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Basic Oil Painting Tutorial: Color Still Life

Calvin Fisher

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Oil painting is a beautiful and versatile medium that can be used to create a wide variety of works of art. This tutorial will teach you the basics of oil painting, including how to mix colors, create values, and paint a still life.

Basic Oil Painting Tutorial: Color Still Life

by Christopher Hart

4.9 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2859 KB
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Materials

Oil paints
Oil painting medium
Brushes
Canvas
Palette
Rags

Mixing Colors

The first step in oil painting is to mix your colors. Oil paints are typically mixed on a palette, using a brush or a palette knife. You can mix any two colors together to create a new color. The amount of each color you use will determine the hue, saturation, and value of the new color.

The three primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. All other colors can be mixed from these three colors. The secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. These colors are created by mixing two primary colors together.

The tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color. For example, you can mix red and orange to create red-orange, or blue and green to create blue-green.

Creating Values

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. You can create values by adding white or black paint to a color. The more white you add, the lighter the value will be. The more black you add, the darker the value will be.

Values are important for creating depth and dimension in a painting. By using a variety of values, you can make your painting look more realistic.

Painting a Still Life

Once you have mastered the basics of mixing colors and creating values, you can start painting a still life. A still life is a painting of inanimate objects, such as fruit, flowers, or dishes. Still lifes are a great way to practice your painting skills and learn about composition.

To paint a still life, first you need to choose your subject matter. Once you have chosen your subject, you need to arrange it on a table or other surface. You can use a variety of objects to create your still life, such as fruit, flowers, dishes, or books.

Once you have arranged your still life, you need to start painting. Start by sketching the outline of your objects. Then, start painting in the colors and values. Be sure to pay attention to the light and shadow on your objects.

Once you have finished painting your still life, you can add some finishing touches. You can add highlights to your objects using white paint, or you can add shadows using black paint. You can also add details to your objects, such as veins in leaves or wrinkles in fabric.

Oil painting is a beautiful and versatile medium that can be used to create a wide variety of works of art. By following the steps in this tutorial, you can learn the basics of oil painting and start creating your own works of art.

Here are some tips for painting a still life: