OIL PAINTING MEDIC

This art demonstration shows how to paint a lighthouse standing against a stormy sea. Explore how to create an expressive coastal scene with a limited palette and alla prima. This landscape painting was completed on primed card using titanium white and just five other colours (listed below). Together with a selection of fine bristle brushes, various art effects can be achieved. The aim is a rough, atmospheric painting capturing the energy and force of a stormy sea, crashing against the coast. Scudding clouds against a cadmium sky suggest a storm brewing up. Art Materials Needed For this painting, I used: Thick card primed with a wash of burnt sienna and white acrylic paint (but any mid-brown will do). Oil colours : Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, and Burnt Sienna. Several fine and medium bristle brushes, a ruler and soft pencil. Old rags. The limited colour palette enabled me to work quickly so I can focus my brushstrokes on creating energy...

Welcome to my collection of oil painting demonstrations. Each tutorial shows the development of a painting from the first sketch to the final artwork. These demonstrations reveal not only how each painting was created, but also the art materials needed, the painting techniques explored and what you will learn. Where to Start with Oil Painting The aim of this section is to prompt the artist to get painting. Whether you are a beginner in oil painting or an experienced artist looking for further practice, these demonstrations are designed to provide guidance that can be applied to your own work. Every project explores artistic principles such as colour mixing, tonal values, composition and brushwork. What You Will Find on Each Demo Page Each art demonstration will be structured similarly. Here is what you’ll find on each tutorial page. An introduction on what you'll learn. This might be colour-mixing, tonal judgements, alla prima or painting shadows. Themes will vary from dramatic la...

A painting starts to crack, the canvas begins to warp, dull patches spread over the paint layer, and water damage threatens to spoil months of work. A painting that has high financial or sentimental value can cause further worry. How can the artist save an oil painting from the bin? Cure for Damaged Oil Paintings The good news is that an oil painting can be remedied, regardless of the damage. A torn canvas can be repaired; dirty varnish can be removed and the artwork restored to its previous vitality. Understanding the root cause of these defects will help the same thing happening again. This collection of articles explores practical solutions to a wide range of oil painting problems, from surface flaws and structural damage to conservation and insurance. Common Defects in the Oil Pigment An oil painting is the most durable, robust and tough medium in existence. Take a look at the Old Masters, paintings that have survived time, heat, damp and handling. An oil painting will never crack ...

The seasoned artist may tire of the usual landscapes, portraits, or animal studies. The same old villages scenes and snowy vistas seem to fall from a production belt. A theme becomes the artist’s signature. It grows popular, lucrative and cosy. The creative juices dry up, and the comfort zone closes in. How does the artist break out and take risks in art? Stuck in an Artistic Rut Feeling stuck in a creative rut can make an art studio feel like going to work. A break might be needed, or perhaps a change in art materials to avert the same  insipid colour mixes . The time never seems right, it seems. After a while, a new artistic direction grows elusive, and the dust settles on the easel . A fear of failure due to a severe inner critic has the final say. How Artists Break out of the Same Creative Pattern Over the centuries artists of the past have faced the same impasse. But this is how new ways of expression has exploded into the art world: Impressionism (radical at the time) Cubism...

Wildlife art takes the ‘lion’s share’ of colour opportunity and zany art techniques. Think of the tiger’s stripes, leopard’s spots, butterfly wings and insects. Think of eyes, snouts, manes, shells and paws. The artist is spoiled for choice when it comes to the animal kingdom. But problems can arise, such as skewed eyes, flat lighting or a dull background. The animal may appear stuffed rather than predatory. Brash or muddy colours flourish from the brush. Art Techniques and Bright Colours in Animal Painting Different species may confound the artist on what art technique will suit. A dog portrait , a majestic horse, or shimmering reef fish can be expressed in many ways. Which is best? A limited palette, complementary colours or impasto? Every genus brings the question of paint use. Furthermore, certain art pigments seldom used will find an airing in wildlife art; such as the true primary colours for birds and insects. Lemon yellow and permanent rose are seldom seen in its pure state. ...

The studio space is ready; the art materials fill the drawers. The easel holds a blank canvas in the corner. Now what? Every painting begins long before the first brush touches the canvas. Colour, art technique and the art materials are all well and good, but what does the art paint? Such ‘ artist’s block ’ can solidify over time unless something happens. This hub page looks at how to get started with your first painting or next piece of artwork. Planning a Painting from Start to Completion A balance needs to be drawn between overplanning and just getting on with it. Part of the journey consists of the idea conception, the visual resources, the art materials and the composing. All this before even opening a tube of oil paint. Where does the artist begin? Strong preparation will lead to good reference material, drawing accuracy, and quality art materials. These will prevent common problems from arising later in the painting process. Beginning Artwork from Scratch Let’s start from the ...

