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Oil Painting for Beginners
Oil paintings have enchanted people for over centuries, and today this art form has emerged as a hobby as well. There are several oil painting classes for beginners which help learn the basics of this magnificent art. This article dwells on some simple oil painting basics which can help beginners align themselves towards oil painting.

Oil paintings have fascinated myriads of people over the years. These paintings make wonderful gifts and are great hobbies. Oft people like the appearance of oil painting, but shun away from making their own paintings, with the fear that oil painting is a very complex task. Oil painting is not child's play, however, keen interest accompanied by creativity will help one learn and master the skills of this fine art. However, the question that keeps troubling beginners is how should I get started. This article throws light on some oil painting basics which will make oil painting for beginners simpler to comprehend and implement.

Oil Painting Lessons for Beginners
To start of with oil painting, one must first have the basic supplies ready. Below are some basic oil painting supplies for beginners:

Oil Paints
One of the basic oil painting tips for beginners is not to spend oodles of money on expensive brands of paint. The market is flooded with reasonably priced, good quality paints which are recommended for beginners. Once the art has been mastered, one can purchase expensive paints. Another tip to keep in mind is that the initial layer done with oil paints take quite some time to dry. Therefore, it's advisable to start off with an acrylic paint for the initial layer, as it saves drying time.

Paint Brushes
Brushes for oil painting come in two basic forms: hard brushes and soft brushes. Hard brushes are stiff, strong and handle the painting medium well. The softer brushes are generally used to give a smoother appearance (for finishing touches). As far as the sizes are concerned, the brushes come in sizes of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, wherein 1 is the smallest size and 10 is the largest. Besides selecting and purchasing brushes, one has to also maintain the brushes properly for future use.

Several products for cleaning and conditioning brushes are available in the stores. One should clean the brushes after a painting session. Once the brushes have been washed and conditioned using these cleaning and conditioning agents, one should attach a clothes pin to the brush handle. The attachment should be such that the clothes pin rests on the edge of a table, so that the bristles of the brush point towards the floor. The gravitational force will pull the moisture from the brush, such that it does not collect in the ferrule. These basics steps will enhance the life of the brushes. Moreover, if the brush cleaner does not discard all the paint, one can resort to some odorless mineral spirits.

Medium for Oil Painting
One simple oil painting basics to note is that mediums are not required for oil painting. However, if one finds the paint too stiff to paint with, one can dilute the paint and make it easier to paint with. Diluting the paints will not only make the paint flow better, but it will also mean using less amount of paint. Utilization of paint is directly proportional to the expenses. The lesser the paint utilized, the lower the paint costs. White spirit, linseed oil, poppy seed oil, turpentine, Gesso primer, etc. are different mediums that can be used.

Support
Canvas is the best support available for beginners. Art supply stores have made oil painting for beginners easier by supplying already primed canvases. This means beginners need not take the effort of applying a special coat of primer onto the canvas. Buying ready-to-use canvas might prove expensive, however, once the skill of oil painting has been mastered one can try stretching one's own canvas.

Oil Painting Techniques for Beginners
Once all the supplies have been purchased, one needs to start oil painting. To begin painting, all one needs to do is pick up the brush, dip it in the paint and start painting on the canvas. There is no particular way in which one should hold the brush, and each artist has his or her way of holding it. As a beginner, one should not be apprehensive. The style will be developed gradually. However, one should take note of one point: one should not work too close to the canvas. This is because working too close to the canvas causes the eyes to focus on a few inches of the canvas at a time. This increases the danger of overdeveloping a limited area, thereby losing the bigger picture.

Before the commencement of painting on the canvas, it is advisable to experiment with the brushes, so as to find out which textures, lines and tones can be produced by each one. Then with each of the brushes, carry out single strokes across the canvas. One should use paint generously and should not be disturbed by the paint ridges that squeeze out of the stroke edges. These effects are characteristics of this kind of painting. Use the brushes to make all kinds of zigzag, wavy and broken lines. The more one works with the brush, the more one will learn about how to handle them.

Besides the above-mentioned tips and guidelines, one should also note other important oil painting basics. Proper lighting plays a major role in oil painting. Natural light or lighting that mimic natural sunlight are required for proper drying of the painting. Moreover, oil painting for beginners can prove hazardous, if appropriate precautions are not taken. Beginners should make sure painting is carried out in well-ventilated areas and they should wear disposable latex gloves while painting. There are several art classes available that provide different courses which give indepth oil painting ideas for beginners.

By Priya Johnson
Published: 7/20/2010