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Oil Painting: Where to Begin?

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kittybean

kittybean

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May 2, 2008
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I have always had a little bit of a creative streak, and now that I have some time, I''d really like to try my hand at painting, specifically oil painting on canvas. The trouble is that I don''t know where to begin! I have had very little art training, but I can sketch relatively well and have painted with acrylics on canvas before. I have an unpredictable schedule and very little income at the moment, so I think classes are out.

Artistic PSers, can you help me get started? What supplies should I buy? I don''t mind a little trial-and-error, but I don''t want to go into an art store totally unprepared. Are there any books or websites that might help me? Are there other mediums (media?) I should try?

Thanks for your help!
 
Hi Kittybean!

Here''s a link to a website where you can buy art supplies plus they have free video art lessons.:

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/

I usually buy supplies in NY at a place called Pearl Paint (on Canal Street) . I don''t know where you live, but I know they have a lot of locations if you like to check out the art supplies first. I know they''re in Philadelphia (sometimes I go there), Miami, and in California. You can also see what they have in the stores where you are and compare prices on-line.Their prices I think are better than Jerry Sartarama.

You can always start with a beginner set ( ''keep and carry" sets) which will start you off with the basics. If you are serious about painting, invest in the best brushes you can! I mainly sketch ( I design sets for tv shows, ad campaigns, etc so I always have sketch book and pens, pencils, watercolor pencils on hand... they are everywhere, because I lose them all the time. I can never have enough).

Hope that helps !
 
Hi Kittybean. Once you get a basic palette of colors, you''ll have to decide WHAT to paint. You could paint from a picture or from a still life perhaps. Try to sketch out your composition in pencil on the canvas first. It''ll help with placement and scale. Good Luck!
 
Kittybean,
I''d like to start painting again too. Here''s a useful site I''ve found: www.dickblicks.com

Sugary,
Do you know of any good classes in Manhattan? I''m currently taking sketching at the 92nd St. Y and it''s not terribly challenging.
 
I second DickBlick.com. That is where I buy all my art supplies.
 
I like watching Bob Ross (I have to record it since it only comes on once a week at 4am!) and then trying to mime his paintings. I don''t really have many tips, but one thing I can''t live without is one of those metal grids that are put at the bottom of your brush bucket to get the extra paint off. Oil painting can be extremely messy!
 
Hmm I should probably ask my husband. He used to do primarily oil painting but now does more acrylic I think (it''s cheaper). I remember him saying they are two different beasts; for one oil dris more slowly than acrylic. The times I''ve seen him paint it seems he does an under painting and then layers over that, but I don''t think there is a "wrong" way to do it. If you wanted to do it like a class start with still life''s with a limited palette and progress to life or portraiture which is more sophisticated.
 
I like to get my art supplies at Pearl Paint on Canal, and Dick Blick also has a store on Bond St. (if you're in NY), which I love for painting and printmaking supplies (definitely try linoleum block printing sometime!).

I'd get some pre-stretched canvases, some basic colors (they sell beginners' sets of paints, usually with yellow, red, green, blue, black, white of some sort - you can mix whatever colors you need), and I like turpenoid as a thinner. But I've never painted outside a studio, so I'm not sure how you'd dispose of turpenoid/turpentine at home - you're not supposed to pour it down the drain... But you'll need some glass jars for that as well.
Instead of wasting lots of paper towels, I tear up old sheets to clean my brushes. Oh, and you'll need brushes, of course - they can get really expensive - synthetic are cheaper, but natural ones are generally better. I'd start with one small and a couple different shapes of larger brushes, maybe a flat, a round, and one or two others.

have fun!!

ETA: and a palette! I'd get disposable palettes; they come in pages like a sketch book and when you're donw painting you can tear off a sheet and throw it away.
 
Hi TheBigT,

I''m off to Dick Blick''s at Bond St. tomorrow. Is there anyone there who''s especially helpful? Also, what do you think of jumping into oil? Thanks!
 
