The paint is created by combining dry and liquid pigment. In oil paints, the liquid used is linseed oil. You buy oil paint in tubes. The paint is thick. So when you squeeze it out on your palette, you mix it with your palette knife and use a stiff brush to apply it to your canvas. The thickness and composition of the paint makes it very slow drying. Oil paintings usually take about 72 hours to dry.
The advantage of delayed drying time is that you can make adjustments to refine your paint. This can be done up to twelve hours after painting the canvas. You can make gradual changes from one color to another. If you’re using oil paints, you can also completely remove things from your canvas with your palette knife or a damp rag. Once the paint has completely dried, you can put new colors on top of the original layer of paints. However, keep in mind that to prevent cracking, each subsequent layer must be thicker than the previous one.

The downside of using oil paints is that when you paint one color next to another on your canvas, they smudge easily.

To start an oil painting, you need to draw your subject on the canvas. You can use diluted paint or a piece of charcoal to achieve this. However, if you use charcoal, you should spray it with fixative to isolate it from the colors. That’s one advantage of using paint to draw the subject is that you don’t need fixative. Sometimes people transfer drawings to the canvas. A drawing on thin tracing paper is pasted on the canvas. Carbon paper is then used to transfer the drawing. Trace the drawing with the carbon paper placed underneath. A pen will allow you to see where you have already traced. Once you’re done, you need a fixative to isolate it from the paint.

Brushes are used to apply paint to the canvas. The brush is the most important tool an artist has. One of the markers of a talented artist is the difficulty of painting with poor quality brushes. You want a brush that will hold its shape even when loaded with paint. At the end of each stroke, the brush will return to its original shape. The brushes come in sable or bristle, which is made from pigs. Bristle brushes are appropriate for large areas of the canvas. Sable brushes are best for smaller areas and detailed work. Oil paint brushes come in flat, hazelnut, glitter, or round. Flat brushes are the most versatile brushes and are used for a variety of strokes and blending. Hazelnuts make a stronger edge. The glitters allow the brush strokes to show. Rounds are for detail work.

Usually you will paint with oils in layers. The first layer is the base of the paint. Usually these are just the values ​​locked into the painting: the lights, mids, and shadows of the painting. The second layer outlines the painter’s drawing or vision. Subsequent layers add details of the painting.

Start with a basic set of colors, which will allow you to mix to create the hue you want. Essentially, you want to buy a white, black, and then warm and cool shade of each color. Buy cheaper artist colors instead of student colors as they are of higher quality. Titanium white is a good choice for a white because it dries quickly. Buying a warm and a cool version of each primary color will make it easier for you to mix them together. Many experts also suggest that you buy a cool warm green as well. You will quickly learn to mix colors.

The best way to develop oil painting skill is to practice. There are also many oil painting exercises. Ultimately you want to master basic shapes, values ​​within colors, distance, and texture. Over time, your skill will grow and you will learn more nuanced painting techniques. Above all, you must be patient with yourself.