Oil Painting 101

I have been painting in oils for 45 years. It was my grandmother who introduced me to the paint by number kits.It"s a really great way to start, they"re not expensive and you don't have to know how to draw. Its all there for you, in each kit you'll find a printed picture on a canvas board, brushes and oil paints. You may have to purchase paint thinner to clean the brushes. The picture on the canvas board is numbered and so are the different colors of paint each one coincides with the other.You want to have a feel for how well the oil paint moves around on the canvas. It's important that you feel comfortable using the paint and brushes just play a little. Add more medium to the paint this could be paint thinner or linseedoil. Find out what you like best thick or thin paint.Thick paint add lots of texture and will take longer to dry. If you need lots of control over the placement of the paint than thinner paint is the way to go. Practice on a smaller blank canvas board and don't worry about making a mistake just have some fun.

Choosing the right paint brushes makes all the difference. Most arts and crafts stores will have one area devoted to just painting supplies. Brushes vary in sizes, quality and price. Consider investing in good quality brushes that will last a long time. Sable brushes are soft, filbert brushes are course and stiff. Filberts bristle brushes will have a very long handle and the sable brushes have short handles. Sable brushes are used for watercolor as well as oils. Filberts are used for acrylics and oils.The brushes should be displayed by description in the store so you will know what the recommended use is. You might whantto pick up a palette knife and a color wheel. You'll find they come in handy when you want to mix you'r paint color. Oil paints can dry out in the tube over time, if you don't paint every day purchase the smaller size tubes ( 1.25 oz.) and store them in a zip lock bag. Use a cookie sheet lined with heavy duty foil as a paint palette. Don't waist the unused paint , cover it with a sheet of foil seal the edges and you have fresh paint the next day. Take good care of your paint brushes by cleaning them after use. Orderless paint thinner work well or you can use joy dish washing soap. Just make sure your brushes are clean or they will not be usable next time. Choosing canvas is easy. Purchase a workable size that your comfortable with either a canvas board or stretched canvas. Both are sold with a prepared geso acrylic primer. The geso primer is used to seal the cotton canvas and provide a stable working surface.

So now you are ready to paint on a blank canvas. Ok, but keep it simple. Don't try to paint a copy of the Mona Lisa. Start with a bowl apples on the kitchen table, a glass of milk or flowers. Go slow and be patient with it don't worry about making a mistake that's how we learn.

Most arts and crafts store offer oil painting classes.You can learn a lot by having someone show you how. Take a friend with you, have fun and make some new friends along the way. After a while you will develop you'r own style and techniques that make your work unique. So don't be afraid to dive in and try. You may have natural ability that has been hidden away for years . Experiment with a blank canvas or purchase a paint by number kit. Lets see what you can do! Enjoy painting and creating beautiful art for yourself and others.