How to Start an Oil Painting
Getting started can be the hardest step in any project. For beginning an oil painting, the indirect method enables you to begin in easy steps. You build a simple foundation in layers, which gives you a guideline to complete the piece in finer detail.
Things You'll Need:
- Easel
- Canvas on a wooden support
- Canvas ground, such as gesso
- Charcoal
- Oil paints
- Thinner, such as turpentine
- Brushes
- Rags
- Cups or bowls
- Find a place to paint. Choose an area with good ventilation and light. Natural north light is best, but artificial light works well, especially for controlling the light on a still life. Select a space large enough to hold the easel and worktables. The area must also be left undisturbed while the painting dries between layers. Cover any furniture, which needs protection.
- Prepare the painting surface. While you can use a variety of art surfaces, such as canvas, board or panels, canvas is the most common. Stretch the canvas on a support or frame, which will resist twisting or warping. If you do not have a pre-primed canvas, apply a ground, such as gesso, to the canvas. The ground helps to draw the oil paint into the surface and prevents flaking. Allow the canvas to dry and place it on the easel.
- Sketch the subject on the canvas. Regular graphite pencil can bleed through the paint, so use charcoal. Charcoal wipes off cleanly if you need to make adjustments. Sketch lightly and as accurately as possible before you begin to add paint.
- Apply the underpainting. The underpainting is the first layer, which covers the white of the ground and adds tone to the canvas. The charcoal sketch will be covered once you begin to apply the additional layers. Use the underpainting to rough in the composition more permanently and to refine it. For the underpainting, mix oil paint with a thinner in a small bowl. The consistency should be very thin or watery so it is almost transparent on the canvas. Use the thinned pigment, called a wash, to paint your sketch. Apply additional washes to establish contours as well as the darks and lights. If you make a mistake or want to make a change, the wash wipes off easily with a rag when wet. Allow this layer to dry completely before continuing. Once this is dry, you are ready to finish your painting.
The method of indirect painting is popular, primarily because it is artist friendly. You have time to refine the image as you proceed and the flexibility to make changes along the way.