Once you’re finished, you DON’T want to get your oil painting wet. This will ruin it. But, you CAN you water to your advantage as you’re creating it.
Oil Painting Tips for Beginners
Oil painting is a fantastic medium and was the generally preferred choice for old master painters. Oil paint is slow drying and versatile, allowing you to easily manipulate it on the canvas.
I started out with acrylic paints but was quickly frustrated by the extremely fast drying times and the changing in colors as the acrylic paint dries. So I decided to make a transition into oil paints.
It was certainly a steep learning curve but I am extremely glad I made the transition.
Unfortunately, oil painting can seem very daunting to a beginner. Compared to acrylic painting, there are many rules you must follow to ensure the paint dries properly and you can easily get overwhelmed by all the procedures.
If you are interested in oil painting, then these oil painting tips should help you out. I note though these are just to get you started. You will need to conduct more research as oil painting is a very complex craft.
If you are a seasoned oil painter yourself and have some tips to add, please feel free to contribute in the comment section at the bottom.
- Tip 1: Paint Fat Over Lean
- Tip 2: Paint Thick Over Thin
- Tip 3: Prepare Your Canvas
- Tip 4: Try Painting With a Limited Palette
- Tip 5: Upsize Your Paint Brush
- Tip 6: Your Palette Knife Is Not Just for Mixing Colors
- Tip 7: Learn Global Techniques You Can Use in All Your Paintings
- Tip 8: Incorporate Scraping
- Tip 9: Careful With Blending
- Additional Readings
- Thanks for Reading!
Tip 1: Paint Fat Over Lean
This is probably the most important rule of oil painting, especially if you are painting wet on wet (a technique where you do not let the paint dry in between layers).
Fat paint refers to how much oil is present. By adding an oil medium to your paint, you are making it fatter. By adding a solvent to your oil paint, you are breaking down the oil and making it leaner.
The fatter the paint, the slower it dries.
The reason for painting fat over thin is that the layers on top must dry slower than the layers on the bottom of your canvas. If not, the paint will crack as it dries.
A simple way of tackling this is to have a process for painting. Start with very lean paint (paint plus solvent). Then add layers that are slightly fatter (paint plus a mix of solvent and oil medium). Every subsequent layer should be fatter than the prior (more oil medium / less solvent).
Tip 2: Paint Thick Over Thin
This is a similar principle to the fat over lean rule, in that it is based on the drying time of oil paint. Thick oil paint dries slower than thin.
So in theory, your first layers should be very thin, almost glazes of paint. Then as you build up your painting you will be increasing the amount of substance and oil.
OIL PAINTING GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS
I love oil paint. The buttery feel of oils is unique and despite the slight inconvenience of having to dilute them and clean up after them without using water, I’m still not inclined to switch to acrylics. Oils remain manipulable on the canvas for days allowing you to alter and work into them in a way that’s impossible with other mediums, which may actually make them easier for beginners.
When you paint with oils there are one or two rules to follow to ensure that your paintings survive the test of time, and many beginners are put off trying oil paints because they think that the technique is too complex to master. Looking for advice on painting forums – where you’ll find very lengthy discussions and varying opinions about paints, mediums and priming solutions and how to apply them – can be rather intimidating. In this post I’m going to try to lay down some really basic step-by-step guidelines for the complete beginner, as simply as I can. I hope this will give you confidence to buy a set of oils and get painting! We’ll cover which materials to use, what to look out for when making purchases of oil paints and painting equipment, and some basic techniques for either layering or painting all in one go (you can jump straight to techniques here). There are absolutely no paid links in this post, just some independent suggestions for useful products.
CHOOSING AND PREPARING YOUR CANVAS
I’m going to assume here that if you are a beginner you don’t want to either stretch your own canvas, or apply the sizing and priming to it yourself. If you get really serious about oil painting in future there may be reasons for doing either of these, but when you’re starting out it’s much easier to buy a pre-stretched and pre-primed canvas that has been fully prepared for you. Commercially prepared canvases go back as far as the Impressionists who often worked on them, so you are in good company!
