Back to Basics: Oil Painting for Everyone

I’ll be teaching you the processes that I use when I do an oil painting. Whether you are new to painting, new to oil painting or just need a refresher on the basics this course will help you. I’ll be passing on all the techniques, tips and tricks that I have learnt over the years and strip away the intimidation and mystery that sometimes surrounds this medium.

Week One

We’ll set up a simple still life and do some preparatory sketches.

Week Two

Put a ground onto our canvas, do a preparatory painted sketch of our still life.

Week Three

Do a colour underpainting.

Week Four

Working on the next layer of the painting.

Week Five

Do our final layer, adding final details and highlights.

Equipment list

Canvas: approximately 11” x 14” (You don’t want to work on anything too small or too large, just a nice manageable size)

Paintbrushes: You will need an assorted range of brushes. Don’t spend too much money until you know what you like to work with. I personally prefer the Brights (Chisel head shaped) in the Neef Taklon series. It is a soft brush as opposed to the more traditional bristle brushes that are mostly used in oil. I would however recommend a few filberts (No.4, 6 and possibly 8) of the Neef Synthetic stiff brushes. And also a few round brushes of various sizes

Palette: (I prefer a disposable palette, it must be glued on 3 sides.  Some of the cheaper ones are only glued on one side and they can curl up, very annoying!)

Medium: Linseed oil*

Small Jars: for medium and solvent

An Apron, Pencils, Small Palette knife, Sketchbook/visual diary, Odourless solvent*, Rags

Oil Paints*: It is best to get the artist quality if you can afford it. I generally use Windsor and Newton, but Artist Spectrum is a little cheaper and is very good too.

• Titanium White
• Burnt Umber
• Burnt Sienna
• Yellow Ochre
• Ultramarine Blue
• Cobalt Blue
• Alizarin Crimson
• Cadmium Red
• Cadmium Yellow
• Lemon Yellow
• Dioxazine Purple
• Cadmium Orange
• Viridian Green
• Ivory Black

Still Life items: Objects of various heights and shapes for a simple still life. Choose items you really like but nothing to complicated or intricate, we are learning the basics at this stage.

* Artist Quality oil paints, odourless solvent and linseed oil can be provided by the tutor at an extra cost of $50 per student.