Oil Painting for Beginners

How to paint what you see

Patrick D. Ansell

Copyright©2017 Patrick D. Ansell

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2017 by Patrick D. Ansell

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Table of Contents

Introduction

How to Start Painting

Materials for Painting

Techniques How To Start

Getting Started

Landscapes

Mountain Path

Cliffside

Beach and Valley

Boats on Water

Brick Layout

Town Walkway

Trees and Sky

Japanese Garden

Trees and Horizon

At the Beach

Ocean Sunset

Mountain Range

Tree and Skyline

Tall Tower

Animal Oil Paintings

Dog in Shirt

Dog with Toy

Two Cats

Dog Close-up

Kitten

Conclusion

Disclaimer

While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this book, the author does assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter contained within. The information provided in this book is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions and the author does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities or damages, real or perceived, resulting from the use of this information.

The trademarks that are used are without any consent, and the publication of the trademark is without permission or backing by the trademark owner. All trademarks and brands within this book are for clarifying purposes only and are the owned by the owners themselves, not affiliated with this document.

Introduction

Welcome to Oil Painting for Beginners. In this book you will learn all you need to learn to start painting your own independent oil paintings. We will cover the basics, the materials you'll need to be able to get started and the proper way to utilize these instruments. On top of that we will then go through several different sections and provide a step by step picture guide if different paintings for you to practice with in order to understand the process. Oil painting itself is a very old form of artistic expression dating as far back as the 1100's. A common mistake people make is only associating it with the artistic revolution of the renaissance in the Middle Ages in Italy.

When actually it had been around for years and can be traced as far as Afghanistan for its origins. At that time it was originally utilized on wooden paneling and shields for their soldiers. It has since obviously evolved and become a primary format for painters looking to express vivid, intricate and complex images in a painted format. Oil painting itself has evolved immensely through the years and has gone from requiring you to make the paint yourself and apply the oil individually to being able to buy tubes of paint on their own. As well the actual surface to apply the paint to has evolved dramatically, originally being panels of wood, either walls or doors. To fabric made canvas stretched over framework.

As you can see the history of oil painting is as rich and vibrant as oil paintings themselves. With that knowledge you can start to gain a specific respect for the art form and its structures. This can help you as you delve into the world of oil painting, to know that it is a lifelong practiced and nurtured art form that you can grow and experiment with while you learn.

With all introductions aside, we can now start taking a look at how you can actually start your journey with oil painting. The next section will get you started on that path and detail the materials you need and how to get ready to start painting!

How to Start Painting

Back in the days of oil paintings first comeuppance, the ability to actually practice the art form was much more inconvenient and elaborate. You not only needed to acquire the equipment and the time to enjoy the craft, but you also had to actually mix and create the paints yourself. You had to acquire the right ingredients and dyes and then apply the correct oils based on your needs for the painting and depending on whether or not you wanted the painting to dry for longer or if you planned on varnishing the painting upon completion or not.

There were a lot of very specific things you had to accomplish before you could even put your brush upon the wood panel or piece of canvas that you had acquired for use with your artistic endeavor. Nowadays all you really need to do is go to an art supplies store, buy a canvas, some brushes and a box of oil color paints then your set to get to it. With that, there are a lot more advantages for any artists looking to become invested and entangled within the world of oil painting and art. Another advantage is that the time you save on having to acquire materials you actually get to then spend on honing your skills and learning the craft itself. This time is pertinent and essential to being decent at the artwork. With that being said, enough time has been spent on this paragraph and it’s time to start looking at what you will need to get started.

The next section is an introduction to the materials you will need for the projects ahead of you in these pages.

Materials for Painting

The picture above shows you everything you need to have before we start. You might be able to tell what some of those tools are on your own without needing me to explain it; however I will run through them anyways just to make sure that you understand.

•                Canvas with frame and Easel - This is essential because it’s what you'll be painting on, and it’s always better to have a proper easel for this type of work.

•                Paintbrushes - You have quite a few here to choose from which is always smart. You may find you want small thinner ones for more intricate details, and then wider ones for applying larger amounts of the paint.

•                Palette - This is the instrument that your paint will rest on top of while you paint and mix colors, very invaluable.

•                Palette Knife - This cool is essential for applying larger chunks of pain for added texture. It can also be used to remove any unwanted paint from the canvas before it dries.

•                Turpentine/Paint Thinner - Oil paint is actually incredibly to remove from your skin and your brushes after use. So it’s nice to have some paint thinner on hand.

•                Painters Medium - This isn't so much essential as it is just a nice touch. You can use Linseed oil and various other ones as well. This can be used to make mixing colors slightly easier as well as giving the oil paints a slightly nicer sheen.

These items and pieces of material are essential in crafting an excellent oil painting. Not only will they make you feel more confident about what you're doing, but they'll produce great work when combined with the knowledge in this book.

Techniques How To Start

Now that you know what sort of gear and material you're going to need, we can start to talk about how to use it properly in order to get exactly what you want out of it. As a reminder I will say again that this is a guide for beginners. You will learn everything you need to know to make some pretty great oil paintings but you can't expect to become Picasso or Michelangelo from these pages. The point of mentioning that is simply so you don't put undue stress on yourself or this book to make you as talented in less time. This art form like any other skill or talent only comes from being practiced consistently and pursued passionately.

With that talk out of the way, let’s start taking a look at some techniques you should know before you start!

