How to learn to paint with oil paints yourself. Oil Painting: Landscape and Oil Paintings for Beginners

Most people choose needlework or other options as a hobby. artistic creativity. Moreover, due to the same mass-produced goods, the demand for handmade things increases. Photos or computer images are printed multiple times. You can make a unique thing by learning how to paint oil paintings. Even a beginner can understand this painting technique.

Even if you try to perfectly repeat your plot twice, you still cannot make an exact copy. This is what creates the uniqueness of works of art.

Materials required for work:

  • Host.
  • Different colors.
  • Brushes.
  • Solvent and a small container for it.
  • Special palette for mixing.

Masters also use palette knives- special metal elastic shovels with wooden handles, which are used to apply paint to the base. It is important for a beginner to master brushes.

In addition, masters paint paintings on easel or a high-quality sketchbook if they go to work in nature to depict oil paintings from life.

Landscapes for beginners are a complex subject. It is better to create pictures using your imagination or using photographs. This will make it easier to depict the landscape.

According to professionals, working on an easel is easier, since it’s easier to step away and inspect the result of the work. At first, you can try to practice on the surface of the table, but it is better to take some kind of board and place it on your chair at a certain angle. You will get an overview of your work and you will be able to evaluate its quality well and notice your shortcomings in time.

Remember that paints are used up quickly, so you need to purchase them separately and in large quantities. The release form comes in different sizes. White paint disappears the fastest, but black paint is consumed in very small quantities. First you need to decide plot, and then buy paints of appropriate colors and shades.

In order to draw an autumn bouquet you will need one set, and for a summer bouquet a completely different one. In order not to waste your budget on unnecessary colors, it is better to take only the necessary ones in approximately the required quantity. All colors and shades can be obtained with only three main colors(yellow, red, blue), as well as white and black.

Gallery: oil painting (25 photos)























Creating and selecting a base

If you want to make your drawing easier, buy from specialized stores ready-made basics for work on which you can immediately apply paint. They cost a decent amount of money, but they are just right for a beginner, as they greatly simplify the work.

Another great option is use of fiberboard. Every man's household contains scraps of this material, which remains after repairs. It is easy to find it by asking friends, relatives or a loved one. Surely someone has used it and has leftovers of this stuff in their garage.

The shape of the fiberboard sides is different, one looks very smooth, and the other is quite rough, vaguely similar to a woven structure. Both forms can be used, but on a rough surface it is worth applying more parts and layers of primer, otherwise the color may become dull, since the paint will sink a little into the structure of such a product.

If you decide to try painting a landscape in oil for the first time, you can take a ready-made fiberboard base with a primer already applied. You need to take a small sheet, no larger than a landscape one.

If you want to make a DPV base with your own hands, an easy and inexpensive way is use of simple gelatin, you can add PVA glue to it to make the color white. This primer must be applied in several layers, allowing it to dry first. Three times will be enough. You should feel that the surface has changed. After preparing the base, you can proceed to creating the picture.

Master class oil painting

After creating the foundation and preparing the materials, we begin work in stages:

  • Make a line drawing on the canvas using a simple pencil or paint.
  • Focus on the distribution of shadows and highlights (where there will be bright and dark areas).
  • Create the background and any large objects.
  • Start drawing small shapes and details.

Sometimes move away from the picture to evaluate the results of your activities. As you draw, mix different shades of colors on your palette. The last step is to frame the painting.

Master class on oil painting for beginners

In this master class we will draw the sea!

Description of drawing step by step:

First of all, you need to prepare the picture with which you are going to paint the sea. Place the canvas on the easel. Create the first strokes on the canvas, making the main background. Wait a little until it dries completely. If you follow the advice of the master class, then you will be able to draw a picture oil paints with the sea. After finishing drawing, you need to decide on a name, most importantly, do not forget to leave your initials on the work. Authorship is very important because it makes your work stand out.

Greetings, dear readers!
In this article we will talk about the basics of working with oil paints. Of course it is the most popular technology in the world. The Greatest Masters paintings have been studied, improved and created with oil paints for centuries.

By the way, do you know when the first oil paints appeared? Most likely you thought about the 14-15th century and... you were wrong. Many people think so. But just recently, scientists did... Open this news too!

Detailing the painting with a thin liner

It is quite logical if you want to start your creativity with oil paints. And if you have never done this before, but really want to start, you should first find out what a beginning artist should have on hand and how to start painting with oil paints.

How to create your own artist kit?

  • We buy the necessary paints

My main advice to aspiring artists: buy quality paints immediately, don't try to save money! Cheap paints won't do much good, but they'll cause a lot of headaches. When you constantly practice, you will be able to evaluate the quality of your work, which will directly depend on the quality of the paints.

