Introduction to Oil Painting

with Nataliya Zozulya

Six Week Autumn Programme 2024

  1. Introduction to Materials:

- oil paints, how to make your own oil paint

- support and grounds (canvases v wood panels); why do we need to seal the support

- brushes -variations, sizes, fibre and costs

- how to make your own palette

- thinners and mediums

Creating the colour wheel, secondary and tertiary colours

Tree colours and their possibilities

Two canvas panels 30 x 40 cm

 

2. Learning different brushstrokes and some simple oil techniques

(with the help of visual materials)

Choosing pigments to create autumn palette of colours.

Hue, value and saturation of colour.

Painting a simple shape objects.

Two canvas panels 30 x 40 cm

 

3. Basic shapes in everyday life: sphere, cube, pyramid, cone.

Light and its colour. How to use tone and light to create 3D objects

How to draw and paint the mug. Still life with the dark background. Circle in perspective.

One 25x30 cm canvas panel

 

4. Simple still life in grisaille technique using 5 tones.

Composition, proportions, tonal sketches. Help of tone scale to understand the tonal framework of the painting. “Fat-over-lean” rule in oil painting in layers.

Secrets of basic perspective.

One canvas panel or canvas 30 x 40 cm

 

5.Simple still life in grisaille technique 2nd session.

How light models form.

Learning the importance of hard and soft edges.

Working on details.

How to use glaze.

 

6. Christmas still life.

Alla prima (“all at once’) oil painting technique using colour blocking approach, less use of underdrawing, painting impasto.

Possible use of palette knife to move the paint around the canvas.

One 25x30 cm canvas panel or canvas

  

The tutor has the right to change the program in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Materials for Introduction to Oil Painting

Oil:

Sufficient amount of Titanium or Zinc White (200ml tube), Ivory Black, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Yellow or Gold Ochre, Red Ochre Transparent, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Oxide of Chromium Green, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmiums: Red and Yellow.

(Winsor&Newton Artist’s range is good. Their student version is suitable however they have less colour pigment in them)

 

Surfaces:

Several artist’s boards, canvas boards or canvases (white gesso primed)

18x14inches,   16x12 inches,   14x10inches

 

Brushes:

Range of good quality hog long filberts and flats from number 6 to 12 plus small n2 round brush for details

 

Solvents:

Low Odour for the lessons, turpentine or white spirit if you prefer at home. Please do not bring turps or white spirit to the classroom.

2 jam jars with lid for washing your brushes during work

Linseed oil

 

Palettes:

Rectangular or oval medium wooden or firm plastic palette (white plastic is good)

size appr 37x23cm (see links below)

 

Palette knife:

eg Winsor&Newton palette knife N21 or N22

 

Plenty of rags or kitchen towel, old shirt  or apron to protect clothing (or wear old clothes)

paper to cover the tables and chair while working with oils in classroom

 

Drawing paper pad A3 size (for notes and some sketching), 2B pencils, eraser.

You might find these links useful:

http://www.cassart.co.uk

https://www.jacksonsart.com

https://www.pullingers.com