Learn oil painting techniquess

Posted by alisonreid29 on December 9th, 2014

 Have you graduated from an art college and still do not know how to paint properly? Do not worry, you are not the only one. To paint and actually like your painting after completing it, you need more than just talent and some painting lessons where you might not even understand what the teacher is saying.

To paint better, first you need to understand that you can paint anything, not just landscapes, buildings or people. As long as you have paint, brushes and a canvas, you can do whatever you want. Just imagine what you want to create and then plan each step thoroughly. Painting is like driving a car; you must know where you want to get, and select the optimal route that will take there.

If you do not stick to the plan and start to paint an element prior to another element that was supposed to be painted first, do not consider this a mistake. Flexibility is an artist’s characteristic; still, changing the plan too often is a mistake, therefore, before you start to paint, you need to establish very clearly in your mind what you want from your painting.

It is important for an oil painting artist to understand the various oil painting techniques that exist. This would allow the artist to select the technique that is the most appropriate for painting a certain element, like a person's hair, a house, a certain texture, or painting with the help of a specific tool, such as a thin brush or a thick brush.

And here are some oil painting techniques that are very common: dry brushing, underpainting, and glazing. Knowing how to use these techniques is very important and allows you to express the exact emotions that you want, but knowing when to use them is equally important. While these techniques are clearly explained in books and tutorials, only a true painter can provide aspiring artists with the most accurate information.

Dry brushing, for example, is the technique of applying a relatively dry paint onto a canvas. Because the paint is not liquid, it will create a lumpy feel that surely does not present the flatness that is characteristic to paintings created using other techniques.

Underpainting is the procedure of applying a layer of paint onto a canvas with the purpose of applying some other layers when the first layer is not dry yet. This is relatively difficult to master, taking into account that colors do not have to mingle or blend and create new colors.

Glazing is an oil painting technique that has the benefit of adding more depth or hue to an already painted surface. This technique is connected to the previous one and is used to give the painting a degree of realism, through the translucent layers of glaze the painter uses.

These techniques are not new. They have been created by painters just like you a long time ago. If these techniques do not represent you, you do not have to use them. Use those techniques that allow you to express the emotion or feeling that you want like love, friendship, or altruism.

Interested in learning more about oil painting techniques and become an oil painting master? You do not have to go to another art college, take some expensive art lessons, or try to copy an already famous artist. If you want to be appreciated, you have to be original. You can learn about how to discover yourself and how to think like a true oil painter from an actual artist that has more than 15 years of experience.