Absolutely no need to buy big set, since there are always colors left that are never used. To start painting with oil paints, just use a few separate tubes. To develop a skill, a novice artist is recommended to have the following palette:


In general, the paint palette consists of 3 main (primary), from which all other colors (secondary and tertiary) are obtained by mixing. And when you learn to mix them, you will understand how and from what it is obtained. Everything around us consists only of red, blue and yellow... Amazing, isn't it?

  • Choosing brushes

Second important advice for newbie artists: Be careful when buying brushes! Inspect them to ensure that the connection (clamp) between the pile and the handle is as tight as possible. Believe me, it’s not very pleasant when the lint comes out of the brush and you have to constantly remove it from the damp canvas!

From experience I will say that good brushes will last you many years, if they are of high quality and you handled them correctly.

For beginners painting with oil paints, I recommend starting with flat and semicircular flat brushes. It is enough to purchase 3-5 sizes.

High-quality brushes often become favorites

Over time, you can add retouching, fan and line brushes to the collection. In another article-tip you can find out in more detail what brushes come in size, shape and

  • Selecting thinners and solvents

To dilute (liquefy) oil paint to the desired consistency, you need special liquid substances: mainly turpentine or refined linseed oil. Also, many artists use "Tees"- auxiliary means for diluting paint. On the market of foreign manufacturers there are various mediums, which I also use.

Important things for every artist

Not recommended for dilution use solvents in pure form(white spirit, turpentine) because they break the structure of oil paint and “steal” its shine. But you will still need solvent to clean brushes and other tools, as well as paint-stained hands.

  • Buying a palette

It is impossible to imagine an artist working on a painting without a palette in his hands! This useful thing performs several functions: paints are placed on it, paints are mixed on it, oil cans (special containers) with oil paint thinners are attached to it.

Therefore, in order to paint with oil paints correctly and create many shades, I recommend acquiring a suitable palette. Wooden or plastic, large or small, square or round... The choice is yours.

  • Preparing the canvas

As a basis for oil painting, canvas is most often used.Fortunately, contemporary artist can buy ready-made primed canvas on a stretcher.

Almost every art store has canvases for sale. different sizes and from different materials: natural (linen, cotton) and synthetics. I advise natural materials, they are more dense and do not sag much over time.

If you want to prepare the canvas yourself, then to do this you need to prepare a stretcher and stretch the fabric very tightly over it. Then you need to prime the fabric to create a canvas. Canvas sagging is common, so After priming, you need to retighten the canvas a little tighter. Read more about how to make a canvas with your own hands

We prepare the canvas ourselves

Note: the best base for canvas is linen. It can be fine-grained, medium-grained and coarse-grained. The stroke on the surface depends on the grain of the canvas. About choosing a canvas

  • We purchase an easel

Of course, you can learn to paint with oil paints without an easel by attaching the canvas to any surface. But still, an easel is much more convenient: it is installed at the desired angle at eye level and gives best review paintings.

With an easel it is convenient not only to write, but also to find flaws in the work, and correct them immediately. An easel is a reliable stand for your future painting! They come in different heights and convenience, as well as tabletop mini easels for small canvas sizes.

  • We stock up on auxiliary accessories

Have you already thought about where your brushes will go? Where will you wash them? How will you wipe paint off your hands and other utensils? Be sure to stock up on jars in which you will wash your brushes, paper napkins, old newspapers and a few cotton rags.

These important little things should always be at your fingertips, so that you can work calmly and focus your attention on the picture and not on the materials. All this will be indispensable for you in your work to clean your brush or palette knife, or, for example, to remove excess paint from the canvas and wipe your dirty hands.

  • Other Important Materials and Accessories

An indispensable tool for working with oil - palette knife! With its help, it is convenient to remove excess paint from the canvas and transfer it to the palette. It also leaves amazingly voluminous strokes! In principle, one palette knife is enough.

But if you decide to learn how to paint well with oil paints and devote a lot of time to this activity, it is better to purchase several of these tools different forms and sizes.

Sketchbook – a special box for transporting paints and painting supplies. You will really need it if you decide to go out and paint in oils in nature or plein air, as it is also called (from the French Plain air - outdoors, on fresh air)

Oilers- small containers with a clip with which they are attached to the palette. There are two types: simple and double.

Another important element is protective varnish. The finished painting is usually varnished 6-8 months after completion of the work. The varnish protects the painting from ultraviolet radiation, moisture and darkening.... Well, there are a number of other reasons why you should varnish a painting. In addition, varnish makes the colors richer and brighter, adding intensity to the paint layer. How to varnish a painting

Howstart painting correctly with oil paints when the artist's kit is assembled?

So, you have collected everything you need and secured the primed canvas. What to do next? Start writing!