Types of canvas
You’ll need to choose between working on a traditional stretched canvas, a ‘canvas board’ or a ‘canvas panel’. Boards and panels are designed to be more cheap, lightweight and transportable and are generally intended either for practice paintings, or for painting out of doors.
Canvas boards (above) are available in multipacks and are great for sketching and experimenting on, but because they are usually fairly flimsy and made from non-archival materials, they are best avoided if you want the work to produce to last in good condition for years. Panels (below) are made with harder boards of some description and may be made with archival glue to protect the canvas from the acid in the panel – check the label to see if it is acid-free.
If you buy a regular stretched canvas you’ll need to choose between a ‘cotton duck’ canvas (from the Dutch work ‘doek’, meaning cloth) and a linen canvas. Linen canvases have a tighter weave and are particularly elastic and strong, making them popular with many professionals. This doesn’t mean that they are superior to cotton or that there’s anything wrong with a cotton canvas, and indeed you might prefer the coarser texture of cotton.
Once you’ve decided between cotton and linen you’ll need to choose between an extra fine, fine, medium or rough weave. This is really a matter of personal choice. If you want to do finely detailed painting a smoother weave will suit you better, whilst if you want to do loose and expressive work you might like to see and actually emphasize the canvas texture.
If your canvas feels a bit slack and not ‘springy’ enough, use the little ‘canvas keys’ that come in a small back stapled to the back of your canvas to tighten it up. Jacksons have a good tutorial on how to do this.
Sizing and priming
Pre-stretched canvases should always come fully sized. Sizing is the practice of coating the canvas with either a rabbit skin glue, an acrylic polymer size or a PVA solution in order to seal the fibres of the canvas, protecting them from acids in the oil content of the paint preventing them from rotting as the paint slowly dries.
Most commercially stretched canvases will also be pre-primed, giving you a bright white finish that’s ready to work onto. Priming provides additional protection for the fibres and also provides a smoother surface, tightens the canvas, and encourages good adhesion of the paint layers. You don’t absolutely have to work onto a primed canvas as long as it is sufficiently sized, and some people like to work in a sketchy manner onto a plain canvas background which they allow to remain visible. If you want to work onto an unprimed canvas there are some stretched linen canvases available which are pre-sized with glue but not primed. These are typically referred to as ‘glue sized’ canvases.
Priming is a slightly confusing area. Most prepared canvases will state that they are ‘Triple primed with three layers of gesso’ which actually means that they have been primed with a universal acrylic-based primer suitable for painting with either oil or acrylic paint. This type of priming often known as ‘Acrylic Gesso’ but has nothing to do with real gesso, which is a traditional mixture of glue size and gypsum. Sometimes it is just described as ‘Universal’ primer. Some serious oil painters think it’s better to work on a canvas that has been prepared with an oil based primer rather than an acrylic one and prefer to buy ‘oil primed’ linen canvases which are available at a price. However many painters are perfectly happy with a universally-primed canvas although some will give their canvas an extra coat of primer if they feel the priming layer is too thin and the canvas lacking in tautness and too absorbant.
THINNING YOUR PAINT
Let’s now talk about how you actually apply your oil paint. You can of course apply your paint straight out of the tube, but it will be stiff and dry. If you want to paint very thickly in an ‘impasto’ style there are various mediums you can mix with your paint and we’ll cover impasto painting in more depth further down. If you don’t plan on painting with very thick paint them you will want to dilute your paint a little to create the right flow. Some form of spirits (solvents) are traditionally added to thin down oil paint, and various types of oils may also be added to extend it and to help it to flow. You’ll need to learn a little bit about how to balance the two.