In this photo here you have the different ways in which you can hold the paintbrush when applying the paint. IN the top one you can see the most basic method of brush use and what’s probably considered the most simple way as well. The on the lower half of the image and on the left side you can see a firmer grip. This one would be best for dabbing, a technique that will be explained a little later. The next one, in the middle, is a nice way of handling the brush for fine details where you want to be delicate but still able to get your brush in there. Last but not least you have that brush technique on the right hand side. That one is a very light method and its main use would be for adding in softer layers of paint or blending colors together gently. These are some basic and beginner methods of utilizing your brushes. As well you can always use any sized brush with these different methods of holding, and come away with different results occasionally.

Next up were going to take a look at some of the brush stroke patterns of the different kinds of brushes. This is important information in the event that you want to buy specific brushes but don't have a clear understanding yet of what the brush you need may or may not look like. As well it’s an excellent comparison chart for future references.

Starting with the left most brush, you can see the two toned example of its stroke. You've got a fair sized brush spread that’s got firm bristles and can handle finer detail.

The next one over is a little smaller looking but with softer bristles giving a slightly more textured looking stroke.

The next in line makes for a very clean and smooth looking stroke of the brush, great for laying color down easily.

In the middle we have a narrow brush which would be best utilized with fine and small details in complex paintings.

The next brush after that is a thicker and flatter brush; it’s made for laying down thick layers of paint in the areas you want to build on.

The next brush has a curve to the top of the brush head allowing it to get a nice angled stroke in that can aid in detailing as well as coverage.

The final brush is another sturdy and flat brush head that makes a nice smooth textured layer.

The only thing that makes sense to follow the brushes with is the color charts. We have two color charts here for you to study. One of which is a chart of colors that aren't pleasant to mix together and then another chart of colors that actually blend together really well and complement each other nicely.

As you can see the first chart we have here is for the colors that don't work so well. As you can see just by looking at it, the colors are very uninteresting and not very vibrant. As well as that but they have a very aged and unimpressive look to them which is not something you want someone to say about your painting. Which is why we won’t work with blends of this style?

In this image here you can see some pleasant, vibrant and smooth looking color mixes. A common denominator in all of the nicer blends is that the color white is present. I recommend that whenever you are blending your own two colors together to try and come up with an interesting new look, keep some white paint handy. It can always be used to lessen any damage done to the tone you're trying to set.

With that sorted, it’s time to move on to the last section before the actual painting. Getting started, here we will cover some final tips and a few keywords and then it’s off to the races!

Getting Started

Now that you have the materials that you need and understand some of the brush holding techniques and color mixing methods. You’re almost ready to start getting into the step by step painting procedure. Before we jump into that straight away let’s take a moment to go over a few more painting methods and the best way to approach your first canvas.

When working with oil paint the main thing to keep in mind is the drying time. Oil paints take at least 24 hours to be dry, but they don't fully finish drying all the way through for up to months. This means that the layers of paint that you apply to the canvas can be removed fairly easily if you want to remove or change anything that you've applied. As well, this can be somewhat frustrating in the sense that you may feel like the painting you have in progress is unfinished. However it is a very handy thing to have if you want to change anything or alter anything and improve upon a painting in any way that you want.

Brush work is another important topic. When working with oil paints they tend to be much thicker than anything acrylic or water based. This means that the texture of the painting is much thicker and heartier when applying layers of paint to the canvas. This means that you also have the ability to create scenes that you wouldn't be able to with acrylic or water based. As well there’s also the ability to mix and blend colors directly on the canvas which is also something that’s harder to do with thinner paints.

Oil paintings, du etc how long it takes for the to completely dry, are able to be varnished which can seal in the paint and prevent it from being ruined or disturbed by any outside forces. You are also able to remove the varnish with paint thinner and then remove the paint from the canvas if you desire any changes.

The flexibility of oil painting is one of the most desirable aspects of the medium and it offers the artists more range to be able to express themselves creatively. It is considered a very high standard of art due to the works already accomplished by those like Leonardo Da Vinci and Picasso.

You shouldn't however compare yourselves to those bigger names, and instead should focus on practicing and working hard on the paintings you'll be starting with in this book. Which is my way of saying that with the knowledge you have now received you should be ready to start making your way forward into the first step by step guided painting.

The first section is called Animal Oil Paintings and contains 5 separate paintings that you'll learn how to make. Let’s get to it!

Landscapes

Croatia Oil Paintings

Now that you've made it through the animals you're ready to test your skills on some more demanding paintings. The next few sections are based on geographical locations but the paintings within each section are based on landscapes within those places. It gives the paintings characters and history. This section is on Croatia and the paintings are all from locations there. There are 4 paintings in this section for you to work through. Let’s get started!

Mountain Path

Original image

This painting starts off fairly easy. You have the blue sky. The layers here are incredibly simple and the blending is already half done on the clouds. This is one that you can blend easily with some white paint and soft delicate strokes.

We start right away in adding the distant mountains which is mostly pale grey and dark pale blues. There are a lot of trees dotted on them as well. Its subtle touches like that that make people believe that the painting is actually real. Attention to detail is a must, not just the detail of your subject, but also the detail of all the surrounding areas in the frame.

Now we are expanding on the land that was visible in the last step and adding in more of the actual mountainside. You've got a lot more trees speckled in there as well as plenty of nature.

Now we start adding some of the trees that are close up. You'll notice that this step leaves a very nice outline for the rest of the image. The purpose of painting in sections like this is to maximize control over the painting process and to ensure that you are able to successfully have room for the rest of your image.