Hey kittybean, I''m always happy to know someone is willing to give my life long love-oil painting, a try!
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I recently read the book Oil Painting for Dummies since one of my friends wanted to start painting and asked me if the book is any good. It is actually. There''s a lot of helpful info in it, I would certainly recommend it to a beginner in that area.
As TheBigT said, maybe the best way to approach this is getting some pre-stretched canvases (already prepared for painting if possible), a student grade set of paints (there are all the colours you''d need for now), brushes (one of each shape preferably, so you can find out which one works best for you with oil paints), and a solvent. I think I already said this to another PS-er with a similar question, but the best advice I can give you is if you''re going to sketch on the canvas first, DO NOT use graphite pencil-only charcoal. Trust me, graphite bleeds through the paint-not good. Not good at all.
Oil paint dries very slowly and sometimes it''s really frustrating, but I think with these paints patience is what matters most. Do not try to whipe paint off the canvas with solvent and cloth-you''d only make a mess. I just wait for the paint to dry up a bit and then scrape it with a palette knife.
Well, these are the most important things I can think of. Good luck!
 
Date: 12/9/2008 12:51:59 AM
Author: Harriet
Hi TheBigT,


I''m off to Dick Blick''s at Bond St. tomorrow. Is there anyone there who''s especially helpful? Also, what do you think of jumping into oil? Thanks!
Click to expand...


Oh, Harriet, I wish I could be of more use! Since I started law school 1.5 years ago I haven''t had time to paint or do much of anything fun. But I''ve found everyone at Dick Blick to be quite helpful - and there''s no harm in telling them you''re a beginner/student and soliciting their advice (actually, about 10 years ago at Pearl Paint they guessed I was a student simply because of my pre-stretched canvases...).

I absolutely love working with oils. It takes some getting used to, but I find it a wonderful and versatile medium. As Adis said, oils take a couple of days to dry, which has its advantages and disadvantages (but I love being able to come back the next day and scrape a section of my painting off to start over -- whereas with, say, watercolors, I get very frustrated not being able to change things!). It also sometimes forces you to walk away (figuratively or literally) for a couple of days and come back to part of your painting with a fresh perspective.

I still remember one of the first projects in my first oil painting class, and one of my favorites. We had a basic 6 or 7 colors, and the teacher was trying to show us how many other hues we could mix, so we divided a canvas board (flat, cardboard-backed canvas, also great for beginners) into about 60 even squares, and had to put a different color in each square. I recommend playing around with colors in this way, even if it''s only on the palette or newspapers.

The next project we did was all in black and white, to play with tone. (Now, I never use black, because you can mix other colors dark enough to look like black, and black is never really black anyway....). But it''s really cool to discover what you can do with your new paints before tackling a portrait or landscape or still-life.

Anyway, I''ve gotten a little off-topic. But I highly recommend oils - I think you''ll love ''em!
 
Thanks so much for this wonderful advice, everyone! I''m not in New York, so I''m going to check out some local art stores. I think it might be good for me to go see things in person instead of ordering them online right off the bat. I''m also going to pick up Oil Painting for Dummies--that sounds about my speed
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.

I watched a couple of the video art lessons on the jerrysartorama website, which were very educational. Thanks for that suggestion, sugary!

More questions: should I pick up some charcoal pencils for sketching on the canvas? What size of canvas might be manageable for me? I''m planning on starting with flowers as a subject, specifically poppies.
 
Definitely yes to the charcoal pencils! I think they're irreplaceable in oil painting. Also, I'd start with smaller canvases. They're more manageable for beginners. Leave the larger ones for later when you feel more comfortable with oil paints. Have fun!
 
Harriet: Have you tried the Continuing Education courses at Cooper Union (8th Ave between 3rd & 4th) or at Parson''s (5thAve?? I think) They may have some studio art courses that you may find interesting.

Kittybean:

Some more suggestions:

Since you are a beginner you should probably start with a smaller canvas. Since you are budget conscious and just starting, you can get canvas pads. These have about 10 sheets, but you have to place on a table or pin onto a board. You can use canvas panels, or buy roll of canvas and attch to stretcher bars (this way you can make you''re own custom sizes)

Start with student grade paints. They are much cheaper than professional. See if you can find a website that teaches you how to read the labels- labels series, the higher the number the more expensive the paint (higher cost for the pigments) Good beginner paints : Winton ( Winsor-Newton). You don''t need a ton of colors to begin with.

