3 Things I wish I’d known when I started painting with oils.
Today I'm going to share three things I wish I had known about oil paint when I was just starting on my oil painting journey.
Now, I'm super excited to talk about these three things, because when you know how to use these elements in the early stages of your painting journey, getting good results and advancing with your paintings, is going to be a lot easier and quicker than without them.
So let's start with point number 1!
1. You don't need a lot of materials to be able to start painting.
I was just starting, I thought I needed to buy a bunch of different colors, brushes, mediums, and all kinds of things to be able to paint a good picture.
I didn't realize that having all these materials wasn't making it easier for myself, it was making it more complicated.
The reason was that I was adding so many new elements on my plate without having any basic understanding of the fundamentals.
So my one advice for everyone looking into buying their first oil painting materials is less is more.
2. A method will help you advance much quicker!
The second thing I wish I knew in the beginning, is that having a method is going to structure your painting process and will help you develop your painting quicker and better.
So, what I mean when I say having a method, is to find a way to develop your painting in stages.
There are a lot of different methods out there. It's just about finding a method that works for you as a painter.
I like to use is a four-step method that's I split into these four steps;
Underpainting
Filling in the big areas of value
Breaking down the big areas of value into smaller, more detailed shapes.
Finishing touches.
Having a method for creating a painting is almost like having a recipe for making a really good cake. If you didn't have a recipe at all, then just figuring out the general ratio of all the ingredients will take you a long time before you're able to make a cake at all, and it's a bit the same with a painting.
If you don't have a structured method to take you from point A to B, then figuring out the best way to build up your paintings can take a long time, and result in a lot of struggles and repainting along the way.
3. The mindset is key!
The third thing that I wish I knew when I first started is that mindset is key.
So, what do I mean by this? What I mean is that when you start painting, it's helpful to be aware of certain struggles you might encounter along the way.
One mindset struggle that I have encountered a lot that I used to have myself and that I still have from time to time, is the fear of messing up.
That's a common fear, and it's something I see happening a lot.
But the thing is, when you're scared of messing up, a lot of the time you'll stop yourself from making progress because you're afraid to push through the barriers you need to break to advance with your painting.
So how can you change your mindset around making mistakes or having to repaint something?
Well, what I found to be the most efficient way to change my fear was to mess up intentionally! The method I used is called; kill your darlings.
So what you do is when you have an area in your painting that you're happy with, this area is your darling, then you go in with a big brush or a palette knife, and you scrape that area down! In other words, you kill it. You get completely rid of it, and then you repaint that area one more time.
The intention of doing this exercise is to prove to yourself that you are, in fact, able to paint something you've already painted once again. Maybe even better than you did the first time around.
When you've confirmed this a few times, then the fear of making mistakes will become less, and you'll have a much more relaxed and enjoyable painting experience!
Until next time I wish you all happy painting,