Thinning with spirits
Traditional oil paint is totally insoluble in water, which cannot be used to dilute it. The oil paint that comes in your tube is a mixture of a pigment and an oil binder such as linseed oil or safflower oil. If you want to thin your paint to make it flow more easily you could simply choose to add more of one of these types of oil, but your paint would quickly become very oily and glossy which is not necessarily a look (or texture) that you want. Moreover because of the way oil paint slowly dries it’s important not to use too much oil in any under layers because you may cause your painting to crack. This is something that we’ll talk about in more depth in a minute.
In the one or two layers of paint applied directly over the priming layer, the best way to thin your paint is with a solvent such as ‘Artist’s white spirit’ which is sometimes also described as ‘mineral spirits’. Don’t be tempted to use regular white spirit that you can buy from a DIY store because this will contain impurities that may damage your paint layers.
For centuries the traditional spirit for diluting oil paint was turpentine and you can still buy this but it’s pretty toxic and most people prefer to avoid it. If even artists’ white spirit gives you headaches or you are particularly concerned about toxicity then there are low odor products such as Winsor & Newton’s ‘Sansador’ or Gamblin’s ‘Gamsol’ which are still petrolium-based but have had aromatic compounds removed and evaporate much more slowly. There are also some new solvents distilled from citrus fruits which claim to be non-toxic.
Many people will use spirits to clean their hands, brushes and palettes too, although there are gentler ways to do this with the use of products that include vegetable oil-based soap, such as ‘The Master’s Soap’ or ‘The Master’s Brush Cleaner’ made by General Pencil or Jacksons’ ‘Marseille Soap Pellets’. Da Vinci and Escoda also produce artists’ oil soaps. Weber’s ‘Turpenoid’ brush cleaning products made from an odorless turpentine substitute which is supposed to be non-toxic and very effective.
Thinning with oils
People may choose to dilute their oil paint with the addition of extra oil in order to create thin glazing layers, to increase the glossiness of their paint, or to either speed up its drying time or slow it down in order to manipulate the paint for longer.
Linseed oil is the classic choice for oil painting but can be a little yellowing and so safflower, walnut or poppy oils are a better bet for whites or pale colours. Linseed generally slows down the speed at which your paint will dry, but modified ‘Fast Drying’ linseed or poppy oil will speed it up. ‘Stand oil’ is a thickened linseed that is good for making even, smooth glazes. A popular product by Winsor & Newton called ‘Liquin’ is an alkyd-based solution designed to dilute oil paint and increase its drying speed and viscosity. Liquin isn’t an oil (alkyds are oil-modified resins, fast drying and semi-matt) and also contains a small amount of solvent but it is designed to perform more like an oil medium than a solvent thinner. It’s more suitable for use on upper layers of a painting rather than underlayers where it should be used sparingly.
The balance between solvents and oils
If you add a great deal of solvent to oil paint in order to thin it, you may accidentally dilute the oil content of the paint to the point where it becomes flimsy and doesn’t adhere well to the canvas when dried to a film: this is called becoming ‘underbound’ . When this occurs there’s a risk that your paint layer may become unstable as it dries, leaving it vulnerable to cracking and flaking. Therefore when you dilute a paint with spirits you need to add nearly a similar amount of oil at the same time. This isn’t necessary in the first layer of paint because the first layer will sink into the priming layer where there is plenty of oil. Therefore your first layer of paint can be diluted just with a spirits. For subsequent layers you need to balance any added solvents with increasing amounts of oil. This is the famous ‘Fat over lean’ rule that we’ll look at presently.
If you are thinning your paint with Liquin then there isn’t any need to add extra oil to balance the solvent content, although Winsor & Newton recommend applying layers containing a great deal of Liquin quite thinly and as we’ve already mentioned they suggest using it sparingly in lower layers. It’s available in different formats including a ‘fine detail’ version. W&N also make an ‘Artists’ Painting Medium’ which is a mixture of both oil and a solvent, and slows drying time rather than speeding it up. Schminke’s ‘Medium W’ gel is another alkyd based alternative which does not speed drying time. You can wash it with soap and water.
