Oil Painting Techniques

Oil Painting Techniques I: Developing the Underpainting.

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:36:03 -0400

Drawing and Composition:
I begin oil paintings by drawing and composing the subject. It's best to draw the subject with pencil or raw umber oil paint while composing the surrounding space on canvas.

Developing Planes:
It's important to define the planes, which connect the different forms that comprise the subject of your painting. Find the large planes first. Then work your way down to the smaller plains. Once you find the top planes, front planes, side planes, and bottom planes, you'll start to understand the dimensionality of the subject.

Oil Painting Techniques II: Creating a Value Study and Color Study

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:36:06 -0400

Value Study:

Create a simple study, a rough painting that is used to work out the main values, which are shades of light and dark. The study should use neutral grays, which are cool and warm gray paints that are mixed together to create a neutral color temperature. You can work out the values for any painting with a simple value study that's no larger than a postage stamp. Once you work out the values, you'll be ready to develop the colors.

Color Study:

A color study can easily be created now that you've completed your value study. All the colors in the color study should match the values in your value study. The red color in the shadow of a dog's ear should be the same value as the shadow in the ear from your neutral gray study. The intensity (chroma) of the colors will depend on the objects in your painting and the relationship of all the elements in your painting.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:36:08 -0400

Jackson
Underpainting with raw umber oil paint
and titanium white oil paint for high lights.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: Small Studies

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:36:10 -0400

Value Study Color Study