Aside from adding in the dark green foliage of the tree in this step we also start to add the mountain path and some more trees. You can see the contrast between the paths with a lot of its simple straight lines. Then there’s the greenery which all had to painstakingly labor over.

The addition here is so small you may not have noticed it right away. It’s the rock structure in the bottom corner. This is an interesting structure, it has multiple layers but also a lot of colors added into the representation of the rocks perspective.

In an effort to start filling in the path, we add a nice chunk of the green stuff into this step. You can see that it looks like some mostly dull green bushes are overgrowing on the path.

We now add another portion of the mountain path at the bottom there. Here it’s the same as the other side of the path with thicker and more linear strokes. It is of course still carefully layered in order to provide it with texture as well as depth.

Fill in 98% of that bush in the middle of the pathway and you've got this step cased. A technique that would make paintings like this easier is called stippling. It’s when you use a smaller brush to repeatedly add small spots of colors to give a very busy and collected look to leaves, petals and other things.

The tiniest step here is just filling in the very small white blank spaces left in the last step in the middle of the green bush.

Finally in the last step we go over everything with a dry brush and make sure that it all gets leveled out and textured right in order to make a perfect painting.

Cliffside

Original image

This one starts out incredibly easily. Nice blue sky, pre blended and layered with white. This is something very easy to do and replicate.

This step sees the addition of lighter blue to the sky itself. This is an excellent gradient change from the darker to the lighter. The clouds themselves look very fluffy, this is another thing that can be achieved through adding up at all did you,

Finally the sky meets the water in this frame. You're able to tell which is which based not only on the color but the way the white paint is added in to the bottom of the frame. Because it has a wave too it.

Now we’re getting the base of the cliff itself to actually touch to the water coming off of the base. You can also see that there is some white space left on the lower side so you know that there will be more to add in there. The water around the base of the cliff has a reflective effect to it which is why you can see the cliff in the water as well.

Take time to do some blending in this step and making sure that all of the water looks calm and gone over.

Now we start the top of the cliff. You can see that this cliff has a very colorful top to it and that the texture of the cliff is very rigid and formative to its perspective.

Now we add more of the rock face as well as the trees growing from the bottom of the cliff side. Make sure to note the pink infused with in the rocks here. There’s also a rusty looking tone to some of the rocks as well, giving the picture an excellent u

Again there’s more added to the base. This time it’s the trees and some of the rock like structures jutting out of the lake. You have a very realistic tone here that sets expectations of oneself when going through such projects

In this frame we have finally finished the Cliffside island itself and are able to finally start smoking out the water area and utilizing some of that dry brush technique.

As one of the final steps we add in that tree in the bottom left. It has several blossoms in the branches and is mostly comprised of a darker shade of green for the branches. This step isn't a very large one considering what you've learned so far.

This final step just finished up whatever final little things there were left to do and leaves you with a wonderfully constructed piece of art.

Beach and Valley

Original image

Another great starting place for a painting is like this. It’s the sky. The sky this time is a much lighter blue and you will be using a lot of white paints for this one in order to get light enough as well as blended properly.

You've got a sort of mountain ridge being painted in in this frame. You can see the soft and pale grey layered in slowly.

Here we have more of the mountain ridge added in. This time you have some sharper peaks on deck as well as more shaded looking layers.

Time for some interior is darker painting work. This is the time when you do the places in the image that will include more shade than the others.

The mountain ridge continues up above and then the shadier and darker patch in the middle gets filled in with a lighter brown layer to add more perspective and realism.

Here we start to add the field spaces on the top of the mountain ridge. It’s a pale green but the surface itself is dotted with plenty of different forms of foliage such as bushes and trees.

Here we do some more interior work with the darker shades and colors. These steps are important because it has a lot to go with your foundation of the painting. All things that you want to be giving focus on in the representation of the interest.

The darker mountain side on the right hand side is filled in with the darker shades.

Now we get to complete the ridge ion the left hand side. In their we've got some white colors as well as the usual green and grey.

For the last few steps were mostly adding in the lower portion of the image. Here we add in all of the ground floor foliage. There is a lot of green being added in though in various shades.

At last we get to paint in the beach. The coloring here is incredibly light and flat though that doesn't mean that the beach doesn't have shading and layers. Take a close look and see what you may have missed at a glance.

For the final step in this painting we add some more nature to the very front of the scene. Just a small strip of plants and the sand. Simple colors and a simple finish are to a very elaborate image.

Boats on Water

Original image

Another excellent and simple beginning is. You have the marbled blue sky with white. This painting itself is actually more on the simple side so there may not be much to guide though I will do my best.

Continue layering the light blues here in a downward fashion.

We are now able to add in the tip top of a land mass. This takes a moment but helps structure the lower portions of the mountain.

Now we add a small piece of mountain mass on the right hand seed as well as beef up the one on the left. There are some subtle intricate details in design on the mountain here that you can easily add in with a smaller brush.

Keep using that smaller paintbrush as a means to get into these micro details on the mountains add ons in this step.

This step sees the very top of the mountain being added in, capping off and ending that section of white space.

Aside from two small white spots and the bottom left corner of this frame, we add in all of the blues for the water. These blues do a nice gradient shirt from lighter to the very dark blue near the bottom of the paining.

We now set to adding in some more and darker rocks in the left lower corner. Remembering is to leave blank space when required.

The progress is continued here. More dark colors, more layering.

You are now finished with the layering as of this frame. As well you have what looks like an amazing environment and image with real perspective.