The ‘Fat over lean’ rule
The meaning of ‘fat’ in this context refers to the amount of oil contained within the paint layer. An oil-heavy mixture is ‘fat’ whilst a layer containing little or no extra oil is ‘thin’. To fully understand the Fat over lean rule it’s useful to have a grasp of why it’s important.
When you apply your paint mixture to your canvas, the first thing that happens is that any solvent you have added evaporates. This happens fairly quickly. Meanwhile the oil binder added to the pigment to create the paint plus any extra oil you’ve added yourself begins to oxidize, and as it does so it starts to dry and harden. Whilst the paint may feel touch dry on the surface within days or weeks, the process of the oxidization of the oil content takes literally decades to fully complete (a process known as ‘curing’).
As oil slowly oxidizes it contracts, and therefore the paint layers will continue to ‘move’ for a very long time before they are fully cured, during which period they will be unstable. If a layer of paint dries at a faster pace than a layer above it, it’s likely to cause the paint on that upper layer to crack. Therefore the goal of the Fat over lean rule is to ensure that each layer dries a little more slowly than the one(s) above it. The more oil a layer has the longer it will continue to crack as it dries and the more flexible it will remain in the long term.
Your aim, then, is to create slow drying layers over fast drying ones, or more flexible layers over less flexible ones. Layers will anyway absorb oil from the ones above them, and so put all together in practical terms the Fat over lean rule means that no layer of paint should have more oil added to it than the one above. Remember, solvents make paint thin, and oil makes it fat.
Having a large and stable oil content in an upper layer is a good thing because the upper layer will be the most vulnerable to damage even when fully cured and so flexibility and good adhesion in the upper layers from plenty of oil is a positive thing. Ideally you will add no oil at all to the very first layer and then add gradually increasing amounts in each subsequent layer. If you are using a very oil-heavy layer to create a reflective glaze (glazes are traditionally used in the depiction of water, silky fabric, glass, jewellery and so on) this should be the very last layer. Be aware that a glaze should be thin, otherwise an extremely oily layer will wrinkle.
Another important factor that affects how fast your layers will dry is how thickly you apply them, and so you should also think in terms of ‘thick over thin’, keeping your lower layers thinner and reserving the use of thick paint for upper layers. Don’t apply a thin layer of paint over a thick, impasto layer because it will most certainly flake off in time.
If you are working with a product like Liquin which already contains both an alkyd substance and a bit of solvent then you don’t need to add extra oil as you apply subsequent layers but it’s advisable to use just a little or no Liquin in your first layer and add a little more to each layer on top.
Can you paint just with oils and without solvents?
Yes in theory you can and many people do, although you won’t be able to create thin washes for any underlayers in the same way you could by mixing with spirits and a drop of oil. The fact that you would use more oil in an underlayer doesn’t matter as long as you apply EVEN MORE oil in the layers above: this would still obey fat over lean. It would help to leave your lower layers longer before painting on top to give them a head-start on drying.
Tips for Applying Liquid White or Magic White (same thing)
As we talked about, liquid white is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it, but you’ll want to keep a few things in mind for your first go around. Painting on a wet canvas has a lot of great benefits, but it can be tricky to start with.
1. Make sure your gesso is dry first. We already talked about this, but it’s really important, so it’s worth repeating. If your gesso isn’t completely dry before applying your liquid white, you’ll have a hot mess. Gesso dries pretty quickly, so go watch some Netflix and you’ll be fine. Don’t rush it.
2. Apply a “film” not a “coat” of your magic or liquid white. I love this video by Wild4Games because he makes a very important point about how much liquid white you should apply. Instead of applying a full coat, think of applying a film. It should cover your canvas, but not soak it.
Wild4Games also shows a great technique for achieving this. Instead of heavy brush strokes, the goal is to make wispy brush strokes that graze the canvas.
