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.

Rachel Shirley Art Books: Oil Painting Guides, Portraiture, Landscapes & Drawing

This page shows my art books on oil painting, portraiture, landscape, still life and drawing. Each title offers guidance, step‑by‑step demos, troubleshooting advice and explanations drawn from my studio practice and teaching experience. Whether you’re beginning in oils, exploring colour, portraiture or looking for projects, these books provide instruction. Browse the Kindle and paperback collection on AMAZON. 

You can also purchase from APPLE, KOBO, GOOGLE PLAY and BARNES & NOBLE.

Portrait Painting in Oil Rachel Shirley

Portrait Painting in Oil
Ten step‑by‑step projects inspired by Old Masters, teaching skin tones, likeness and technique.

Skin Tones in Oil Rachel Shirley

Skin Tones in Oil
Explore sfumato, glazing and impasto through ten classic portraits with clear instruction.

Oil Painting the Mona Lisa Rachel Shirley

Oil Painting the Mona Lisa in Sfumato
Paint Da Vinci’s masterpiece in 48 achievable stages using modern materials.

Oil Painting the Angel of the Rocks Rachel Shirley

Oil Painting the Angel within Da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks
A detailed guide to glazing, shading and sfumato of this challenging portrait.

30 Bite Sized Oil Painting Projects Rachel Shirley

30 Bite‑Sized Oil Painting Projects on 6 Colour Themes
Thirty demonstrations grouped by colour, combining all three volumes of my books.

10 Bite Sized Oil Painting Projects Part 1 Rachel Shirley

10 Bite‑Sized Oil Painting Projects – Book 1
Ten short projects on landscapes, fruit and animals to build confidence and technique.

10 Bite Sized Oil Painting Projects Part 2 Rachel Shirley

10 Bite‑Sized Oil Painting Projects – Book 2
Ten additional studies exploring impasto, pointillism and glazing across varied subjects.

10 Bite Sized Oil Painting Projects Part 3 Rachel Shirley

10 Bite‑Sized Oil Painting Projects – Book 3
Ten alla prima sessions focusing on expressive mark‑making and colour mixing.

No Need for an Easel or a Mahl Stick Rachel Shirley

No Need for an Easel or a Mahl Stick
Beginner‑friendly oil painting using minimal tools, covering mark‑making, colour theory and shading.

The Ultimate Oil Painting Solution Rachel Shirley

The Ultimate Oil Painting Solution
Comprehensive fixes for common painting problems across portrait, landscape and still life.

Why do my Skin Tones Look Lifeless Rachel Shirley

Why Do My Skin Tones Look Lifeless?
A portrait painting troubleshooting guide with exercises on how to paint figures and portraits.

Why do my Ellipses Look Like Doughnuts Rachel Shirley

Why Do My Ellipses Look Like Doughnuts?
Copious solutions for still‑life painting, including texture, composition and lighting.

Why do my Clouds Look Like Cotton Wool Rachel Shirley

Why Do My Clouds Look Like Cotton Wool?
Foundational fixes for painting skies, shadows and perspective.

Draw What You See Not What You Think You See Rachel Shirley

Draw What You See, Not What You Think You See
Exercises to improve observation and overcome “picture dyslexia.”

Begin Drawing with 8 Exercises & 8 Projects Rachel Shirley

Begin Drawing with 8 Exercises and 8 Projects
Step‑by‑step practice moving from simple sketches to confident drawings.

Landscape Painting in Oil Rachel Shirley

Landscape Painting in Oils
Demonstrations on how to paint landscapes from simple to complex using wet‑into‑wet and glazing.

The Artist's Garden in Oils Rachel Shirley

The Artist’s Garden in Oils
Garden inspired projects exploring light, texture and impasto with limited colours.

How Can I Inspire my Painting Class Rachel Shirley

How Can I Inspire My Painting Class?
Lesson plan ideas for oil painting instructors with pedagogy and assessment guidance.

Click to buy from from AMAZON, APPLE, KOBO, GOOGLE PLAY and BARNES & NOBLE.

This page contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How do I Paint Blonde Hair on My Portraits?

Image
Blonde hair in portrait 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 painting 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 of ...
Latest Posts

How do I Make Gold Look like Gold with Oil Paint?

Image
The artist trying to convey metallic effects with oil paint may be disappointed if brass ornaments or gold jewellery resemble 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 lies 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 ochre. ...
Latest Posts

How do I Erase a Mistake from My Painting? A Guide to Tonking

Image
An otherwise effective oil painting can be spoiled by a garish tree, a black splodge or a grey expanse of water that clashes with the painting’s vibrant colours. In trying to fix the problem, the artist may fiddle with the area, overworking the paint until it becomes a muddy mess. What art technique can the artist use to remedy the error? Correct an Oil Painting Culprits to Making Mistakes in Oil Painting Few things are more frustrating than completing a satisfactory oil painting except for one particular area. An oil painting is only as good as its weakest point. No matter what the artist does, the offending area continues to draw the eye. Scrapping the painting may seem the only option. The following may have led to this point: Completing the painting in one go, causing the final part to be rendered when tired or rushed. Guess-working an area, such as using green paint straight from the tube for grass or trees. Working from a poor photograph. Fiddling too much with an area, ca...
Latest Posts

How Can I Paint the Mona Lisa in an Hour?