Next, just when you think that the painting can't have any more unique characteristics we add two small boats into the remaining spaces of white. These boats are small and doesn’t lack detail so tread with caution when using your small brush tip.

Japan Oil Paintings

For this section we are travelling to Japan for our oil paintings. These ones are very beautiful and elegant in culture and representation. Have some fun with them and enjoy the colors and the textures. You're coming along so well and now it’s all about honing skills and trying out different techniques and developing your own style of painting.

Brick Layout

Original image

This first step is a very small one, but you can see that it is a section of sky with incredibly pale blue, a more bluish white color.

Here we start getting into some more intricate details almost right away with the tree branches and pine needles. This is small detail work that you will want a thin bristle brush to work on.

Here we have more of what we were doing from the last step but continued down more into the middle of the painting.

Now we’re starting to do more leaves over in the top right corner of this painting, here we have a lot of greens layered in small dot like sections. As well there is some even more delicate green setting in the left hand side of the frame.

We introduce some lovely looking green trees in the middle there. The green is vibrant with very shaded undertones. The green here is very soft looking and already lightly blended.

Continuing the trend of adding more foliage we continue that into the middle of the painting filling up a bit of the negative space.

Even more foliage yet again in this step. As well as the top of the brick surface. It’s a pale yellow with a lot of shadows cast from the trees atop of it to give it a very interesting perspective on light.

This part is rather interesting because we add in the water here. This glistening water effect is a fun one and can be done quite simply with using white pants and darker paints in contrast of one another.

Then we have the addition of the actual brick wall here. This can be done sectionally with square after square and black outlining around each square. There is some spattering of greenery among the bricks to keep an eye out for.

Then we go ahead and add even more shrubbery to the brick wall, giving it an old overgrown look but also adding texture so the image has some real character and intrigue to it.

Here we finalize the green along the bottom and add some pops of color in there for berries or flowers. Another nice way of subtly adding in some depth and contrast.

Lastly we fill in those couple spots in the middle and then you can go over all of your work and make sure you didn't miss anything and that it all makes sense. Make sure everything is smooth and textured and you can go on to the next piece.

Town Walkway

Original image

This next painting has a lot of nice complex detail but we get to start out with a fairly simple task of working on the sky. Get your blues out and the white paint as well. There’s some nice white streaking in there as well.

Keep the whites out and blend up some nice looking clouds with some white paint mixed with a little grey.

Now we start to add in some of the nature. You will want to use a very small fine tipped brush on this one. You want to be able to get all the intricate little touches in there.

Now we are getting more serious with the trees leaves on this step. The greens are also ranging from dark to light so you want to watch your layers, work from dark to light if you can and be careful of blending where you don't want to.

The house gets started around here and we get to work with architecture finally! So keep that fine tipped brush and work carefully and slowly so you get a very precise control over the work.

Again some is more delicate work up at the top. This time its branches and leaves again and you get to play around with your stippling technique to get the leaves right. The greens here are darker than before as well.

In an effort to fill in all the white space we add another tree into the middle. This one had a sort of bluish green to the leaves. Remember to use delicate and careful strokes when painting in the middle. You could easily get the green colors into the other sections.

This step requires a lot of darker colors to create the surrounding architecture. There’s the frame on the right corner of the painting. If you look closely you can see paneling so remember to layer with some slightly lighter colors.

We get to add in some more of the wood work to the main house on the right. This has long light brown strokes to create a nice wooden paneling style.

For this step were creating the ground outside of the house and the place where the trees are planted in the earth. Pay special attention to the trees shadows, which add that photo realism that you search for in oil paintings.

It’s time we add some people into the frame. These don't need to be pin point precise but you want to make them as accurate as possible. Notice their shadows on the ground as well; this is again important for realism.

The final step is painting in the road and the small fence along the walkway. This is an easier task working with just some grey and light brown colors. Though as always the last step is a great time to analyze your image and see that everything lines up the way you want it too.

Trees and Sky

Original image

You've been doing so well, so this next painting is a little easier and designed to fortify skills you already know. Start with the sky, there’s a lot more grey and white shades here and a nice splash of blue.

Add in the tree tops here using the stippling or dabbing methods. Dabbing is like stippling though it’s with a slightly larger brush and is as literal as it sounds. Just dab the paint brush on the canvas to create your image.

Now we get to fill out the rest of the tree tops. They are all very similar though some of them have larger leaves than others and might need a slightly bigger brush or just firmer dabs.

Here we start to fill in the tree trunks themselves. These are primarily darker colors. The empty space is left to leave room for the rest of the foliage.

Then we get straight to adding in that foliage here. These are lighter green and you can see that the leaves have more body to them and require slightly less precision than the tree tops.

This frame fills out the rest of the bottom left of the painting. Here you have more branches and leaves with some interesting shading.

Now the fun part is. We have a super close up of a tree branch and its needles. This needs some super concentration with a fine tipped brush and some very light green. If you work slowly and take each needle seriously you can get a great looking product.

The final step here is to add some more stippling of leaves to the top left corner to finish filing out the paintings frame. A painting like this is really cool for the perspective of the super in focus branch and then the trees which look more blurry and in the distance.

Japanese Garden

Original image

This sky is an interesting starting point due to its very splotchy sort of look. There are some purple looking blue colors here which can be attained by mixing very small amounts of purple with white and blue. If you need help figuring out the color blending you can refer to the guide near the start of the book.

Right away we dive into the trees branches and leaves. The branches don't require a lot of precision but the needles on the trees definitely do. They have a very soft and precise look to them.

