Popular Posts Archive
    Reviews


    Picture

    Picture

    Visit Malcolm Dewey Fine Art's profile on Pinterest.

    FREE
    ​GUIDE

    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Picture

Studio:  Troon Crescent, Port Alfred, South Africa
​Malcolm Dewey Fine Art is committed to top quality art, excellent educational material and having a great time! To back that up all works sold come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. Simply return the work, undamaged, within 30 days. Returns at purchaser expense. All transaction are protected by third party bank-level encryption to keep your information safe. Plus your email address is safe. No spam - ever!

​Copyright 2010-2020: Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
​
Picture
30 Day Money Back
Picture
Secure Transactions
Picture
Picture
No Spam Ever!
Photos used under Creative Commons from maHidoodi, buggolo, Fabio Téllez
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial