Hello again,
…..the lockdown continues in Sydney, NSW. I attempt oil painting on a small canvas. My favourite part of this painting is the texture and strokes.
This is my first attempt at using oil in this impressionist way. This was really fun and intuitive, I found the medium much more forgiving then watercolours because you can layer over and over again to achieve the colour you are looking for so mistakes are rectifiable. I only used a bit of paint of each colour, mostly white, red and yellow to achieve these peachy colours.
My process:
- prep surface by painting one layer of gesso on canvas (10 x 7 cm),
- once dry, tape the corners of the tiny canvas to a piece of board to stabilise it,
- set up on an easel,
- work off a photo on my phone,
- use two paint brushes, one for warm colours and one for cool colours,
- work from light to dark colours,
- block out shapes large to small.
Some things I learnt about using oil paints as a beginner:
- Adding white gesso helps the paint dry faster and gives your painting texture,
- Have a rough idea of how much paint you need before you squeeze paint onto your canvas – you don’t need the same amount of each colour,
- After a while all the colours start looking the same so be intentional with the values you are trying to achieve before you start painting,
- As tempting as it is …. don’t touch the painting for 24 hours at least.
Hang in there, when this is all over we can embrace the freedom together!
Hoping you are safe and sound!
Teresa xx
Teresa Dang 