Painting Tutorial: 101 (Part 1)

The following is a tutorial that I have written after being encouraged by other members on the forums. It should give you a good idea of just how easy painting can be to add to your drawings and it will hopefully convince you to give the painting a try.

I have divided this tutorial into two parts. In this part of the blog, I will be listing out all the materials needed to get started on your painting. The second part covers the process.

This tutorial is my first attempt at teaching you about oil painting, so I hope you all enjoy it! Well, here we go…

– Oil paint set (oil paints are used because they are more vibrant.) You can buy it at any art store. Just ask for an oil painting set and the clerk will be able to help you! There are also watercolor sets so hey, why not give those a try too?  Though if you’re serious about getting into oil painting, I suggest shelling out the dough for good tubes so you can get better results with fewer coats of paint. –   Palette or plate that can hold your brush(s)  This doesn’t really need much explaining. Anything that has a flat surface will do. –   A brush for painting (synthetic brushes are generally better for beginners.)  I like using the short handle brushes because they’re easier to hold and control. Synthetic rounds work well too. Do not use bristle brushes; they will leave strokes in your paint!

– Painting surface (canvas board, hardboard panel, or stretched canvas)

– Wooden panel (preferably masonite board or illustration board) that is about 1/8″ thick, no smaller than 6″x6″, and larger than your drawing so you have room to work. A full-size painting can be as big as 12″x12″ or more, but you don’t want to start out that big if you’re a beginner. Trust me.

– Filler (gesso and/or white paint will do.)  This is so the surface of your board won’t suck up all of the oil from your paint and dry too quickly. It’s optional though you may not need it depending on the quality of your board. A good quality masonite board doesn’t need any filler, but a cheap illustration board definitely does!

– Brush cleaner is Very important for keeping your brush in good shape! I use the Wolf brand because it’s made just for oil paints and I find that it does a great job of cleaning and conditioning my brushes. You can get it at any art store or online. – Palette knife  This is for mixing paint on your palette so you don’t have to use the same old brush over and over again until it’s caked with paint! If you’re using tube paints then you won’t need this, but if you want to use pan-paint then get one!

– Newspaper/paper towels  Any flat surface will do when painting, but newspaper works best because it helps absorb excess oil from your board and catch messes and drips. You

‘ll be using a lot of it.

– Small, clean paint jars (optional)  I like to use these because they’re easier to mix colors in and store my paints when I’m not using them. Plus you can keep one jar for particularly messy or dried up paint that you can revive later on by adding solvent/turpentine into the jar, then mixing really well until smooth again. (I had to do this with some dried up orange paint on accident today… don’t make the same mistake! Lol.) These are very cheap which makes them worth it if you plan on painting often. – Brushes for cleaning your board (a stiff bristle brush is good; i recommend getting an old toothbrush from a thrift store.)

– Masking tape  This is if you plan on framing your painting. Having a messy edge at the back of your board may pose a problem when hanging, so mask it with masking tape! You can also use this to cover up parts that you don’t want painted, like if you’re going to paint over a white background with blue and black paint… make sure no white shows through by covering it all with masking tape beforehand =D – Solvent (turpentine or mineral spirit) or Odorless thinner  The difference between these two is that solvent is for thinning oil paints while odorless thinner is for cleaning brushes. Canned aerosol versions are available but they tend to be pricey. The best kind of thinner is turpentine made for oil paint, which you can buy at any art store and costs about the same as mineral spirit (which is what most brands of odorless thinner are.) – Palette paper (optional)  Use this to protect your palette from oil paints! It’s very easy to clean up with a damp rag or towel. You can also use freezer paper if that’s all you have lying around.

– Paper Towels are A must for cleanup no matter how messy you get! But seriously, expect to spend most of your time cleaning brushes and tidying up. I got my hair nearly tangled in my bristles once because I didn’t think ahead and laid them on the floor instead of on a paper towel.

– Rag/Towel  Again, you’ll be using this to clean up your brushes so get one that’s lint-free! I use terrycloth hand towels which are great for soaking up large amounts of solvent. Or you can get any kind of microfiber rag if you don’t have terrycloth towels lying around.

– Palette  You can technically just glob paint onto your board and mix it with a palette knife but trust me– you won’t always have time for that before the paint dries! And having a designated palette is very useful when planning out colors before painting them in. I got mine at Hobby Lobby for $1 along with some cheap paintbrushes.

– Paper or cardstock  You’ll need this for blocking in your paintings! This is especially important if you’re doing an underpainting which requires you to draw with a pencil first before painting over it. You can use watercolor paper, cardboard, regular printer/copy/notebook paper… whatever is lying around will do fine as long as it’s not too thick and doesn’t buckle easily when wetted with solvent. – Rags  These are mainly used by oil painters but most people I know who upgrade from just plain watercolors tend to start using rags immediately because they’re so darn easy to use! Instead of having to clean up paint every time you go back into a new color on your painting, rags can be wetted and used to pick up any excess paint on your picture whenever you need. Just make sure to wring them out well before using or they’ll leave wet spots behind! – Palette Knife  You probably won’t need this if you’re doing small paintings but I got one anyway because I’m planning on starting some bigger pieces soon. You can also use a spoon or fork as long as it’s not for eating with~ – Sandpaper/Sanding Block

– Spray Bottles  These are optional but if you don’t have any lying around, get one because they may come in handy when painting. If you already have spray bottles from an art store or Michaels, try pouring your leftover solvent into them for easy access. They can also be used to wet your paper before painting on it but I wouldn’t recommend using them to clean up paint because it’ll make a mess. – Surface  Oil paints need a smooth, semi-absorbent surface if you want the paint to cover evenly. This is why oil painters traditionally use canvas or linen which are specially made for oil paints. If you’re not willing to shell out that much money, go ahead and use any board or sheet of cardboard! Just wipe it down first with solvent to ensure that no residue is left over from manufacturing~ And finally…

– Heavy books/objects  Seriously who wants to hold their paintings up all? It’s so tiring! Keep it propped up while the paint dries by placing some heavy objects on top of it.

And there you have it! An updated list of what I consider essentials in oil painting. I’m pretty sure there are more things that I haven’t mentioned here but most of these are usually found in supermarkets with ease, so hopefully, you guys won’t have a problem finding them.

Now that you have all the materials needed, follow my next blog on how to get started with your oil painting!

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Thanks for reading! 🙂 See you next time!