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Oil Painting Medic is a practical guide to oil painting techniques, materials and troubleshooting. NOTHING on here is AI. Begin with Home or Start Here. Browse my Artbooks and Whats Trending. With copious articles covering portraiture, landscapes, still life, and problem solving, this blog helps artists improve technique and overcome challenges. Navigate by theme in the sidebar.

My Photographs are so Poor, I Can’t Use them for my Artwork

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Producing a work of art often involves using photographic reference. The artist may prefer to produce photos rather than source from other image banks, but soon discovers that poor photos could have an impact upon the painting. Blurred images or elements too small could force the artist to fill in the gaps, resulting in an unsatisfactory piece of art. How does the artist create photographs that will support the artwork? Common Problems with Photography Photo of Iraqi man, (Christiaan Briggs)  The artist may feel disappointed with photos meant to support an oil painting or similar work of art. The photos might be blurred or contain insufficient visual information to be of any use. The following comprise common reason why photos are immediately deleted from the pictures file on the computer. Images appear pixellated. The images are blurred. The subject matter appears too small in the photo. The subject exhibits little detail due to poor lighting. Vital elements are ei...
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How do I Paint Blonde Hair on My Portraits?

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Blonde hair in oil painting often looks chalky, muddy or flat when the artist relies too much on white or browns. True blonde hair contains an array of hues — blues, earth colours and violets. By understanding how blonde hair behaves tonally and chromatically, the artist can mix cleaner pales, richer darks and convincing highlights. The True Colour of Blonde The portrait artist faced with painting blonde hair may automatically reach for titanium white and vary it with black or dark brown for shadows in the belief that these colors will create convincing blonde hair. Instead, the hair looks lifeless. What colors should the artist use for blonde hair? How Not to Paint Blonde Hair How to Paint Blonde Hair Rachel Shirley Before making changes to a portrait with blonde hair, the artist may identify what went wrong with the hair aspect of the painting, which could be any of the following: Making blanket assumptions about blonde hair in that it always contains lots ...
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How Can I Paint the Mona Lisa in an Hour?

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The painting of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is the most famous portrait in the world, partly due to the subtle and hard‑to‑define shadows around the face known as sfumato . Sfumato is one of the painting modes of Renaissance art and is difficult to achieve. I decided to paint the Mona Lisa and post it on YouTube as speed art. Here are the common pitfalls of painting a face with a subtle expression. Tips on Painting the Portrait of the Mona Lisa See my two YouTube clips on painting the Mona Lisa. The first glaze (above) was completed in around twenty‑five minutes. Once the first glaze was touch‑dry, I began the second glaze (below), which took a further half‑hour. The second process enabled me to elaborate on shadows and refine shading. Both processes have been speeded up so viewing time is compacted to a few minutes. The most common problems with painting a portrait with delicate detail such as the Mona Lisa are the following: 1. Expressing shadows on th...
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How do I Make Gold Look like Gold with Oil Paint?

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The artist trying to convey metallic effects with oil paint may be disappointed if brass ornaments or gold jewellery resembles dollops of mustard in the still life painting. How can the artist get gold effects in painting? Gold: An Introduction Gold is one of the most tricky colours in oil painting. Many artists expect it to behave like yellow, only to end up with mustard‑coloured jewellery or dull brass. The secret to painting convincing gold isn’t brightness — the secret lays in contrasting neutrals, and unexpected cool hues. Problems with Painting Gold Jewellery How to Paint Gold A still life setting featuring gold objects such as jewellery may appear tarnished or plastic-like due to misconceptions about the colour gold, causing the artist to use a lot of yellow, orange or ochres. Such idealistic concepts about the colour gold may be indicative by the following notions and practices. Having the subconscious idea that all gold is basically yellow, yellow-orange or ochr...
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My Oil Painting of Clothes Looks Rigid and Plastic

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Figure painting often entails painting clothes. But the idea of illustrating folds, textures and patterns on clothing may bewilder the artist to the point that it end up looking a confused mess. The folds and patterns contradict one another, leading to a flat representation of fabric suggesting plastic or sheet metal. What is the secret to painting clothes effectively? Problems When Painting Clothes Technique for Oil Painting Material Rachel Shirley Many problems can be avoided when oil painting figures in clothing. The following practices must be addressed before the artist can make improvements in rendering fabrics. Illustrating the detail in the fabric at the outset of the painting session, causing the area to become muddled. Using black to darken the colour of the fabric when painting shadows or creases. Illustrating folds in a linear way where lines may not always be visible. Assuming that the contours in the clothing are always darker on one side than the other....
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How to I Treat Craquelure in my Oil Painting?