Add even more foliage here. The layering of this will be crucial so pay attention to where the branches are and how they line up with one another and then add on the foliage with your fine tipped brush.

This next step throws you right into some heavy work. There’s some sunlight piercing through the tree in the middle. Then there’s also a small house in the middle which you can see through the tree. Them there’s the addition of the water. This water is a glossy looking brown green. There is excellent layering and blending at play there as well.

The water here then changes to a blue white to reflect the sky instead of the trees. This is a nice look and is blended really softly by smudging around the edges of it. Also the right hand side of the tree sees the addition of more architecture and some more greenery.

Add in the ground on the right corner, it’s a nice brown mixed with shading under the bush. The bush itself is a small but fairly straightforward addition. Make sure to mind the small section of empty space you’re leaving there as well.

Were then going to add a small patch of grass into that empty white space to complete that side of the painting. The texture here relies heavily on the shading you add in from the tree and shrubs.

This final step adds in the last tree branches on the left hand side above the water. When you look at this painting you can see that there are a lot of excellent liters. The tree is the focus in the middle and the rest of the elements add framing. With the house actually highlighting the garden.

Thai Oil Paintings

This next section will take us to Thailand for some new paintings. These will be like the last set but with different and interesting locations. Take your time through these and enjoy the different landscapes you get to create and visualize!

Trees and Horizon

Original image

To start out we have the horizon to paint. The light cloudy blue color at the top which then denigrates into the yellowish orange tones for the sunset sky on the horizon.

Then we add some landscape in the distance. We have the trees coming into the negative space on the right there and then some small islands in the horizon there. This is a simple procedure with some darker colors.

Add in that tree into the empty space that was there on the right. These colors are also very flat and dry. That is always a telltale sign of what the focus will be for the painting. You can start to deduce early that the focus will be the skyline itself.

This step sees us fleshing out the lower portion of the nature set up on the right hand side of the painting. These dark colors are layered in a way that makes them none distracting to the viewer but also structures the rest of the image.

There is a ledge here and we are adding some more foliage along it. The ledge will be in the empty white space so be careful with adding in the actual foliage there. Here there is some pattering of lighter green to highlight the darker colors.

Add in the ledge here. It’s a light and easy brown color with some nightwear streaks to add texture. Then you add in the top portion of a tree that leans into the frame.

This step is all branch work. These branches are thin and long and can be added in with that thin brush you've been keeping around. There’s also some leaves thrown in there that can be just dabbed in nicely.

Here you get to dot the branches you've painted with leaves. You might wonder why you need to paint the branches and then the leaves if you won't really see the branches. That’s because you do see parts of the branches, and adding leaves on top of pre painted branches adds texture to the painting that adds to its visual excellence.

Finally we add the last portion of tree in here and you can see how all the foliage in darker colors actually highlights the beautifully designed skyline and horizon.

At the Beach

Original image

This next one takes place at a beach and has a very beautiful landscape with nice pops of color. Start out with a cloudy sky with some dashes of blue in there. This is another example of needing some grey mixed in.

Add some more grey to the white clouds and blend it in together. There is also some more blue streaked into the top right of the image.

This is the fun part of this painting. We start to paint in some distant landscape on the right hand side. Then we also get to add some structure and depth with the roof in the left portion of the painting. The color of the roof adds a really nice contrast as well.

Finally we start to put in the water. This water is streaked with grey blue colors from right to left with the colors getting lighter as you get closer to the left side of the painting. Notice there is some empty paces here as well near the water.

Next up we get to start adding in where the beach meets the water. Here it’s important to get the tide line accurate with some white highlights. Then the sand is a soft gradient blend from light brown to darker. The blending here is essential so don't be afraid to experiment with it a little bit. Also the shadow of the gazebo in the water spreads across the water here.

Add the rest of the beach onto the right hand side and see how the sand gets progressively darker until the end of the frame. There’s also another small spot of empty white space where you could figure a small animal might be.

This is an interesting step. The addition of a picnic is the table and the person near the table. As well you can see that there is a dog added here. For these details I recommend a thin tipped brush and some patience.

Here you can see that the rest of thaw people along the beach are added in. You will want to pay attention to the color of the clothes they are wearing and use a very thin tipped brush to get the details done right.

We get to finally fill in the gazebo on the water in this step. You can see that it is very intricate with a lot of small lines that require incredibly precision and patience as well as time. This is the beauty of painting, taking your time to see it come together.

Ocean Sunset

This painting is my personal favorite in this set. It has amazing layering and focuses almost entirely on layers and blending with very little intricacies and small details.

Original image

Start out with what you know super well and get that sky and those clouds painted in.

Next up you get to add in some more clouds and see that the clouds go from white to a darker grey. In the centre is a bright sun with oranges and yellows radiating off of it onto the surrounding clouds.

Now we start to add in the water. The water in this painting is darker and has the reflection from the sunset lightening up the water in the middle region. Notice also the rocks protruding from the water on the left side there. This will add some depth and character to the painting.

Continue with the water and add another landmass in. You can see that there are some rougher looking waves near the bottom. The layers and blending of the sky and water in this is so interesting if you pay close attention to the way the colors reflect on each other.

This step has very little added to it, just painting in the rest of the waves near the bottom. The empty space has some nature peppered into it in the next couple steps.

The tree top is in almost a full black color and has very little details. It’s almost not in focus at all so do your best to replicate that and structure it accordingly.

Fill out the rest of the foliage in the bottom right of the painting. Again this is a darker color with the main purpose being to frame in the actual painting itself by creating a foreground image to enhance what you're seeing in the horizon of the painting.

