Introduction to Oil Painting

Whether you're an art enthusiast eager to explore a new medium or a complete novice looking to embark on a creative journey, this course will provide you with a solid foundation in the techniques, tools, and principles of oil painting. You’ll also get the chance to engage in rich discussions with students from all over the world about your favorite artists and compositions.

The course begins with an exploration of the unique properties of oil paint, its history, and its advantages as a medium. You'll learn about different types of brushes, paints, and surfaces commonly used in oil painting. You'll then discover how to mix colors effectively and apply the basic rules of composition to your first paintings. 

To strengthen your ability to see and mix colors, you'll create a painting with at least six tints of blue and white. To learn how complementary colors add vibrancy to your composition, you'll paint a canvas using red and green. You'll explore tools, such as viewfinders and thumbnails, to help you in the creative process, along with techniques for determining light sources. You'll then apply all that you have learned by setting, lighting, composing, and painting a still life. 

Throughout this hands-on course, you will be guided step-by-step by an experienced instructor, allowing you to gain confidence, develop essential skills at a pace that works for you, and pave the way for further exploration and growth as an oil painter. 

What you will learn:

✔ Mix oil paints and prepare a canvas for painting         
✔ Discuss the history, advantages, and examples of oil painting         
✔ Apply the five basic rules of composition to your paintings         
✔ Create a viewfinder for any canvas that you will paint         
✔ Draw thumbnail sketches to help you visualize your paintings         
✔ Determine or set the light source for maximum impact on and consistency with your compositions         
✔ Set, light, compose, and paint a still life

Join our visual arts classes online and take your skills to the next level.