If you cannot invest in expensive brushes, again the student grade is ok, but these after time will shed hairs and lose their shape. Brushes you might want to get: Round (for detail work), Fan (blending), Flats, and Brights(shorter & stiffer than flats) You can build your collection of brushes once you get the feel for what you can do with them. By the way, dish soap is great for cleaning brushes whenyou are done painting; use mineral spirits for cleaning when switching colors. I wear rubber gloves though and squirt some dish soap into the palm and rub the brushes in this)

You can buy your mediums (you have to see what you like best) or mix your own; mixing your own may be cheaper . Just be careful that you select the correct medium for the type of oil paint you will be purchasing (there are mediums for water-mixable oil paints.

Pallette- tear off sheets are great (just throw out when done)

Palette knives-

Charcoal for drawing on the canvas first (until you are such a great artist you no longer have to do this!)

If you will be working with a small easel, a tabletop is cheaper and easy to use.

Lots of rags and "GOOP" (a hand cleaner I think mechanics use- it works!) in case you get paint on floor or furniture

Oh, you might want to see what works for you to keep your hand steady when painting small detail.

By the way, I haven''t painted oils in years; I actually prefer water colors and love my water color pencils. You might want to try your hand at this. It is a great way to be able to sketch and paint wherever you go.

Good luck to you!
 
Do you have a Hobby Lobby near you? They usually have classes instore a couple times a week and are very reasonable. My friend took them and in a couple of months from not being able to even doodle has some really impressive artwork on her walls now!
 
Date: 12/9/2008 9:45:40 AM
Author: TheBigT
Oh, Harriet, I wish I could be of more use! Since I started law school 1.5 years ago I haven''t had time to paint or do much of anything fun. But I''ve found everyone at Dick Blick to be quite helpful - and there''s no harm in telling them you''re a beginner/student and soliciting their advice (actually, about 10 years ago at Pearl Paint they guessed I was a student simply because of my pre-stretched canvases...).

I absolutely love working with oils. It takes some getting used to, but I find it a wonderful and versatile medium. As Adis said, oils take a couple of days to dry, which has its advantages and disadvantages (but I love being able to come back the next day and scrape a section of my painting off to start over -- whereas with, say, watercolors, I get very frustrated not being able to change things!). It also sometimes forces you to walk away (figuratively or literally) for a couple of days and come back to part of your painting with a fresh perspective.

I still remember one of the first projects in my first oil painting class, and one of my favorites. We had a basic 6 or 7 colors, and the teacher was trying to show us how many other hues we could mix, so we divided a canvas board (flat, cardboard-backed canvas, also great for beginners) into about 60 even squares, and had to put a different color in each square. I recommend playing around with colors in this way, even if it''s only on the palette or newspapers.

The next project we did was all in black and white, to play with tone. (Now, I never use black, because you can mix other colors dark enough to look like black, and black is never really black anyway....). But it''s really cool to discover what you can do with your new paints before tackling a portrait or landscape or still-life.

Anyway, I''ve gotten a little off-topic. But I highly recommend oils - I think you''ll love ''em!
Click to expand...
Law school?
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Say no more. I completely understand. Thanks for taking the time to help me!
 
Date: 12/9/2008 7:14:06 PM
Author: sugary
Harriet: Have you tried the Continuing Education courses at Cooper Union (8th Ave between 3rd & 4th) or at Parson''s (5thAve?? I think) They may have some studio art courses that you may find interesting.
Click to expand...
Thanks, sugary. I''ll look into them. For my current teacher''s sake, it''s a good thing that class is half over.
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kitty- I haven''t read this yet but I''m gonna get to it tomorrow and give you some tips and info!
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Hi Kitty,
I took some beginner classes in Fall 07 and before the classes, I''ve only sketched and used water color. Below was what the instructor asked us to get before the classes (cut and paste from her word document):


Paint:
*Titanium white *Viridian Green
*Ivory Black *Permanent Green Light
*Alizarin Crimson *Burnt Umber
*Cadmium Red *Raw Sienna
*Cadmium Yellow *Cobalt Blue

Student Grade brands – Gamblin, Rembrandt, Winsor-Newton

Brushes:
Buy the best brushes you can comfortable afford. Look for Oil Painting Brushes.
There are 2 types I would like you to have: hog and sable. Hog are stiff and hold a lot of paint, and leave
a notable brush mark. Sable are softer, hold less paint, and leave less of a mark.