Last step you pepper in the tiniest bit of dark tree leaves in the bottom right and you're finished and left with an incredibly blended and layered image with beautiful perspective.

Turkey Oil Paintings

The final section is now upon us. We move to Turkey for the last three paintings. We are graced with some amazing final landscapes to paint with our oil skills we've learned this far. Take everything you've gained and put it into these final paintings and consider you graduated from beginner!

Mountain Range

Original image

This painting starts a little differently. It is still the sky though it’s made of reds and oranges. You can really see the layers here as well and how the strokes kind of lead into one another in a very interesting pattern. The blending comes later so just focus on that layering.

Now we paint in what will become the mountain range. It’s painted in a very dark brown but not black so make sure to know the distinction.

Here it is harder to see, but there are trees painted in and they are black in color to contrast with the bright colored sky and the dark brown mountain ridge.

The rest of the nature is filled in here in the bottom left of the painting. Again it’s hard to see so interpret the best you can but most importantly make sure you know you can layer dark colors in such a way that makes it look interesting and textured.

The most important step here is to softly blend all the layers of the sky onto one another. You can use a dry flat brush for this and just be delicate with it to make sure you cover the whole area.

Lastly we blend even further to the softest blend we've done yet. You even take it as far as to blend some of the bright colors down onto the mountain range itself to give it a nice reddish glow that really enhances the artistic value of the painting. This is easy to attain with time and to just keep refining your blend with your dry brush and add in a little white paint here and there if you have to.

Tree and Skyline

Original image

This sky is a smokier one then we have had the opportunity to work with yet. It uses some grey and blue as well as a touch of a very dark brown grey color blended with the grey.

The right side is blended in then on the left you can see that the sky is layered in first in some simple strokes.

Next up we add a small section of water in there. The water has white highlighting done on its surface to create a reflective look and feel to the top of it. The blue is also layered nicely to give it a perspective look of distance.

This step sees us doing what we did with the small section of water with the rest of the painting on the right hand side. As well there’s a small structure painted in dark colors on the right hand side.

Now we add in the first branch of the tree. You can see that this tree is painted in black to put all of the focus on the actual water and skyline itself. It’s an excellent method to pull the focus of your audience on your target.

Add in the other half of the trees branches on the left, minding the open white space.

This is where things get a little more technical and see us adding some small leaves in black on the branches. This is where a smaller brush comes in hand again for the very small details done on the branches.

Continue what you started in the last step with the branches on the upper right. Also notice that the blending has been accomplished over the course of the last few steps and make sure that you’re following along with that system.

Finally we spot in the last section of leaves and have a final product. An image like this puts the tree in frontal focus yet it’s not in color. This is an interesting perspective to utilize to showcase a landscape even out of focus.

Tall Tower

The last and final painting is in this section/book.

Original image

Start off with the sky, this time utilizing the dark blues. Although keep in mind that there is some blending at play here with some light amounts of white to soften the dark blue and give the sky that textured look.

Continue the sky downwards to a point and notice that it lightens a little bit more as well. The outline for the tower is very apparent here as well so you can start planning your next move.

In this step we start to paint in the tower. You should start with whatever makes you comfortable but keep an eye on the pointed roof and be careful painting it in. It is a solid grey for now with some light brown delicately traced across it as well. The tower itself is two toned and simply stroked for now.

Next we add in some foliage on the right hand side with lighter greens spotted on the top and then darker greens underneath. From there you then want to start on the roof of the main building of the tower. The details here are finer and thinner so you need to be precise. The colors are the same grey and beige in the step for the tower.

Fill out the rest of the leaves on that tree on the right then add some more paneling to the building. These panels are two toned as well with very little layering and no blending needed yet.

This step is dedicated to getting the rest of the leaves stippled along the bottom of the image to start showing the perspective of the image. You'll see that there is some yellow and a few dots of red peppered into it for some contrast.

Populate the rest of the foliage on the sides of the image with the same light green on top dark green underneath to keep the shading consistent. It can feel monotonous to take such time with leaves and greenery but it is integral to creating a realistic looking image.

Finally we add the last leaves to the image. You can see that the colors in the middle are lighter and a little more interesting than the ones surrounding it. That is an intentional way to add a structure to the image where your attention is drawn into the dead centre and keeps you there.

The last step here is to add in the middle of the tower. This is a very intricate step and needs patience and again I’ll say it, a fine tipped brush with precision. Finish that up and consider yourself done!

Animal Oil Paintings

In this section you have five different paintings to craft from scratch. They are all about different animals and have many different looks and styles. They are fun paintings that should prove a slight challenge but are the easiest in this book set of works. There are multiple pictures in each painting set that will guide you from beginning to end of each and every painting. Let’s start with the first one.

Dog in Shirt

Original image

This painting starts off very simple to begin with. The initial task is to structure the dogs face here. You’re using darker colors and simple brush strokes to outline the basic face shape of the pup. There is white paint used here for the nose area of the dog.

This next step of the painting is a touch more elaborate adding in the eye and the rest of the dogs face. Again you're sticking to dark browns and whites. There is a lot of nice layering done on the start of the dog’s body with the whites. You'll want to pace yourself and not worry if your layers aren't identical to this image. Just make sure that you are layering appropriately and utilizing the oil paints ability to stay wet for longer periods of time.