Image
The painting of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is the most famous portrait painting 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 sha...
Latest Posts

I Have no Interesting Objects for a Still Life Painting

Image
The artist struck by an itch to produce still life art may loot the cupboards for something interesting to paint and pass up apparently mundane objects, such as bottles, fruit or toys, for something more exotic. In the hunt for the unobtainable, the artist may assume that objects present will not produce a good still life. What are the ideal objects to include in a still life painting?   Why Ordinary Objects Make Powerful Still Life Subjects Selecting interesting subject matter for a painting may prove a challenge if the artist is unsure of what to include. Making assumptions and generalisations about objects can often result in a still life that fails to live up to expectations. The following ideas need challenging when selecting still life objects. The ideal still life must include exotic or unusual objects; an artefact, a valuable piece of jewellery or other item exhibiting convoluted shapes, textures or bright colours.   Including objects at their best; a showy bouquet w...
Latest Posts

How to I Treat Craquelure in my Oil Painting?

Image
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. I have a dedicated focus page on oil painting defects for related problems like these. 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 sh...
Latest Posts

Tips on Painting Brown Hair for Portraits: Brunette and Russet Colors

Image
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 Portrait 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 Brunette Colours Brown hair is a blanket term for diverse earthen colour...
Latest Posts

What Art Techniques can I use to Paint Underwater Scenes?

Image
A fascinating subject matter for painting is undersea scenes such as the Great Barrier Reef or the deep. Having completed many oil paintings that feature marine images underwater, I have perfected great art techniques in oil paints to suggest this watery world. Here are some tips on how to paint water whilst retaining pure colours . How to Paint Ocean Scenes Painting Underwater Scenes (Rachel Shirley)   I have completed dozens of paintings that feature coral reefs and the great deep for my children’s picture books, the Katie’s Magic Teapot series that tells the story of a young girl’s adventure travelling under the oceans in her magic teapot. But I wanted the effects to be realistic. Painting marine animals such as clownfish and dolphins required detailed effects in themselves, but how can an effective background create the impression that the scene is set underwater? To complete these scenes, I used the following art materials, beginning with the colors: Ultramarine blue, pthal...
Latest Posts

Repair a Damaged Oil Painting: Dos and Don’ts

Image
An oil on canvas can be easily damaged during transit or stored inappropriately. A tear can work into the canvas if resting against a sharp object, and the weave, fray if under undue tension. Damp, sunlight and temperature extremes can rob the canvas of natural oils and therefore cause the canvas to brittle and liable to tear. How does the artist repair a torn oil painting? An oil on canvas can be easily damaged during transit or stored inappropriately. A tear can work into the canvas if resting against a sharp object, and the weave, fray if under undue tension. Damp, sunlight and temperature extremes can rob the canvas of natural oils and therefore cause the canvas to brittle and liable to tear. Read my focus page on other ways to remedy a damaged painting . For now, how does the artist repair a torn oil painting? Saving Money on Art Restoration Art restorers can be costly and hard to find. But I have fixed this oil painting myself. The damaged painting is an old master showing Braceb...
Latest Posts

I’m Confused about Alkyd Mediums for Oil Paints. What are They For?

Image
Alkyds are special painting mediums made from an oil‑modified resin treated with alcohol and acid, hence the fusion of both words to create the term “alkyd.” The result is a honey‑coloured substance that dries quickly to a hard enamel. All alkyd mediums dry much faster than the traditional drying oils used with oil paint, enabling the artist to apply a second coat the following day. For certain artists wishing for fast-drying oil paint, can be an essential art material for oil painting . How Alkyds Are Used in Oil Painting Types of Liquins for Oil Colours Alkyd is the carrier of alkyd paints, which is a painting medium in its own right and different from oil paints. However, alkyd medium can be added to traditional oils to create “alkyd oils.” Alkyds are designed for glazing techniques as the medium adds translucency and accelerates drying. The drying rate of traditional oils can be sped up by around fifty percent, although the thickness of paint and environmental factors play ...
Latest Posts

ART ESSENTIALS

Loading articles...

PAINTING OBJECTS

Loading articles...

STILL LIFE & RESTORATION

Loading articles...

ART POSTS FROM MY OTHER BLOG

Loading articles...

BOOKS & RESOURCES

Artbooks by Rachel Shirley
Explore practical guides on oil painting, materials and colour mixing.
View Books
Winsor & Newton Art Materials
Professional-grade paints, mediums and brushes.
Shop Materials
Mirror Image Shattered by Madeleine Watson
An identical twin's true story of her dark toddlerhood.
Read More
The Shuttered Room by Charles Jay Harwood
A gripping thriller about a house that seems ordinary on the outside.
Read More

DISCOVER MORE!

Loading articles...