Hello Super Cute!
Welcome to this tutorial where you will learn how to paint with oil on canvas! Come with me to discover this wonderful technique, which will help you make many crafts such as paintings, lamps, picture frames, and more!
Step by step I will show you, in a very simple way, how to achieve it… you will realize that it is much easier than you think.
A relevant aspect of this art, like many others, is patience… You must carry out this project with dedication and without haste, to guarantee a good result. If you see it objectively, it is a concentration, meditation, and relaxation technique, and for this reason, I’m loving ‘it!
Materials and Accessories
- Wooden frame with canvas primed in plaster*
- Oil paintings
- Brushes
- Linseed oil
- Turpentine
- Palette for mixing paints (wood or plastic)
- Erasable pencil or carbon paper
- Easel**
* The frame is a wooden structure on which the canvas is glued so that it is fixed and taut.
**The use of the easel is optional.
Step 1: Define the Design and Make the Layout
The first thing you should do is define the drawing or design you want to paint and trace it on the canvas, using an erasable pencil. If you make a mistake you can use a cream or breadcrumb eraser to reorganize the layout.
This step is not necessary for abstract figures, where you want to give free rein to your imagination and paint whatever your mind creates as you go!
Step 2: Using the Easel
Now you must take the canvas and mount it on the easel so that it is in a more comfortable position for painting.
The use of the easel favors the freehand painting technique. Unlike other painting techniques with instant drying, this is important when working with oil, since it prevents the palm of the hand from damaging areas of work that have fresh paint.
The use of this accessory is optional since there are people who prefer to paint with canvas on a table.
Choose the option with which you feel better.
Step 3: Define the Colors
Once your design is drawn, you must define the colors you want to use. Basic color palettes usually include primary colors, secondary colors, black, and white.
In the market, you will also find a wide variety of tertiary and quaternary tones. However, it would be good if you got a basic understanding of how to mix colors to create different shades.
Step 4: Using the Flaxseed Oil
Linseed oil is used to dilute oil colors, as these are very thick. As their name says, they are oily paintings, bone based on oil, so you cannot dilute them with water but with oil.
The amount of flaxseed oil that you are going to use depends on the density of the paint you want to apply on the canvas.
If you apply a small amount, the paint will have a stronger color and will be more dense, so it will be thicker and more prominent on the canvas. If you apply more oil, the paint will be lighter and thinner, so it will look flatter on the canvas.
For this step, you can help yourself with the palette or tray to mix paints. You just have to apply a little oil of the color you are going to use on it, and with the help of a brush, you mix it with a few drops of linseed oil until you obtain the desired density.
Step 5: Let's paint!
To paint with oil it is recommended to start in order, taking into account the depth of the objects that make up the image.
The elements that are in the background such as skies, seas, walls, or others, that are in the back of the design, you must paint them first and let them dry.
Then you go forward with the elements that are at medium level, and finally, you must paint the objects that you want to look closer.
A great feature of oil painting on canvas is that it doesn’t have to be perfect, it allows for spontaneous brushstrokes, and allows you to play with color and shapes in a wonderful way.
Use the size of the brush according to the area you are painting. For small, intricate, or highly detailed elements, use thin, hard-tipped brushes; for larger, less-detailed areas, use large brushes.
Tip: A recommendation that you should keep in mind is that the elements or colors that you want to blend should be painted at the same time to prevent the oil from drying out and to ensure that the colors mix properly.
On the contrary, if you want to make a difference in the contours of an element, you should paint it and wait for it to dry, so that its colors do not mix with the colors of the elements that surround it.
Step 6: Using Turpentine
Turpentine is used to clean work tools, such as brushes, spatulas, and mixing palettes, when you are going to stop or rest for several hours. This is because oil is an oily paint that will dry and stick to them.
Congratulations, you have learned the basics of How to Paint with Oil On Canvas!
I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did, it took me over 72 hours to make it and I put all my love into it to make sure you understand everything!
¡Ey! Te invito a visitar el contenido de mi página www.supercutecrafts.com, es totalmente gratuito y cuenta con una gran variedad de manualidades y diseños para que hagas infinidad de Super Cute Crafts.
Podrás aprender a realizar estampación de prendas, cojines, decoración de tazas u otros utensilios de cocina, cuadros, pancartas, tarjetas, cuadernos, libretas, decoración de espacios, personalización de elementos, pegatinas y más!
¡No te lo puedes perder!
