Painting Made Clear: Foundations of Oil Painting

Discover the essential tools for oil painting — paints, brushes, supports, mediums, and palettes — and learn how to select and prepare them for optimal results.

Learn the core brush movements and handling skills to control stroke direction, pressure, and texture, giving you precision and expression in your painting.

Understand the proper methods for cleaning oil paint from your brushes to keep them in top condition and extend their lifespan.

Learn quick and effective ways to clean your palette so you can maintain a fresh surface and preserve the purity of your colors.

Discover how to apply paint evenly to create a smooth, uniform background without visible brush marks.

Master the art of blending two colors seamlessly to create smooth gradients and soft transitions in your paintings.

Learn how to prepare your own painting medium and apply the fat over lean principle to ensure your oil paintings remain stable over time.

Explore how to use Liquin to improve flow and adjust the finish of your oil paintings.

Find out how to sign your work neatly and confidently, choosing the right tools and placement for a professional result.

Learn how to apply varnish correctly to protect your painting, unify its finish, and enhance colors once it’s fully dry.

Discover how to use the grid method to create an accurate and proportional drawing as a foundation for your oil painting, even if you have little or no drawing experience.

An overview of what you’ll learn in this section, from the basics of color theory to practical mixing techniques that will transform your paintings.

Understand the essential color-related terms so you can describe and control color with precision.

Learn how drying times vary between colors in oil painting and how this affects your layering and working process.

See how to mix primary colors effectively to create a wide range of secondary and tertiary colors without losing vibrancy.

Discover how complementary colors interact, how to use them for balance and contrast, and how they influence each other when mixed.

Experiment by mixing every color on your palette together to explore unexpected tones and better understand how pigments interact.

Learn the theory behind mixing any color you need, so you can approach your subject with confidence and accuracy.

Watch practical demonstrations of mixing specific colors to match your subject perfectly, applying the theory in real time.

Master techniques for adjusting value without muddying your colors, whether you want to create depth or bring areas forward.

Learn how to mix rich, deep blacks using different pigment combinations for subtle variations in tone.

Discover how to mix natural-looking beiges for skin tones, still using our limited palette of 5 colors

Explore how to create a variety of browns, from warm and rich to cool and muted, for wood, earth, and other natural elements.

Wrap up the key lessons from this section

Learn to paint a subject using only two colors, focusing on value contrast, and how to achieve depth with a limited palette.

Practice precision and clean edges by painting this amphora that isn'tt recognizable anymore. This also a great opportunity for getting better at drawing thanks to the grid

Understand the difference between sharp and soft edges in painting

Paint an egg first in black and white to study values, light direction, and smooth transitions, then in color to apply those value principles while controlling hue and saturation.

Learn how to paint a sphere with convincing light and shadow, a key exercise for understanding volume in any subject.

Practice painting a white object without relying on pure white paint, using subtle shifts in value and temperature.

Paint a coffee cup placed upside down using only a medium-sized brush, focusing on capturing the form and realism through accurate color and value rather than fine details. Working with the cup inverted helps you concentrate on shapes, edges, and tonal relationships instead of getting distracted by what the object “should” look like. This exercise proves that details are only the finishing touch — the “cherry on top” — while the real strength of a painting comes from strong color work and value control.

Learn to create a soft, out-of-focus effect in your painting

Master the rendering of folds, shadows, and highlights to create realistic fabric with volume and flow.

Paint a bright orange ribbon with accurate color, sheen, and curvature, developing control over reflective textures and highlights.

An introduction to the final project, explaining the subject, the goals, and how to organize your workflow. We’ll reflect on  sequencing, and the best approach to tackle each element efficiently.

Study the colors in the reference, mix them accurately, and begin painting the amphora with attention to volume, light, and texture.

Focus on painting the flower with realistic color transitions, delicate edges, and balanced contrast to make it stand out naturally against the rest of the composition.

Complete the artwork by painting the background and the supporting surface, ensuring harmony, depth, and a polished overall finish.