How to Blend Oil Paint
Begin your painting with a charcoal sketch., Shake off the excess charcoal or spray the canvas with a fixative to prevent smudging. , Add values of lightness and darkness to the sketch with an underpainting., Allow the underpainting to dry., Combine...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Begin your painting with a charcoal sketch.
This sketch is the framework you’ll use to differentiate the areas where you’ll need to blend oil paint from the rest of the painting. -
Step 2: Shake off the excess charcoal or spray the canvas with a fixative to prevent smudging.
, The underpainting should be painted with a thinned out base color.
Use turpentine or your preferred thinner to create the consistency of a watercolor.
More pigment should be for use in the darker areas of the painting, and additional turpentine should mix into the base color when you are ready to paint the lightest values.
The varying tones in the underpainting will be your guide when you’re ready to blend oil paint. , Typically, 10 to 15 minutes is sufficient. , You may either mix all of your various shades for the blend before you begin, or you may lighten the shade as you work.
For novices, it is generally best to have all of the shades at your disposal until you are satisfied with the blend. ,, Flat brushes tend to work best for blending.
Round brushes are typically avoided. , The parallel strokes should be perpendicular to the lighter shades. , A clean brush should always be used when working with a new shade, even if the actual color is the same. , -
Step 3: Add values of lightness and darkness to the sketch with an underpainting.
-
Step 4: Allow the underpainting to dry.
-
Step 5: Combine your oil paints on your palette to create the darkest shade in your blend.
-
Step 6: Apply your shades in their approximate final locations
-
Step 7: using the underpainting as a reference.
-
Step 8: Create a transition between the first two shades using a crosshatch stroke.
-
Step 9: Smooth the blend by using parallel strokes along the transition you just created.
-
Step 10: Use a clean brush to blend the next shade
-
Step 11: and repeat the technique using first crosshatched strokes followed by parallel stokes.
-
Step 12: Finished.
Detailed Guide
This sketch is the framework you’ll use to differentiate the areas where you’ll need to blend oil paint from the rest of the painting.
, The underpainting should be painted with a thinned out base color.
Use turpentine or your preferred thinner to create the consistency of a watercolor.
More pigment should be for use in the darker areas of the painting, and additional turpentine should mix into the base color when you are ready to paint the lightest values.
The varying tones in the underpainting will be your guide when you’re ready to blend oil paint. , Typically, 10 to 15 minutes is sufficient. , You may either mix all of your various shades for the blend before you begin, or you may lighten the shade as you work.
For novices, it is generally best to have all of the shades at your disposal until you are satisfied with the blend. ,, Flat brushes tend to work best for blending.
Round brushes are typically avoided. , The parallel strokes should be perpendicular to the lighter shades. , A clean brush should always be used when working with a new shade, even if the actual color is the same. ,
About the Author
Elizabeth Jackson
Specializes in breaking down complex creative arts topics into simple steps.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: