5 Things to Know Before Trying Oil Painting
Oil painting can be addicting - For years I had many teachers and mentors tell me to switch to oils (and they promised me I would never go back) but I always made excuses on why I should stick with acrylics and pastels. I knew it was messier, more expensive, took longer to dry—-but what I didn’t know at the time was how much I would fall in love with them. They are so much fun to work with and make blending and layering so much more enjoyable. I dove in to oils a few years ago and haven’t looked back. I’m hooked. I’ll continue to try different mediums to keep things interesting but oils will always be my first love.
Oil painting does not have to be toxic - I avoided oil painting for years because I heard horror stories about the fumes and toxins. Cadmiums and powerful paint thinners often give oils a bad reputation but there are so many ways you can start working in them without the toxic side effects. For one, always try to be in well ventilated area or have a fan on. I work in my studio usually with a door or window open and when I worked in my attic I would run two fans. Avoid thinners if you can. I use walnut oil as both a thinning agent and a solvent. You can also use lavendar or citrus based solvents to clean your brushes but I haven’t found them to be necessary. I just soak my brushes (just the bristles) in walnut oil overnight so I don’t even have to clean them after each use!
Oil painting requires patience - while I absolutely love that oils stay wet longer (which is ideal for blending and layering), it does require a lot of patience if you are wanting to sell your art or need to complete it within a short timeframe. My paintings can take anywere from a few weeks to months to dry depending on how thick they are. I’ll occasionally switch to acrylics if I’m feeling impatient or need an easier clean-up some days but oils always pull me back in. I also wouldn’t recommend oils for anyone with really small children who may not understand they are not for them.
You don’t need a large quantity of brushes or paints to get started in oils - I started out using the primaries and titanium white and slowly added in a variety of other colors. Keep it simple when you are learning! Here are my favorite brushes.
Oil painting requires constant practice - When you’re just starting out, practice is key. I was told to paint weekly if not daily to build my skills. This seemed impossible at first as a working mom to three but I started really small and turned it in to a daily habit. Now I can’t imagine a world without oil painting and get excited thinking about all the possibilities of what I can create. I constantly dream about what I want to paint next and wake up every day excited to dive in to a blank canvas.
If you are curious about learning how to paint, please stay tuned! I’m hoping to offer classes soon and introduce others to a practice that has brought me so much joy and peace. I love teaching kids as well so let me know if your children are interested! I only teach acrylics and color theory with kids but will offer some oil painting workshops for adults soon as well. Just make sure you’re on my mailing list for more info!