Colour is often the reason someone chooses to paint. Even tone has colour. Black is a mix of all colours; white has nuance. Nothing is truly black or white. Blue brings notions of coolness, distance. Red advances with warmth and intimacy. Every colour from green to purple stirs mood and longing. The artist pigment becomes the tools from where the language of colour can be placed onto canvas. But which pigment should the beginner choose? What does the perfect collection of art pigments look like?   The Meaning of Colour This hub-page brings together my selection of articles on many aspects of colour mixing. See it from a painter’s perspective, covering everything from colour mixing and translucency to tonal values and colour temperature.   Colour remains one of the most confounding aspects of painting. Many artists struggle with what pigments to choose from; what colours to mix. Frustration blooms when their colour mixtures fail to match what is imagined. Muddy hues, dull patch...

What are the main oil painting techniques? The beginner may find the list confounding: glazing, impasto, alla prima, scumbling, tonking, and sfumato. What do they all mean? When should I use each? In a nutshell, art technique describes paint application. – how the pigment is applied. Whilst drawing, and composition play a part, the next step is the oil pigment. How does the artist transform a concept into a real painting ? The answer is when the first brush mark is laid to canvas. In other words, the art technique. A Balance of Impasto or Glazing Methods In fact, there is no wrong way to apply paint The main art techniques can be combined and boundaries pushed. Scopes for experimentation are endless. This hub page provides the path forward. Find articles on this blog to discover ways to make a painting reality. The mastering of various techniques enables the artist to control texture, colour intensity, mood and the overall look of a painting. A Choice of Art Systems to Choose from Fro...

Looking for help on beginning a first still life painting ? Look no further. Still life art provides the ideal launching pad for learning composition, spatial awareness and colour mixing. The composer has utmost control over the object-choice, the lighting, arrangement and background. This is because unlike landscapes, skies and portraits, a still life setting can be controlled. The objects can be placed anywhere, allowing artists to practice composition, colour study, lighting and texture at ease. Still Life Art the Ideal Topic for Beginners This hub page gathers my tutorials and fixes for an array of still life subject problems. Find articles on how to paint plants and vegetables to tea sets, toys, glassware and ornaments. The choice is endless. Fruit, flowers, kitchenware, glassware, chinaware and broken objects. Any art technique can be found to suit the theme. And therefore, any object can be interesting . How Still Life Painting Improves Artistic Skills Many artists underestimat...

Portrait painting is one of the most rewarding yet difficult areas of art. Many things can go wrong; a shadow out of place, a feature slightly off, and the subject’s likeness vanishes. Portraiture means more than just copying the image in front. It relies upon spot-on facial ratios, skin tones, colour links and the subtle details that give a face character and expression. A Hub Resource for Portrait Artists This page brings together my portrait painting articles, tutorials and guides to help artists improve their portrait painting skills.   Painting your first portrait? Honing existing skills? This page provides a focal point for any practitioner seeking keyways to bring a realistic human likeness. Skin Tones and Colour Mixing in Portrait Painting Skin tones can seem so elusive when what we see fails to compute onto canvas. Assumptions push in, insisting tones are a definite shape or colour, that features have outlines. But no. Faces contains a rich variety of hues that subtly shi...

Where does the artist begin with oil painting materials? A typical art shop can be overwhelming. Do I buy stretched canvases, or an artboard? What about brushes, mediums, gesso, the oil paints themselves? Do I buy a studio easel, or a table easel? Are all these pigments really necessary? An array of art products seems to call to you, all claiming to improve painting results, all claiming to be vital. In fact, the simplest artist’s kit can be, cheap and flexible. A Guide to the Beginner’s Art Materials This hub page brings together my collection of articles on the essential art materials needed for oil painting . Find guides on art surfaces, oil painting mediums and all about art brushes. Learn how to assemble an art kit from scratch from where you can build your tailored collection for art exploration. A Cost-Efficient Art Studio Artists working to a budget need not worry, for my articles explores practical ways to reduce costs without cutting the quality of your finished paintings. F...

Think about a landscape and many ideas come to mind: woods, mountains, lakes, skies, snow and ruins. Think of colour, light, texture and atmosphere. Where does the artist begin with landscape painting? This hub page gathers my best landscape art tutorials and more are on the way. Find tips, fixes and art materials required to get started. This page provides an easy navigation to the desired landscape content. Painting Trees and Woodland Find articles on trees and foliage , woodland scenes, autumn colours, spring buds, and seasonal greens. Learn how to paint dappled shadows from canopies, bare trees and the coarse bark of tree trunks. Learn to paint flowers and to avoid muddy colours. Painting Skies, Clouds and Weather And how about skies and atmosphere? I used to keep weather records and learned about the clouds. Terms like cirrus, cumulus and mackerel became familiar terms and enhanced my understanding of the sky. This focus page pulls together tips on how to add drama to your sky ...