Start with the Right Supplies
When you’re first learning oil painting, the supplies you choose can make or break your experience. Starting with the right tools not only makes the process smoother but also helps you develop better technique from the beginning.
Essential Tools for Every Beginner
Get familiar with the basic materials you’ll be using frequently:
Brushes Start with a mix of flat, round, and filbert brushes. Synthetic or bristle brushes work well for beginners.
Palette A glass or wooden palette gives you enough space to mix effectively. Avoid paper palettes, which can absorb the oil.
Paints Invest in artist grade paints for key colors like titanium white, ultramarine blue, and burnt sienna; student grade paints work fine for experimenting.
Quality vs. Cost: What Matters Most?
It’s not necessary to buy the most expensive brand of every item, but it helps to know where you can and can’t cut corners:
Invest in: High quality paints for core hues and durable brushes that won’t shed.
Save on: Easels, palettes, and other accessories that don’t directly impact your painting quality.
Choosing the Right Medium: Linseed Oil or Odorless Mineral Spirits?
Two common painting mediums for beginners are linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits. Each has pros and cons, depending on your goals:
Linseed oil Slows drying time, adds gloss, and enhances blending. It’s ideal for beginners who want more time to work on details.
Odorless Mineral Spirits (OMS) Thins paint and speeds up drying time. Use it for cleaning brushes or creating quick, transparent layers.
Tip: Start with both to see how each affects your workflow but always follow safety guidelines and proper ventilation practices.
Having the right supplies sets the stage for steady progress. Next, let’s talk about how to build a strong foundation for your paintings.
Learn to Build a Strong Foundation
Before diving into bold color and texture, oil painting starts with structure. That’s where underpainting comes in. Think of it as the skeleton of the painting a toned layer that sets up composition, value, and overall mood. It gives you a roadmap to follow, so you don’t get lost once you start layering up.
New artists should keep it simple. Start by blocking in large shapes and defining your focal points. Don’t aim for detail yet this is about getting the layout locked down and your thinking organized before you commit to pigment. A basic rule? Make sure your composition flows. Use the rule of thirds, avoid crowded corners, and lead the viewer’s eye across the canvas.
Use thinned paint for the sketch stage mixing your oil color with a bit of solvent like odorless mineral spirits helps the pigment flow better and keeps things light. Lines should be gentle, not carved in. That way, you’ve got room to adjust as you refine. This stage is fast and flexible, but it’s crucial. A clean underpainting gives your final piece clarity and strength.
Layering Like a Pro
One of the golden rules in oil painting is “fat over lean.” Sounds odd, but it’s core to building a painting that doesn’t crack over time. Lean layers have less oil, fat layers have more. Always start with thinner paint in your early layers and gradually add more oil in the upper ones. This allows each layer to flex as it dries, layering strength and flexibility the right way.
But drying takes time. Days, sometimes weeks, depending on the thickness and medium. Don’t fight it. Painting over a layer too soon ruins the surface and leads to a muddy mess. Let your layers dry seriously, walk away and trust the process.
Blending is where beginners trip up. You want smooth transitions, not a soup of colors. Use a soft dry brush or even your fingertip (gloved, of course) to nudge edges into each other. Keep your colors clean on the palette, and know when to stop. Overworking is the fastest way to kill contrast and lose form.
Patience and clarity. That’s how layering works.
Brush Techniques That Actually Help
Start with a few essential brushes don’t go overboard. A flat brush (size 6 10) is great for blocking in big areas. A filbert gives you soft edges and smooth transitions, while a round brush is good for details and lines. Skip the fancy sets with wild shapes for now. Three or four solid brushes are all you need to build control and confidence.
Loading your brush correctly makes a big difference. Dip just the tip into paint not the whole ferrule and gently drag it across your palette to work the paint in. You’re aiming for control, not blobs. Add medium sparingly so the paint flows but doesn’t run. You’ll get to know the feel with time: enough paint to move, not so much that it floods.
When you start painting, focus on simple strokes. Use the flat of a brush for broad coverage and edge on for sharper lines. Practice tapping, pulling, feathering. Try crosshatching for quick texture or blending with light pressure to soften edges. These movements teach your hand what the paint can do. Keep them clean and deliberate. No need to get fancy just steady.
Mastering your brush isn’t about flair it’s about fluency. Start slow, stay consistent, and your technique will sharpen without needing tricks.
Mixing Colors Without Guesswork
When you’re starting with oil painting, color mixing can either be your best friend or your biggest headache. The key is to stay intentional don’t just slap colors together and hope for the best. Clean, predictable results start with understanding your pigments and keeping things simple.
Start with a limited palette. Something like titanium white, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, and cadmium yellow can carry you far. Using fewer colors forces you to actually learn how they behave, how they mix, and what they lean toward. It’s a shortcut to mastery less clutter, fewer surprises, more control.
When mixing, keep your paints clean. Wipe your palette knife between swipes, don’t let your brushes get muddy, and always mix enough paint so you’re not chasing the exact hue mid layer. A big mistake beginners make is using too many colors at once, leading to dull, lifeless tones.
Also, be aware of conflicting undertones. Mixing warm and cool hues can deaden your color fast. Test mixes on the edge of your palette before going all in. It’s quiet work, but it saves you frustration later.
Intentional color isn’t about magic blends it’s about clarity, patience, and keeping things clean.
Keeping Your Workspace Safe and Clean
Painting isn’t all about creativity and color there’s some grunt work too, and ignoring it can cost you. Oil painting comes with hazards that are easy to overlook. Fumes from solvents can build up fast in small or poorly ventilated rooms. If it smells strong, that’s your cue to crack a window or set up a fan. You don’t need to breathe that in for hours.
Then there’s the rag situation. Used rags soaked in oil or solvent aren’t just messy they’re a fire risk if left balled up. Lay them flat to dry outside or keep them in a sealed, fireproof can. Store your materials carefully, especially anything flammable. Tossing everything into a box won’t cut it.
Brushes need attention too. If you want them to last more than a couple of sessions, clean them right after painting. Start with wiping them down, then use mild soap and warm water (or the right solvent, depending on the paint). It’s tedious, yes. But replacing brushes constantly is worse.
Finally, make cleanup a habit not an afterthought. Build 10 15 minutes of clean up time into every session. That keeps your materials ready and your space safer. Painting’s easier when your tools are in good shape and your studio doesn’t feel like a hazard zone.
Where to Go from Here
Consistency beats inspiration. One of the most effective ways to sharpen your oil painting skills is through daily mini paintings. These aren’t meant to be masterpieces they’re workout reps for your brush, quick studies that help you focus on form, color, and technique without overthinking. You’ll get faster, your instincts will sharpen, and you’ll stop fearing the blank canvas.
As for learning, old masters are gold but don’t turn into a copy machine. Break down what they did well: composition, light, storytelling. Use that as a launch point. Paint a Vermeer in your style, not a carbon copy. Think of it as a conversation across time, not an imitation.
If you’re ready to stretch even further, check out a broader range of guides and demos in the art tutorials. Keep practicing. Stay curious. The skill builds quietly, then shows up all at once.
Paullino Rhodesons played an important role in the growth of Arty Paint Gall by helping establish its foundation and operational direction. With a strong commitment to the arts and collaboration, Paullino supported the development of exhibitions, artist features, and creative initiatives, helping ensure the platform evolved into a trusted source for inspiration, education, and artistic discovery.