3. The amount of magic or liquid white you apply impacts the drying time. The more liquid white you apply, the longer it will take to dry. We all know that oil paints take a long time to dry in general, but a heavy coat of liquid white can add to it if you aren’t careful. I’ve heard some people needing to wait weeks for their paintings to dry!
If you only use a thin layer of magic white, you may only have a few hours to work before it dries. If you applied a heavy coat, you could be looking at days or weeks. Keep this in mind as you apply your liquid white so that you time your progress appropriately and you know what to expect.
4. You will probably apply too much the first time. It’s ok. There really is a learning process with applying liquid white. Eventually, you’ll figure out your preferences, but it will take some time. 99% of the time, you’ll need less than you think. The first couple of times, you might struggle with applying too much. That’s ok. It’s all a part of the learning process. If you wind up with too much on your first few go arounds, just scrape it off and put it back in the jar.
Here’s a trick for seeing whether your liquid white layer is thin enough. If you touch it with your finger, you should have such a fine film on it that you can still see your fingerprint. No globs or drive. Just a fingerprint.
Now, We’re Ready for the Wet-on-Wet Technique
Once you’ve applied your liquid white, magic white, whatever brand you choose, it’s time to start painting on your wet canvas. Again, it’s important that your canvas is still wet when you get started with your painting.
Even though it’s most popular with oil painting, you may have heard of the wet-on-wet technique with watercolor painting as well. With watercolors, it can get really dramatic really fast. Because there’s a lot of water involved, the colors bleed, spread, and blend really quickly. This dramatic effect is what we often think about when we think about painting on a wet canvas
It doesn’t work that way with oil paints.
Remember that we’re applying a very thin layer of liquid white. Even though it’s still wet, it’s not nearly as wet as watercolors would be. And, it’s oil based without any water at all, which means that it acts very differently than watercolors would.
When you start applying your oil paints onto your liquid white covered, wet canvas, you won’t notice any bleeding, spreading, or mixing in any dramatic way. The point of the liquid white is to facilitate blending in a typical oil painting, not to create some unique effect.
Basically, it’s a helper. It helps you use your oil paints in a more smooth and easy way.
Once you apply your liquid white, get started with your painting right away. You want to take advantage of it being wet. That’s how you’ll get the most bang for your buck with the liquid white helping you with blending and softening your strokes.
How to Make Your Own Liquid White
If you’re not a DIY kind of person, you can buy liquid white on Amazon or any art store. Like we talked about, it comes by a few names, but it’s all the same thing.
- Liquid White is what Bob Ross branded
- Magic White is what Bill Alexander branded
- sometimes you hear it called fluid white
- whatever you call it, it works!
A bottle of liquid white might seem expensive, but it should last you a LONG time. If it doesn’t, you’ve been applying too much for your canvas.
But, there’s no need to spend a penny. Liquid white is pretty easy to make at home. There’s nothing proprietary or unique about liquid white. It’s just a neat mix of ingredients that Bob Ross and Bill Alexander put together and realized were really great for priming oil paintings. See, never stop experimenting!
Here’s what you need:
- 50% Titanium White
- 50% Linseed Oil
I’m not kidding. That’s it! Now, you’ll have to figure out which ratio works best for you. I know I know, this post is very much about experimenting and finding your personal preference. I’m sorry, but that’s how it works with oil painting. Heck, with art in general!
Start off with a 1:1 ratio and adjust it from there.
Be sure to watch the video to see how it’s done!
Whether you buy Bob Ross’ famous liquid white or you decide to make your own, always use it with your oil paintings. You’ll be much happier with the end result and the process overall.
Diana has been an artist for over 26 years and has training in drawing, painting, digital drawing and graphic design. Diana’s latest obsession is digitally drawing with Procreate and creating t-shirt designs with Canva. Diana has experience selling her art across a number of platforms and loves helping other artists learn how to make money from their art as well.
