INTRODUCTION

Welcome To Love Your Oils!

It has been my mission to get artists to use oil paints for most of the past 20 years. Obviously if you are here, then you have been tempted by the Oil Painting muse as well.  In this first course of a series I will lay out the basic fundamentals of Oil Painting. My goal is to make you comfortable and unafraid of the medium, and also excited to use it right away! Start by watching the video here on the right.

About This Course

The Transition from Water Based Paints to Oil Paint

Many artists (including me) start out with some kind of water based medium such as watercolors or acrylics for various reasons. Here are a few:

1. Easy cleanup (especially when you don't have dedicated studio space).

2. No smell.

3. Easy to keep the colors 'clean and bright.'

4. Easy to get started with, as you do not need to learn too many rules.

5. Easy to use without worrying about safety.

Why is it then that Oil Paint is intriguing, beguiling, and calls to so many of us?
Here are just a few reasons why I love Oil Paint:

1. Richer colors. To my eye, oil paintings have richer color and depth than acrylic colors. (That being said, there are artists who are doing amazing acrylic color work, so there are always exceptions.)

2. The potential of impasto and thicker paint application. This can be achieved with acrylics with the use of mediums (brushwork with acrylic paint alone will flatten); however I still find thick oil paint to be a more organic texture and feel, and easy to use thickly.

3. The slow drying time of oil paint allows me to alter images without completely covering them in a new layer, and also allows me to scrape back to earlier layers. This 'excavation' is the most important feature of oil painting for me.

4. The texture of the paint itself. There is nothing quite like a nice buttery gob of oil paint!

In this eCourse I clarify the differences between oils and acrylics and show you tips to make the transition easier.

Let’s get started!

Course Content

I teach the Direct Method of oil painting in this eCourse (see Terms below). This allows you to easily make changes and decisions as you go. My demo is created Alla Prima, or all in one sitting, but the concepts I teach can be used in paintings that take much longer. Remembering the four basic concepts I that teach in Lesson Four will take you far in learning to use oils.

LESSON ONE – TERMS AND MATERIALS
From paint to brushes to substrates (what the heck is a substrate? You will find out here!), everything 'material-wise' that you need to know to get started. This class is PACKED with information to de-mystify all of those oil painting 'terms.'

LESSON TWO – TOXICITY AND SAFETY
 What is toxic, what isn't, and how you can feel safe in your studio. This Lesson will put your mind at ease so you can have fun painting!

LESSON THREE – BASIC PRINCIPLES OF OIL PAINTING
The Basic 'Rules' of Oil Painting... They aren't too complicated, really!  

LESSON FOUR – HOW TO BEGIN AN OIL PAINTING
The first half of a full length video demonstration of me painting a still life. Here we apply what we learned in the Basics along with simple techniques to get started.

LESSON FIVE – CONTINUING AND FINISHING AN OIL PAINTING
I continue and finish the still life demonstration with closeups and explanations including building up to thicker paint, keeping your colors clean, and staying loose.

HAVING TECHNICAL OR INTERNET ISSUES?

The videos in this course are now DOWNLOADABLE! If you are watching them via WIFI, however, every now and then the videos may pause or not reload. This can happen because of slow internet speed or because several people may be using your internet at the same time. To run the videos smoothly you will need a fast internet. Periodically it has to do with Vimeo and their technology. If the latter is the case, be just a bit patient. Try refreshing your browser or possibly changing your browser. Wait a few minutes and/or try watching a different video. If it is on Vimeo’s end, this problem typically resolves itself within a short amount of time.

ONLINE ART STORES AROUND THE GLOBE

I list here several options for your painting supplies. Obviously there are many more, and I cannot list one for every country; however I try to list one for almost every continent to get you started!

← Click on the logo to locate stores around the world that carry GAMBLIN products.