Re: tips for a first time oil painter

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Re: tips for a first time oil painter

In Reply to: tips for a first time oil painter posted by lindastar on 09/10/00 at 6:50 PM:

: i just got into an intermediate figure painting class using oils as a medium. i skipped beginning cause i have painted quite a bit with acrylics, but after the first day i realize they are two very different mediums, and i find myself very discouraged. does anyone have any tips for me? i am thinking maybe there is something major i am missing that is making my painting look so horrible (perhaps it was that summer vacation?)... feel free to reply, here are some of my main questions;

: 1. stand oil- do you mix it into your paint or just dip your brush in every now and then?

Generally speaking, you mix it into the paint if that is the technique you are using.

: 2. do most people mix their colors on a pallete before even laying out the painting?

Here again, it is personal preference, and the type of painting you are doing. If you are doing wet on wet, you just mix as you go along. If you are doing an underpainting tecnique you still lay out the painting in neutral colors, then decide on your final colors as you go along. I don't know too many artists that mix all their paint first. They just kind of go with the flo...Most artists don't finish a painting in one sitting either, and the paint would dry out.

: 3. how in the heck does everyone see all those colors in the skin? =) any hints or tips on this (i tried to put in some shadow and it just ended up overtaking the whole painting!)

Being able to see and paint the diffent tones is a very integral part of the process. It's what actually makes the painting process happen. There are 5 tone values. Body tone, Body Shadow, Cast Shadow, Highlight, and Reflection. You won't be able to paint realisticly if you don't make seeing the five tone values a priority. You may think it's color, but realism and dimension are synonymous in painting. Remember, always see color in terms of tone. Don't let one tone overtake your painting and you will be OK.

: 4. cleaning brushes: straight turpentine? can i let it sit in a jar and reuse the turp from day to day, or is that a bad idea.

Use Odorless Turpenoid....it is fairly non toxic and works great. Yes, if you let the paint settle to the bottom on a daily basis, you can carefuly pour the clean turp on the top to a different container and save a lot of it...not to mention money! Then wipe out the muddy paint in the bottom and re-use the container the next day.
Cleaning brushs in turpentine of any type will quickly ruin your brushes if thats all you use. They dry out and fray badly. There are a lot of different opinions in this forum on this subject, using a good soap made for oil paint is good, I personally use oil soap after wiping on a rag and rinsing in turp. My brushes love me for it. Vegetable Oil probably seems to work well, but I think the issues Rob raises about it are valid, not worth the risk.

: thanks so much in advance for your help. (*please email if it doesnt take up too much of your time)

: ~*linda