Next you must learn the process of oil painting. From beginning to end.
Imagine knowing what to do in a step by step manner.
Never again saying to yourself "what do I do now?"
Never becoming lost or confused again while painting your paintings.
And this is no different than learning a procedure to anything else...for example:
I think you would agree that a surgeon knows the procedure to perform an operation. A carpenter knows the procedure for building a cabinet.
Well, you need to know a procedure for making a painting of whatever you it is that you want to paint.
When you begin your painting, which of these steps should you do?
Do you draw on the canvas or panel right away?
Do you draw on paper first?
Do you draw with pencil on the canvas or panel?
The answer is you can do any of these things, However, you should be able to choose the method that best suits you.
Of course the very beginning is just one step. Then you will need to know the other steps in the process that you. This involves things like…
underpainting
painting over dried paint - how to layer your paint
glazing and veiling
how to handle edges
Checking your composition
Translating nature into a simple tone value system
and more.
You see, when you know exactly what these procedures and techniques are you choose which ones will help you to paint the picture you are working on.
You have learned how to think like an oil painter.
You have learned how to translate what you see into the language of paint.
And now, you will have learned the techniques to use so you can use your materials and put it all together in a wonderful oil painting.
Will it benefit you to use a monochrome underpainting? If it will, you use one. If it won’t, you don’t use one. How to layer your paint, When and how to glaze. You can only do this when you know all the secrets of oil painting techniques.
Now to get this information, you may think you can enroll in a painting class, and hope the instructor will teach you all of this vital information.
I have been through many art teachers myself, and I must say, I was not taught this vital information in a painting class. I learned all of this information on my own from more than 15 years research in museums and trial and error.
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