I know that Many novice artists have a fear of a white canvas, something can go wrong and everything will be ruined. Don't be afraid, because the main thing is to just start! Here's how to stop being afraid and start painting.

You can start with a simple plot that comes to mind... For example, a mosaic pattern with selected bright colors, which consists of different figures, shapes and symbols. Well, like the ancient Egyptians, remember? Or you can take a finished image and try to copy it onto canvas...

Start drawing - feel the power of color!

Exist . The most common of them are - multilayer painting and Alla Prima. Most of the most famous paintings are painted in them, although there are many other techniques.

We will talk about them in general and the rules of writing in more detail in another article, but now you need to start to just get a feel for the paints, brush and canvas.

By the way, did you know that creative people have Read, maybe you are a creator by nature, you just didn’t know it!

Here are some more tips:

  • Set up a drawing corner in your apartment. There must be enough light to work during the day without additional lighting. It is in the place of the best natural light that we place the easel. If there is not enough natural light, use additional lighting to provide good light on the easel.
  • Try to apply oil paints evenly, achieve uniformity on the canvas. If you really want to apply a second coat, take your time; Sometimes you need to give time for the first layer to dry.
  • Mix colors! Experiment with shades. Remember that white makes any color lighter, and black makes any color darker, with their help it is easy to achieve the desired shade of shadows and highlights. But don’t get too carried away with black and white, since titanium white, for example, makes some colors cloudy, and black is generally rarely used in classical painting. Although each manufacturer has several black shades on sale. An alternative to black can be dark indigo... it is softer and more delicate in appearance.

“Painting is the most accessible and convenient of the arts” - Johann Goethe, German poet, philosopher and thinker

These little tricks are enough to get you started painting with oil paints. If you like the Art Process and want to delve deeper into it, for more modern level, I will be happy to share my experience with you

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Ask your questions below in the comments, I usually answer all questions quickly

If you have a great desire to paint with oil paints, but you don’t know how, then it doesn’t matter. It's never too late to start learning to paint with oil paints. You can always try and create your own personal masterpiece.

How to paint with oil paints - choosing paints

In order to start painting, first of all, you need to purchase oil paints. The choice of paints must be given Special attention. After all, both the aesthetics of the painting and the success of your training depend on the quality of the paints; the question of whether you will engage in oil painting will be decided. Do not chase discounts and sales, as they often sell low-quality goods. At a minimum, you need to purchase 7 tubes of paint in primary colors. In the future, by mixing different colors, you can get any other color.

How to paint with oil paints - art tools

To paint with oil paints we will need:

  • various brushes;
  • canvas;
  • palette knife;
  • palette;
  • solvent for paints.

Brushes come in round, bristle, and flat. It is advisable to purchase at least 3 brushes of each type, in different sizes. Please note that natural brushes are softer, while synthetic brushes are rougher. Also, do not forget to prepare a pot of water for brushes and rags.


How to paint with oil paints - workspace

The workplace should be prepared so that nothing disturbs you and it is comfortable to create. It is best to use an easel for painting rather than a table. It is advisable to place it where there is predominantly natural light. It is better to paint in the fresh air, as the paint has a strong smell. If this is not possible, then the room should be equipped with a window, an opening window or a balcony. You need to ventilate the room periodically. The easel must be adjusted in height to suit you. When adjusting the easel, it is worth taking into account your position, whether you will be standing or sitting. In order not to stain the floor, it is advisable to cover it with paper, polyethylene or fabric. Oil paints penetrate deeply into the structure of the fabric, so wear things that you don’t mind getting dirty. If you have long hair, then it’s best to braid them or put them in a ponytail, and to be sure, wear a scarf.

How to paint with oil paints - sketch

  • When creating an oil painting, it is advisable to start with a sketch. The work begins with the layout on the sheet. It is necessary to think about where the main semantic center will be located.


  • You need to decide on a color scheme. You can achieve the desired color on the palette. Since it is almost impossible to get the same color twice when mixing two or more colors, it is necessary to prepare secondary paint for the entire drawing. Oil paint that has not been mixed with other colors is called pure color. After creating the sketch, we begin to work with a brush and paints.


  • Any drawing has a source of light and shadow. To make the drawing more realistic, you should add shadows and highlights. It is necessary to determine from which side the light falls in order to depict it in the picture. Evaluate the picture from the outside, add the missing accents.


  • The palette must be lubricated with oil so that it is saturated with it, otherwise it will absorb the oil that is in the paints.
  • Initially, manage the space on the palette correctly, leave the middle for mixing colors, the left for colored paints, and the right for white.
  • To obtain a lighter shade, white should be added.
  • To obtain a darker shade, add black paint.
  • When painting with paints, adhere to the basic rule: first we paint with liquid paints, then with thick ones, and nothing else. If you do not adhere to this recommendation, then incorrectly placed layers will simply crack when drying.
  • The paint layer dries for about three days. Take your time to apply the next layer.
  • With a palette knife you can draw, for example, create a landscape.
  • If there is any excess paint left after work, don’t worry, you can save it. Place it in a jar and cover it with film to prevent it from drying out.
  • After work, do not forget to pay due attention to your brushes. They need to be washed, otherwise they can be thrown away.
  • The finished picture needs to be opened with varnish.


