The Oil Painting Process

Name: The Oil Painting Process
Rating: 4.8 (414 reviews)

A comprehensive, simplified look at how to build an oil painting, from substructure to varnish.

Highest Rated

Created byJill Poyerd

Last updated 9/2023

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

How to create a stable, long-lasting oil painting.
The various support options plus their pros and cons.
Why sizing is necessary and how to apply it.
Clarity on the different types of gesso and how to apply each.
How to mount a canvas to board or panel.
Methods for creating a colored ground.
What an imprimatura is and how it’s beneficial.
Methods for applying an imprimatura layer.
Different approaches to an underdrawing.
Understanding of what oil paint is made of and how it dries.
Clarity of the fat-over-lean rule for layering.
Different ways to approach an underpainting.
How the upper layers of paint are related to creativity.
How several Masters approached the upper layers.
What varnish is and how to apply it.

Course content

5 sections • 30 lectures • 4h 51m total length

How to Use the Course Tools (Optional)13:25
Navigate the course dashboard, access lectures and attachments, use bookmarks, transcripts, captions, and playback controls, and tailor announcements, notifications, and settings to optimize your oil painting course experience.

Introduction to Supports2:40
Select a solid painting support for oil painting, from traditional wood panel and canvas to metal or marble, and understand why canvas became popular for its durability and format.
Rigid Supports9:17
Explore rigid supports for oil painting, from solid wood panels and cradle panels to plywood, hardboard, and fibreboard, and learn how sizing, gesso, and fabric improve archival stability.
Flexible Supports8:57
Solid Wood Option4:40
Choose kiln-dried solid wood panels, at least 3/4 inch thick, seal with sizing and alkyd primer to balance moisture, and consider a canvas overlay under the gesso.
Sizing5:18
Sizing applies a thin binder layer to seal the support, creating an oil barrier and an isolation layer between the surface and the painting.
Sizing Demonstration7:37
Size a wood panel with contemporary PVA size, prep the surface, apply thin coats in multiple directions, and size back and edges for archival stability.
Mounting Canvas to Board or Panel6:24
Grounds15:03
Acrylic Ground Demonstration10:29
Oil Ground Demonstration5:21
Colored Ground Demonstration8:52
Imprimatura7:17
Imprimatura Demonstration11:25

The Underpainting11:34
Value Underpaintings12:06
Blocked Underpaintings12:52
The Upper Layers of Paint5:04
Upper Layer I - Value Demonstrations15:50
Upper Layer II - Value Demonstrations8:49
Navigate an upper layer ii value demonstration by balancing reference images with imagination, applying highlights and darks, and refining forms with glazing, blending, and impasto for a glass-like finish.
Upper Layer I - Blocked Demonstrations14:42
Upper Layer II - Blocked Demonstrations18:45
Upper Layers - Master Examples18:19
Varnish13:22
Explore how to varnish oil paintings with natural or synthetic coatings, covering six months to a year drying, application methods, removability, and health considerations for safe conservation.
Final Review2:46

Requirements

Students should have a very basic understanding of how oil paints work.

Description

“This is an amazing course…This course has filled in all the gaps of knowledge that we know exist but don't know where or how to find the answers. This is THE foundational course we have all wanted and searched for.“ - Josh F.

"I am using this as an addition to a University course and find that this is on par technically" - Wendy J.

"It is the best course I have ever taken. All the questions regarding painting have been presented." - Anna

This is an extremely comprehensive 5-hour long online painting class with a focus on the construction of an oil painting and the process of layering paint rather than actual brushwork and design. To truly master oil painting, it’s important to have a strong foundation; to thoroughly understand your materials and their proper usage. You have to know how to build a sound substructure or base, and then apply the paints in such a way as to ensure decades of life for the painting.

In this comprehensive course, students are taken step-by-step through topics such as supports, sizing, grounds, an imprimatura, the underdrawing, the underpainting, upper layers of paint, and varnish. Each layer is explained thoroughly and clearly, and then followed up with related demonstrations so that students can follow along.

The goal is for:

Students to come away with a clear understanding of oil painting materials and how to build a stable painting;
To help those who felt intimidated by oil painting to feel that it’s approachable;
Experienced painters who have gaps in their knowledge to gain a more thorough understanding.

Includes over 40 student resources.

Who this course is for:

Any level student who wants clarity in their understanding of the construction of an oil painting.

The Oil Painting Process

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

How to Use the Course Tools1 lecture • 13min

Introduction1 lecture • 4min

The Preparatory Layers13 lectures • 1hr 43min

Preparing for the Upper Layers4 lectures • 36min

The Upper Layers11 lectures • 2hr 14min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: