painting in oils novice?

Question

any tips please,
I like to paint outdoors when possible,but having bit of trouble mixing the many greens required,perhaps you more experienced painters could help me devise a method of mixing when out,and how to obtain the correct shades.thankyou

Answer 1

Start with your largest brush and don't be afraid to mix colors. It takes practice to learn how to mix paints and you have to learn to paint in your own style. But when learning start with the biggest brush and use big brush strokes.

Oils is a process of building from the ground up so don't be afraid of sloshing lots of paint on the canvas. In oils start with the biggest brush, learn it's properties then use the next smallest.

You will be surprised with all you can do with the house painting size brush. btw Good luck!!!

Answer 2

I LOVE painting outdoors! But it can be challenging. The best method is "A La Prima" - meaning no layers, just dabs to fill in the spaces. To begin, mix a very thin neutral colour (raw sienna perhaps) with lots of turpentine, and brush in some quick shapes to define your composition and values (dark & light areas). This will dry quickly and you can dab your colour on top.

Greens can be one of the most difficult colours to mix... start with a blue that has a green tint to it and not purple - use Cobalt or Cerulean, and stay away from Ultramarine and Phthalocyanine (phthalo blue can "take over" a painting). Then choose a lemony yellow, or a yellow ochre, not an orange-yellow.

My favourite pre-mixed green is Sap Green, it's very natural looking. To tone down a "too-green" green, add a tiny bit of red. For green in the distance, try adding more blue plus white to give it a hazy look, (or try lavender!) and don't use too much detail in your background.

Have fun painting!

Answer 3

i make my own greens in oil by mixing cadmiun yellow medium with cobalt blue. i don't like to carry many tubes of paint when i paint outdoors, so i have found that getting back to basic color theory is key (and lightweight, easier to carry less stuff). you really only need a few basic colors to get the range you need. heres what i use as staples in my art box:

titanium white
cad. yellow med.
cobalt blue
cadmium red (light or med, it's up to you)
burnt umber
raw sienna

mineral spirits
japan drier
painting medium #3

assorted brushes (some flats, rounds, filberts, and some fine liners, both bristle & sable)

this is pretty much all you need to get going, and it sure beats carrying around your entire studio! just get a good easel, canvas and a stool, and you're good to go!

for color mixing tips, you should study a color wheel and learn the basics of mixing though. it would take a while to explain here, but the basic notion is that you can get to any color with the three primary colors and white. everything can be mixed from these. matter of fact, most serious artists i know only use five or six different tubes of paint. buying all the colors just makes things more complicated, expensive, and tends to make your color all muddy. i prefer the richness of keeping with the fewest number colors.

start painting those happy trees!

Answer 4

One secret about painting is dint use to many colours. A painting is an image you are representing, not a copy. Photographs do that, but they miss the dark areas out by being black. Before you go out to paint spend time at home experimenting with your palette. Use two colours, lemon yellow and cerulean blue. Mix as many greens as possible using different amounts. Then for a more mossy green, use yellow ochre. Paint the colours next to each other and see how many variations you come up with. Add more thinners to make your colours more runny and a little more transparent. Change the blue for french ultramarine, or phthalo blue, the possibilities are endless, the shades immense. Practise as often as possible with two colours, use different surfaces to paint on, from wooden panels to card, all will show your colours in different shades. Whilst outside, you can look at your practise sheets to see what combination best represents your surroundings. Why don't you have a go at mixing brown and blue in equal amounts. See what colour you get. Add a little green to this colour, or red?. Above all, enjoy your creative instincts, it is the secret to inner satisfaction - even though people might not see it as you do!.

Answer 5

Baz, when painting in any medium the challenge is mixing the color you want. Experiment with separate painting boards and put one color down. Then begin adding other colors to it, one at a time. You will soon develop your own "language" of colors, and be well on your way to becoming a great artist. Read books about the ideas of other artists, but read only for understanding, not for adopting their colors or mixing techniques as your own.

Answer 6

I fear the only way is through experience; sorry to be boring

but you will get as many theories about this as you will get answers. But if you go out there and experiment - even in a regimented way to begin with - you will find your own answers.

That's what art's all about

Answer 7

Mix the colours as you see them or just use the colours you feel like using..Thats one of the things that make you unique and most painters developed a way of using colour.in their own way..

Answer 8

Hi,

Have you tried buying a value finder to better distinguish the different values between greens ?

Kind regards,

José

Answer 9

yellow an white make lite grass green,darkgreen an white make the colour for semmie green grass an leaves

Answer 10

go to youtube and search for Bob Ross. he's a genius when it comes to how to use the paint and brushes. and he dumbs it down for novices like us.