Hog – Flat: #4, #6, #10
Sable – Round: #4, #6
Filbert: #6, #8
Flat: #8


Canvas/ Canvas Boards

Linseed Oil

Turpenoid

Enamel Palette Tray or Palette Paper

Palette Knife (or butter knife or anything similar to mix color for beginner)

Box for Supplies

Rags (any old/torn t-shirt?)

Plastic Squeeze Bottle (this is for the linseed oil and turpenoid mix to thin down some of the paint to give different texture and finishes)

I think she forgot to add in the charcoal pencil, oil soluble cleaner to clean the brushes and a glass container with cap to hold some Turpenoid for brush cleaning. All the above added up to be quite a bit but you can always check with the folks at the store for cheaper alternatives or scale down the no of paints & brushes till you get the hang of it.

Since you have sketched quite a bit and painted arcylics before, I''m sure you''ll pick up much easier than me :)

Hope the above helps.

Have fun!
 
kittybean - what a cool thread. I bet oil painting would be so much fun - I''ve really only done sketching, but I''ve been neglecting even that, and this thread is inspiring me to really get back into it!
 
Date: 12/9/2008 1:56:26 PM
Author: kittybean
More questions: should I pick up some charcoal pencils for sketching on the canvas? What size of canvas might be manageable for me? I'm planning on starting with flowers as a subject, specifically poppies.
Click to expand...
Ok, I'm back! First things first. One name=Bob Ross. This man is brillant and so very kind and gentle
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He is especially great for beginners. You can find him on channel 6 or 12. I was sort of self-taught at first and then went further into it with in high school through studio. If you have already done acrylics, you should find oil painting much easier. (IMO) because you can work more with oils. Acrylics dry to fast and drive me nuts. When doing an oil painting, you can walk away from it and come back to it next week and it will still be wet.

Go to Michaels with a coupon and buy some oil paints. I'd do it with a coupon because oils can be a little pricy. My favorite brand is Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colour. I'd start out with: Black, Titanium White, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow, Burn Umber and Prussian Green for your poppies. These colors will get you through other types of paintings as well. Do you only want to paint flowers? Or are you interested in landscapes as well? Because painting flowers and painting landscapes can be somewhat different in painting style.

Definitely buy canvas sheets. You just tear one out and paint on it. You need something to secure it with though. They do sell mini easels that you can attach it to, but that will be more money....if you aren't intrested in canvas sheets, I'd buy a 3 pack of canvases. Sometimes they are on sale at Michaels for a good deal. Smaller is better when starting out but you don't want to go smaller than those 8.5x11 sheets (if you ask me)

Some tips: When painting, don't paint thin (ie. watercolor.) You will get the hang of it after a while. When painting thicker, it gives you more to work with along with longer amounts of time to work on the painting. You could start out with a cheap-o pack of brushes but make sure you get various sizes. Also, with flower painting, they use certain brushes for that too...if you go to Michaels, you can look in the various books and they should show which kinds of brushes to use.

ETA- Totally forgot to tell you. You are going to need oil paint thinner to clean off your brushes after painting. Make sure to dry them off very well on an old cloth after cleaning them up.
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Date: 12/11/2008 9:33:15 PM
Author: GoodSoul
Plastic Squeeze Bottle (this is for the linseed oil and turpenoid mix to thin down some of the paint to give different texture and finishes)
Click to expand...
You don't really need one of these. I don't use one. I just put the brush into the mix and get it wet a little and drop it into the paint to thin it out...

I also forgot to mention a palette to put the paint on and mix it. Cover it up with some plastic wrap when not in use (to keep the paint moist)
 
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