How to Oil Paint
In order to learn how to oil paint, you need to understand how oil paints work. Oil paint is quite different from the paint you used as a child finger-painting.
It takes time
When you begin an oil painting, you can’t expect to be done in a day. Sure, you could finish painting in a day, but it takes as much as a year for oil paint to fully dry. This means that it stays wet for a while, so if you want to paint over a mistake, you need to let it dry first.
It’s a workable medium
If you want to paint over something, you have to wait for it to dry, but while it’s wet, it is still workable. Unlike with acrylic, you don’t have to worry about it drying while you take a break and turning sticky so that you can’t work at changing a hue or filling a space.
Work with oil paint in layers
Because oil paint takes so long to dry, it’s best to work in layers. Instead of globbing it on from the beginning, you do a light wash, let it dry and then another. You can start to put it on thicker towards the end if that’s your style. It will be okay because you are almost finished and shouldn’t have to worry about waiting for it to dry.
It’s permanent
When using oil paints, you can’t use water to rinse your brushes. It won’t come out and will probably just ruin your brushes. This goes for anything you get oil paint on. If you get a glob on your shirt, water will not get it out. You can try using turpentine or another oil paint thinner, but you risk ruining your shirt. Your better off being careful what you paint in.
Get quality paint
If you are going to be using oil paints, use the good stuff. Don’t buy cheap paint unless you only get a tiny bit to experiment. If you are serious about painting and want your paintings to look good and last, get quality paint.
Don’t mix paint
You can mix oil with oil, but don’t mix your oil paint with acrylic paint or other mediums. If you cover up oil paint with another type of paint, it will crack. Oil paint needs to breathe and if it is covered up, it will crack to give it air. Just don’t do it.
Just start painting
If you aren’t sure where to start, don’t worry. Just remember to start with layers and work your way up. As you progress and get going, you will develop a style and find what you like. Don’t hesitate, just get started!
