The Oil Painter’s Guide

The following is a log of a painting I already had in progress but wanted you to be a part of. Before I start I’m going to elaborate a little bit and provide contextual information. During the creation of this piece the world has been grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, Oregon has had devastating wildfires that destroyed entire towns and threatened the Portland metro area, politics were even more crazy than usual, then there were the holidays, the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol, an ice storm in Portland… and these are just the highlights. Life goes on regardless of what we are doing, the true test of our character is how we, as individuals and as a community, respond to it. … More The Oil Painter’s Guide

Step One – What To Do Before You Paint

The initial drawing should only be the essentials of the painting. You’re looking for the correct placement, size and balance of objects – nothing more. You should establish the vanishing point, visualize maximizing the depth perspective, light source, time of day, weather, background, foreground, your color palette, and texture… … More Step One – What To Do Before You Paint