Here you can see that we are painting several different sections at once. One thing I hadn't yet mentioned is that if you don't have a plan for your painting, you can sketch it directly on to the canvas before you start so that way you can paint over the lines and then stay on track with your planned structure. So you can see here that the legs are started on with more layers of white and off white paints, leave the negative space for now.

Now you can see in this step that the empty space is being saved for the shirt. The light blues are layered here and lightly blended, but there are also more spaces still left. Again that’s because oil paints stay wet for so long that you need to do alike colors with one brush at one time and then do others after. Like how we did the whites last step and now the darker colors and the blues

This step sees the rest of the dogs blue shirt being filled out leaving only the top of its neck and head to be filled in. When lightening a color like the blues you use for the shirt, you can use white paint to blend it together and get a great mix.

This step is where we structure and complete the ears. There’s some light pink inside the dogs ears. This step is fairly simple and light, utilizing only the darker brown color and then the pink for the ears.

Here is where we start to actually smooth out the colors we've already been using. You can see that the dog’s front legs are blended in nicely and smoothed out. This can be done by taking a dry brush, dampening it with a bit of water, and then gently massaging the layered colors together in small simple strokes. This helps get a nice smooth look and texture.

This step sees the hind quarters of the dog smoothed out using the same technique as last time. This is a fairly simple procedure that can be tricky at first but the confidence will grow over time and repeated practice.

This step is all about the shirt that the dog is wearing. The blue gets smoothed out and accented with a little bit of texture like with wrinkles in the fabric itself.

This final step is very elaborate in the sense that it adds a whole new dimension to an already almost complete painting. The floor boards are somewhat easier though requiring use of solid colors and no real blending or texturing. There is some light smudging used here at the edges of the floor boards. This can be done with a dry sponge and the paint or you can even use your own fingers for that effect as well.

Dog with Toy

Original image

This next one starts out with a small step to begin with. It’s some light detail with whites and a little bit of a darker shade in there as well. There is layering here if you look closely but it’s small and delicate so remember to use a smaller headed brush.

Now we start adding what will be the body of the dog itself. It’s all whites and here you can see a nice gradient shift as it goes from a bright white to a much darker off white shade through progression in the painting. This is an exciting effect that can be used in a million different ways.

Now we have the actual back leg of the dog being painted in. It is also fairly smoothed out to start so keep that in mind when approaching this specific step. You will want to be ready to blend when you do this one. Also notice how the layers on along the dogs back fade into one another as they approach the back leg? That’s how you know whether or not your blending is working. It’s great way to test it out as well.

Then we smooth out the rest of the dogs body so far as well as add in another hind leg and then a portion of the front legs. This is again a great example of blending as you go which can save you time in the long run.

Adding the first half of the dogs face is upon us. The thing to remember about this step is that you want to do the white sections first before you switch colors and do the darker ones. That just makes the consistency somewhat easier in reference to the progression of your painting.

This is a very small but still important step. You want to add the right hand darker side of the puppy face here. This is again utilizing the dark colors you would have been using last on your last step.

It’s time for the ears now in this image. Again darker colors so follow the structure that’s visible here and then build up the ears. Building up using layering is the best method to get a very genuine looking image. You can see w white empty space here which is indicative of where the toy will go for the dog.

In this image you see the introduction of the toy. It is a small but significant step, the yellow shaping the space where the rest of the ball will be painted in. As well the layering on the yellow paint is subtle but smooth,

Then we go ahead and finish the rest of the ball using the same technique that we observed for the first yellow strip. You also should be blending it to a smooth texture as you go for this one.

Now it’s your chance to utilize the thinner tipped brush heads here for the greenery and flower additions at the feet of the puppy in this step. It is important to note that the detail here is subtle but it’s also a great addition in terms of adding color that pops.

In this second to last step we further add on to the landscape that we introduced in the last step but buying it up with more texture and whites. This gives the image some excellent depth as well, including the shadow from the dog falling across some of the flowers which makes for an interesting painting.

This final step is fairly basic in nature but important. Here we go over all of the things we've done so far and just make sure that they are smoothed out and texturized properly in order to make a complete and beautiful looking painting.

Two Cats

Original image

This next painting has a vast amount of dark colors that you use at the start. The layering of these can be tricky at first when you're not used to layering darker colors, but you'll get the hang of it as you go through it. There is also a dash of yellow in this first step for the first cat’s eye.

This next step is going to look very similar to the last one. Continue layering the black colors and then also some darker but not black shades. This creates some nice looking texture to the image which will add to its depth.

Now we're going to add in the majority of this first cat’s body. This is again another instance of a lot of black paint being needed. You'll see some light blending in there but not anything that you need to concern yourself with right away.

This is an interesting and important step. Here is where we start to introduce the other cat into the photo. The shades of grey used here are layered nicely one over the other in a smooth pattern. You can see there are some darker strokes and then the lighter pink colors in the ears.

In this step we add a lot more of the outer structure of the second cat but do very little for the cats inside. There's also the starting of the blanket being painted in with soft dark and light blue layering.

This is an important step for layering. You're adding in to the outline of grey paint you already added and are building up the interior design of the grey cat. It requires attention to detail and do your best to hit over blend the paint too early.

Now we get to fill in the rest of the cat’s body. Leaving only some facial features to be fully filled in. This is where you want to take a look at the shading on the back legs of the cat and make sure to account for that in the layering of light and dark shades.

This is another fairly simple step that requires some more basic filling in of the cats face. Get your grey shades and such and get back to work on that!

This step however small is very important to the character of the actual image. This is where you add the cat’s eyes in. They are very similar to the first cat’s eyes yet slightly paler. This is an example of a detail that you can't overlook and need to pay close attention to.