Painting with oil paints is not difficult if you follow the tips above. Conquer the heights of your skills!

Oil painting is one of the most popular types visual arts. This is due to the brightness and durability of the work. In addition, working with this material is extremely easy and pleasant. In this regard, it is important to know how to dilute oil paints.

Do I need to thin oil paints?

"Tee" recipe

Experienced artists prefer to prepare their own meals based on their needs. The most common tee recipe includes the following components:

  • pictorial varnish (it is better to choose dammar or mastic);
  • hemp, linseed or poppy seed oil (the latter is considered one of the most transparent and pure);
  • turpentine or solvent for artistic oil paints (white spirit is most often used).

All components are mixed in a clean glass container in equal proportions. The container must be tightly closed, otherwise the solvent will begin to evaporate and lose its properties.

Helpful information

Beginners and experienced artists You will certainly appreciate the following tips.

Never use solvents from construction stores, because they not only have unpleasant smell, but also give the paints a yellowish tint after drying.

Some thinners fade the color of the paint, but as they evaporate, the shade may become brighter again.

Before using a particular solvent in your painting, experiment on a test piece of canvas.

You should not use too much thinner, because oil paint can become loose and will not stick to the surface as well.

For quick drying, use turpentine or artistic varnish, and if you have to work for a long time, it is better to give preference to vegetable oil.

When working with solvents (especially chemical ones), wear gloves and gauze bandages, and do not forget to ventilate the room.

Always dilute a small amount of paint, because it cannot be stored in this form.

If you want to give your painting a pleasant aroma, then use cedar or fir varnish as a solvent.

Can the thinner be reused?

Quite often, artists dip brushes stained with paint into a container of solvent. As a result, it becomes cloudy and, at first glance, absolutely unusable. Dirty diluent can be reused if filtered. First, let the liquid stand until sediment settles out, then pass it through a paper filter. The procedure must be repeated until the precipitate stops falling. Pour the filtered diluent into a clean glass container and screw the lid on tightly.

The right thinner for oil paints will make your work more vibrant and will also speed up the drying process.

Painting is a very calming and wonderful hobby. Taking paints and canvas in your hands, you can wonderfully relax and forget all the accumulated emotions after a hard day at school or work. Drawing helps you to know yourself, improves perseverance and hand motor skills. Thanks to drawings, humanity since ancient times has had the opportunity to experience this world in different shades and colors. The master class on oil painting provided below will help lovers of this art to perfectly study the secrets of painting.

History of painting

Painting was revived again during the Middle Ages. Then it stood on the same level next to such significant elements of art as sculpture and architecture. It was honorable and prestigious to engage in such creative work as drawing, and oil paintings were a real treasure at that time.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, painting became an independent art. The images in the paintings become real people and events, because the Catholic Church is losing its position. Nature landscape, beautiful women, animals, birds - this is what is now beginning to inspire artists. Soon painting schools were created in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and France.

In the 19th century and to this day, painting in the style of romanticism is relevant. The sea is what every artist considers it his right to paint. Now there are a lot of innovations in the technique of oil painting and great amount new methods and techniques. This is a great opportunity to display your inner world, your emotions, experiences and images.

Necessary materials

Before you start creating your masterpiece, You need to prepare the following materials and tools for beginners:

- Oil paints. Sold individually or in a set, cheaper to purchase in bulk online;

— Brushes for painting. A pair of regular ones made of bristles of different sizes will come in handy, as well as a pair of core ones designed for small parts.

— A jar of thinner No. 3, linseed oil and drum varnish for diluting paints.

- Palette knife.

— Palette for paints. It is advisable to place the colors in the same place each time. Thanks to this advice, your hand will reach for the right paint on its own.

— Canvas on cardboard. For more professional creativity, you can purchase a canvas with a stretcher.

- Easel.

— Plain water in a container for washing hands and arms.

How to depict the sea

At the beginning of the work, you need to prepare an example of a painting from which the image of the sea will be copied. Then place the canvas on the easel.

Make the first strokes on the canvas, drawing the main background. It is recommended to wait until partially dry. In this wonderful way, you can paint a complete picture with oil paints, using maximum imagination and desire.

When finishing the work, you should decide on the name and be sure to put your initials on the product.

The painting is perfect as a gift for loved ones, as well as adding coziness to any interior.

Video on the topic of the article