While looking for oil paintings for sale, get the best deal with online galleries! 

When you first start painting, oil painting techniques can appear to be particularly difficult to master. Of course, all styles of painting have a learning curve, but oil painting can be particularly intimidating. Fortunately, several easy, practical oil painting techniques may make the shift much easier, altering your approach and giving your work new vitality.

From guidance on how to handle the brush to utilizing a palette knife, we’ll look at 5 fundamental oil painting methods that will help you paint with confidence. Watch the video below for a quick overview, then scroll down for more information on the ten strategies.

While looking for oil paintings for sale, you can also look in for sculpture art for room decor ideas! 

Techniques to follow for top-notch Oil Paintings 

• Correctly hold the paintbrush

When painting, an artist might handle the paintbrush in a variety of ways, but there is one ‘go-to’ style that every artist should know in order to get the most fluidity and sensitivity out of each stroke. As far back as you can, hold the brush handle.This may feel unnatural at first, but it gives you the most control over the brush because you can paint with your entire arm, not just your wrist. See our guides on how to choose the right paintbrush and how to clean paint brushes for more information.

• Make sure your brush is oriented correctly.

It’s easy to forget that your brush has two sides or orientations when you’re painting. There’s no need to stick to making wide strokes with the flat side of your brush all of the time. For sharper lines or strokes, turn each brush on its side. You’ll be able to paint faster and more versatilely if you learn to manipulate your lines using your brush orientation.

• Change the amount of pressure you apply.

When painting, avoid employing ‘heavy hands.’ The amount of pressure you use on a stroke can sometimes mean the difference between excellence and disaster. Your paints will merge and create ridges along the sides of your brushstrokes as you apply additional pressure. Learn how your light, medium, and heavy strokes appear on the canvas and adjust your pressure to obtain the desired results.

• Use the power of the painting medium to your advantage.

It’s not only about the paint in oil painting. The use of a painting medium – often a mixture of solvent and oil used to change the paint and make it behave in different ways – is an important aspect of controlling paint. If you use a lot of medium, your paint will be flat and clear, similar to a wash, however if you use a little medium, your paint will have a mayonnaise-like consistency.

• Maintain the purity of your colors.

When grabbing paint from your palette’s heaps, be cautious. If your brushes aren’t clean, the colors you want to use will be tainted. Cleaning your brushes on a regular basis – even between strokes if necessary – is critical to preserving the intensity of the colors right from the tube.