How to Start Oil Painting for Beginners

Oil painting can seem daunting, but it offers something incredible: unlimited time to work and rework the paint, unlike other fast-drying mediums like acrylics. Mastering this flexibility is crucial—it’s both your best friend and your worst enemy. This fluidity lets you manipulate the paint in ways you can't with other mediums. But it also means patience is key. Hurry, and you’ll end up with a muddy mess.

Step 1: Start Small, But Plan Big

Starting small doesn't mean unambitious; it means planning your journey. Don’t jump into creating a masterpiece right away. Instead, sketch out smaller projects where you can explore color blending, texture creation, and brush techniques. Get used to mixing colors, observing how they dry, and how they change over time. A great way to start is by practicing with simple objects, such as a still life of fruit or a single flower.

Tip: Always start with an underpainting—a monochromatic sketch that serves as a base. This will help you map out where the light and shadows fall.

Step 2: Understand Your Materials

It’s tempting to grab the most expensive paints and brushes, but the truth is, starting with the basics is enough. A good set of oil paints in primary colors (red, blue, yellow) can be mixed into virtually any color you need. Understanding color theory will help here. You’ll also need a few brushes, a palette for mixing, and canvas or canvas boards.

Investing in a palette knife is also wise. It’s not just for mixing paint—it’s a powerful tool for applying paint in thick layers or creating sharp edges. Experiment with it as it can open up new possibilities that brushes alone won’t.

Step 3: The Medium Matters

Oil paint is thick and requires a medium to make it flow more smoothly. Linseed oil and turpentine are the most common. Understanding how much medium to use is an art in itself. Too much oil will make your paint too runny, and too little will keep it thick and hard to move around. The trick? Less is more.

Tip: Always start with "fat over lean"—a fundamental rule of oil painting. This means applying lean (thinner) paint first, and thicker layers as you go. This prevents the paint from cracking as it dries.

Step 4: Layering and Blending

One of the greatest advantages of oil paint is its ability to layer and blend. Unlike acrylics, which dry quickly and make blending difficult, oil paints take longer to dry, allowing for gradual transitions between colors.

Tip: Don’t rush the drying process. Oil paint dries from the top layer down, so applying thick paint too quickly on wet paint can cause cracks. A great way to keep the flow of your work without waiting too long is by working on multiple pieces at once.

Step 5: Mistakes are Your Teacher

Don’t expect perfection. Every oil painting session is a learning experience. Even seasoned artists make mistakes. The beauty of oil paints is that they can be scraped away or painted over without damaging the final piece. In fact, some of the world’s greatest works are painted over earlier versions of themselves.

Tip: Keep experimenting! Try techniques like impasto (applying thick layers of paint) or glazing (thin, translucent layers over dry paint). You’ll soon discover which techniques work best for your style.

Step 6: Final Touches and Varnishing

Once your masterpiece is finished, don’t forget the final step: varnishing. A varnish protects the painting and gives it a unified finish, whether matte, satin, or glossy. However, you need to wait several months for the painting to fully dry before applying varnish. Yes, oil painting takes patience, but the results are worth the wait.

Common Pitfalls

1. Using too much paint too quickly. Oil painting isn’t about speed; it’s about building up layers gradually.
2. Overblending. Sometimes, beginners can’t resist the urge to keep blending until the painting looks “perfect.” This often results in muddy colors. Know when to stop and let the paint dry before adding more layers.
3. Skipping the underdrawing. Starting without a plan can make the painting process overwhelming. An underdrawing in charcoal or pencil helps guide your composition.
4. Ignoring "fat over lean." Skipping this basic rule will lead to cracking and premature damage to your work.

Conclusion

Oil painting for beginners is less about mastering techniques immediately and more about cultivating patience, embracing mistakes, and learning how the materials work over time. It’s not a race—it’s a journey. With each new canvas, you’ll grow more confident, more creative, and more skilled. The beauty of oil painting lies not in perfection but in persistence.