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A Beginner’s Guide On How To Start Oil Painting

Those new to the art (no pun intended) of oil painting might be a little overwhelmed at first. Mustering up the courage to dip your brush in the first bit of oil painting is tough. However, before you even reach that stage, there are some things that you need to know. There are plenty of articles on oil painting techniques, but few on how to actually get started. Here are some tips for beginners from Oil Paintings Gallery.

Start Off With an Inexpensive Kit

Basic oil painting supplies are plentiful. You have your choice of brushes, paint colors, canvases, and artist’s palettes. You’ll also need a painting knife, some thinner, and a few canvas preparation supplies. Most art stores sell all of these things in a kit. Since you’re new to oil painting and it will take you a while to really get your technique down, feel free to purchase one of these kits. They’re inexpensive and contain everything that you’ll need. Once you’re more advanced in the medium, you can buy more expensive items.

The Paints Themselves

Obviously, you’ll need some oil paints. As we already stated, it’s fine to start off with an inexpensive set of these paints in the beginning. There are some fancier, more expensive brands on the market, but you shouldn’t even try to use them until you’ve practiced a bit and feel more at home with all of the techniques available. If the starter kit doesn’t have all of the colors that you think you’ll need, pick out some individual tubes at the store. However, don’t forget that you’ll be able to mix colors as well.

Paint Brushes

Paint Brushes

Brushes are the one thing that you should spend a bit of money on. While the ones in the starter kit will be useful, many inexpensive brushes can leave you frustrated. Why? Well, the number one reason is that they’ll leave behind bristles in the paint. This is a bit of a nightmare, as you’ll have to remove them carefully without disturbing that paint. This can be avoided with the purchase of some higher end brushes. As long as you clean them properly, they’ll last for quite some time.

Painting Mediums

A painting medium is something that’s mixed with the paint in order to make it flow better onto the canvas. You can thin down the paint to varying degrees with these mediums. You don’t always need to use them, though. You can just use the paint straight from the tube. Many beginners have a hard time using mediums, as the consistency needs to be just right. It’s best to start out with the paint itself, and then slowly begin your experiments with the painting mediums.

Hopefully, this has cleared up some of your questions about oil painting. If you’re interested in finding out more about this art form, just click here: www.oilpaintingsgallery.com.

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