Having the ability to create masterpieces through such a simple medium as oil paints is something that most artists wish for. However, this doesn’t come easily for most beginners and there are a lot of things one needs to keep in mind to create masterpieces with oil paintings. Here, New York City artist Aryea Flohr will discuss some of the best tips on how to create oil paintings that appeal to both you and your viewers. Keeping these tips in mind will help you achieve more realistic paintings and help them stand the test of time.
Understand the basics of oil painting
All the professional artists know that painting is a journey of discovery. This can be done by looking at the world around you in a different way and not just by seeing things as they are. As an artist, you can manipulate the light and paint the scene in a new way to bring out the essence of what you are trying to show. To understand the basics of oil painting, you will have to study the techniques and the medium itself. There are many resources online that can help you learn the techniques of oil painting and the basics of the medium. This will enable you to understand how to create paintings that will be life-like and appealing to the viewers.
Brush is everything – learn to master your tools
When it comes to oil painting, the most important aspect is the brushes. The brushes you select will determine the overall outcome of your oil painting, explains Aryea Flohr. You don’t want to pick a fancy brush that costs a fortune and end up with a bad painting. This simply isn’t how it works. You’ll have to pick brushes that are suitable for your painting medium, your painting style and the painting you wish to create. As an artist, you have to make investments in brushes. This is because you’ll have to use them for a longer time until you save money for a new set. Investing in high-quality brushes, such as synthetics, will help you create masterpieces for many years to come.
Don’t simplify – be selective and purposeful
Another aspect beginners have a difficult time with is simplifying the subject matter. You can’t just paint a bunch of flowers and call it a day. Pick a painting you love, and paint it a way you love it. Simplifying the subject matter is not a good thing. You will always end up simplifying the painting if you are not selective and purposeful while doing it.
Simplifying the painting will make it look like an action painting where you don’t have to show the whole scene. This means you can’t paint all the details, but you must paint the essence of what you are trying to show. Simplifying the painting can be done by removing the details like smaller branches of trees, grass, and smaller flowers. You can also simplify the overall composition by removing parts of the painting.
Add depth – use value and light
As an artist, you must understand how to add depth using the values of the painting. A painting without depth is like a flat painting. All the details and the subject matter in a painting have a value. You can use the values of a painting to add depth to your painting. When you are creating an oil painting, you must make sure the values of the painting are dark enough so that it draws the attention of the viewers. You can also use color to make the values of your painting darker or lighter. Contemporary painter Aryea Flohr also recommends using different values of paint to create depth in your painting. Unlike other media, oil paints don’t have the same value when they are painted on a canvas and when they are painted on a paper. This means the values of your painting will be different when you paint it on canvas. You can make the values darker by adding more paint to a canvas or you can add more paint to the paper to make it darker.
Conclusion
Oil paintings are a favorite medium among many artists. There are many tips and tricks to help you create oil paintings that are life-like and appealing to the viewers. Make sure to follow them and your paintings will turn out to be even more beautiful than you imagined. With the right brushes, medium and some practice, anyone can paint masterpieces with oil paints. This is why it’s so important to learn how to create oil paintings that stand the test of time. With the tips provided by Aryea Flohr in this article, you’ll be able to create oil paintings that will appeal to both you and your viewers.