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Craquelure are fine hairline cracks that appear in an old oil painting. Some art restorers may not decide to treat it, for it is the normal process of ageing and adds charm to the appearance of the artwork. Solving the Craquelure Problem in an Old Painting This old oil landscape painting shows cracks in the paint layer called craquelure. This is caused by the aging process of the oil paint that has dried out over time. The proper preparation of gesso will minimize the appearance of these cracks. A close up of this painting showing craquelure. Image right shows distortion in the canvas due to botched restoration. Masking tape had been stuck onto the back of the canvas to hide a hole. Sadly, the resultant stresses in the canvas have exacerbated the cracks. Any restoration work would now require extra care. How to Tension an Old Oil Painting in Restoration The image shows the painting after I had removed the offending masking tape and repaired the holes i...
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The Ellipses in my Still Life Look Wrong

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The artist struggling with ellipses in a still life may end up with a painting dotted with doughnut-like formations that are supposed to represent the rims of cylindrical vessels; some ellipses appear lop-sided, others look like UFOs. In other cases, the ellipses appear to inhabit a different space to that of the vessel concerned. How can the artist overcome the problem of painting ellipses on objects? Step by Step Drawing of Ellipses How to Draw Ellipses Rachel Shirley The still life artist may find painting ellipses difficult to avoid, as many household objects contain ellipses. The list is endless: vases, teacups, teapots, mugs, urns, saucers, eggcups, tankards, vanity mirrors, dishes, plant pots, pipes, cake tins, wine glasses and bottles. This can be a real headache for the artist wishing to steer clear of such challenging elements. But the hurdle of drawing ellipses is a common one which can be overcome. Before making improvements, the following practices need to be a...
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How do I Paint Reflections in the Eyes of my Portrait?

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Illustrating the eyes of a portrait will make or break the oil painting; but the highlights in the eyes are equally crucial. The portraitist might take great pains to achieve great skin tones and suggestion of hair with a good likeness to the subject and then with the finishing touches applies highlights to the eyes as two white pinpricks. Whilst this might be acceptable, why leave it there when a more sensitive depiction of reflections in eyes could make a good portrait brilliant? Painting Highlights in Eyes Painting Reflections in Eyes I have written a separate article offering tips on painting eyes in portraits . Issues such as painting the pupil, the iris and the area around the eyes are essential for a successful portrait. But eye-highlights are such a vital element that improper application could ruin the whole portrait painting. This is because very often, the highlights give the eyes light and life. How Not to Paint Eyes in Oils The following issues with painting moist...
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How do I Make Glass Look Like Glass in My Painting?

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Trying to paint glass in a still life may seem impossible due to its elusive quality. The artist strives to make glass look solid, yet it is partially invisible. In other cases, reflections and shadows may confuse the painting. How does the artist make glass look real? How to Paint Glass Painting Glass in a Still Life Rachel Shirley Before improving a still life with translucent objects, the artist must identify the causes of unrealistic glass: Assuming glass is completely transparent and painting objects behind it without altering the palette. Ignoring refraction or distortion caused by curved glass surfaces. Outlining the glass with definite dark lines. Using neat white for reflections and highlights. Why Glass is Difficult to Paint Unlike opaque objects, glass contains multiple visual elements at once: Reflections on the surface (windows, people, furniture). Shadows cast onto the glass by neighbouring objects. The glass’s own shadow — solid ...
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How do I Paint Ginger Hair in My Portraits?

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Painting a portrait of someone with red hair may spur the artist to reach for orange or red oil paint, believing the pigment will resemble red hair. The result is often a garish or carroty hue that fails to convince. What pigments can the artist use to paint realistic ginger hair in a portrait? Portrait Painting with Red Hair How to Paint Red Hair Rachel Shirley The portrait artist may review issues that arise when painting someone with red hair. The following problems often need addressing: Using any red pigment simply because the hair is labelled “red.” Using identical colour mixes for all ginger-haired subjects. Darkening red hair with black, resulting in dirty colours. Highlighting red hair with white, creating unwanted pinks. Failing to vary tone or thickness at the hairline, causing the hair to “bleed” at the scalp. Choosing background colours that clash with red hair. How to Paint Realistic Ginger Hair Sensitive observation is key. Good pho...
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Tips on Painting Brown Hair for Portraits: Brunette and Russet Colors

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The artist assigned to paint a portrait of someone with brown hair may reach for any brown pigment in the hope that it will do, resulting in hair that looks flat, dull and wool‑like rather than fine strands. How can the artist paint brown hair realistically? How to Paint Brown Hair on Portraits Painting Brown Hair Rachel Shirley The artist may reflect upon what went wrong when painting hair. Any of the following practices could be at fault: Assuming any tube labelled “brown” will represent all shades from brunette to auburn. Illustrating every strand in a linear fashion with a fine sable, resulting in a synthetic wig‑like appearance. Leaving harsh dividing lines between tonal areas, making the hair appear solid or plastic. Mixing brown with white for highlights or black for darks, resulting in dirty grey colours. Treating the hair as separate from the face and omitting cast shadows over brow and cheeks, creating a cut‑out look. Tips on Painting Brunett...
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