This step is one that is a lot of fun. The blending of the layers into one another isn't just a fairly simple task but it's the one that is most entertaining. You essentially get to texture your image however you'd like to while composing the integrity of the image to the best of your ability.

In this step we focus on the background which is a simple two toned wallpaper style. It's very basic and just requires simple strokes of the colors. This wallpaper adds immense and excellent contrast to the two cats and their darker shades.

Dog Close-up

Original image

For this one we've got a close-up of a dogs face. To start out we want to get the first portion of the face painted up with darker shades. The layering here on such dark colors isn't as important as it is to make sure the structure is done right.

Here we have the other side of the dog’s face being added in to the frame. There is some empty space in the middle where we will add more things in in later steps.  For now we are focusing on only the darker shades.

This step we add in the nose and very end of the dog’s snout. Again this is all darker colors and shades. Meaning that the layering structure while still necessary isn't something to pressure you with.

For the next addition to the pup we have the ears being layered in and built up on the canvas with just the darker colors again. The only difference to this is being that you now have multiple areas without any colors. This just means that you need to know your layout when plotting something like this.

Here is the stage where layering is the most essential thing. The addition of different colors layered in between the empty spaces that previously existed. There are white colors in the middle and in the ears there is darker colors and then pink in the one ear.

This next step is the addition of the rest of the body of the dog. At least the front two legs and the chest. The white is added in here in chucks and layers like usual. This step is also another great example of watching for the light source in the painting and seeing where the shadows fall. In this you can see that the shadows are understandably on the dog’s lower half.

This step focuses primarily on the dogs open mouth and all the light pinks that are used there. As well there is the tooth which is a more intricate detail that should be paid close attention to with a smaller finer brush.

This step is much smaller than the last one and includes only a couple steps. The eyes are a very flat and glossy black. You can layer the paint on itself to give it a more textured appearance.

Here we have the addition of the hind legs in smooth white. The legs are also blended here and smoothed out entirely. This is a nice texture. You can see how the layers pay off when blending to make it easier to structure your blending in a way that benefits the final product.

This step sees us smoothing out the face. The blending here is the same as other times. Just make sure that you're not over blending and mixing the darker shades into the white spaces and ruining the structure of the image.

Here is a good chance to go about fine tuning the image for the last few times that you need to. Including checking on the layering of the colors and making sure you've blended anything together that needs to be blended. As well you scan touch anything up. Remember that oil paint stays wet for a long time so you can fix it whenever.

Now we get to paint in the background. The far back is just a black couch. You can see there's some different shades there meaning it's probably fabric. Then there are the blankets that the dog is standing in. These have some folds to then which will require multiple shades of your colors including red and white.

Kitten

Original image

Let’s get started with some simple and small brush strokes for the beginning outline. This is going to start the foundation for the kitten’s lower portion of its face. This is a great starting point when you've mapped out your work already. Since you're doing this in a guide you don't need to map anything out though usually it is very helpful.

Now we get started on the next step which is the ears. There is again a lot of grey shades in this painting so you will be working with layering those colors again which is something you are already very familiar with so there shouldn't be any problem in it.

With the ears finished its time to start working on the surrounding background type area in the painting. This again serves as a great way to keep some negative space that you can work with and utilize in any way that you need to. It also fortifies your foundation for the rest of the painting project.

With the outline mostly finished we now start adding the painting work for the kittens head. You have a lot of shade work done where with nice layering. The thing about layering with fur for a fluffier animal is getting the texture right. So there is a lot of little brush strokes just to keep it leveled right.

In this step you are merely adding more along the right hand side of the painting. More browns and grey for this section.

This step here is a touch more elaborate. You are creating more base layers to build up off of in the next few steps. It’s lighter grey at the top and then as it progresses downward you have some darker shades in there as well.

Filling in some more of that negative space isn't hard with a guide like this. Which is why I on occasion mention that when you are doing your own projects that don’t come with instructions its best to map out what your plan will be so you at least have options in regards to proceeding? Here I am only advising you to watch the layers.

Fill in the left side paw with some grey oil paint, making sure to be mindful of the correct width of the paw before going ahead and getting paint all over it.

This sees the end of the background additions and the kitten is also almost full intact besides its eyes. The paws tend to have much darker shading on them then the rest, suggesting that the source of light is more so head on the kitten.

An important step we have here is the placement of the eyes. These are very pale green with glossy black in the centre. The glossy look can be achieved by adding more oil into the paint if you choose to purchase some oil on its own for addition purposes. Otherwise you can fake that glossy look with appropriately applied dabs of white paint.

Finally for the last few steps we start smoothing out the fur and blending in the layers. This gets rid of the blocky or splotchy looking colors and makes them more textured which provides the painting with better depth.

When done properly you get a great looking painting with fantastic realism and authenticity. It’s very important to try and attain a balance between your personal expression in the art and the representation of the subject.

Conclusion

Well, that concludes all of the paintings that we have to run you through for your oil painting journey. However through all of this you have learned everything you needed to in order to be a confident oil painter. You also learned some history about the craft and got to brush up on the techniques and understand the materials required. Keep in mind that the paintings you recreated on your own that exist in this book can be done whenever you like and you can even try to create your own versions of them as well if you're looking for practice in interpreting. Also, you should just try and paint your own oil paintings from pure inspiration. Remember that this book is filled with information that will help you through any snag you may encounter on your own personal oil painting adventure.

Go on and enjoy the world of oil paints!

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