Oil Painting Tips- All About Oil Painting Brushes
BRUSH TEXTURES
Oil painting brushes come in two different textures basically, and they are classified as hard and soft. Hard brushes are generally referred to as bristle brushes and they are quite resilient. Hard brushes are made from hog’s hair and they are strong and stiff. They will hold a good amount of paint and can handle the oil painting medium quite well. I personally prefer working with bristle brushes exclusively as I tend to paint rather rough and direct.
Soft oil painting brushes are made from softer hairs that come from animals like sable, squirrel, or mongoose. Softer brushes will generally give your painting a softer smoother appearance and are more often used for finishing or detailed work. Sable brushes are the most expensive usually but there are synthetic brushes made of nylon that are very good substitutes for sable. They are more resilient and cheaper than sable.
BRUSH SHAPES
Painting a landscape with Dry pastel – Art Instruction Video Clip
Learn to paint a beautiful landscape using dry 
pastels in this step by step video lesson.
Paint a Landscape with Dry Pastel
A big thank you to Adil Rasheed for making this video lesson available! Adil is a very talented artist who enjoys sharing her knowledge through her videos. You can learn more about Adil, as well as watch more of her excellent videos, by visiting her channel on YouTube.
Oil Painting Lesson – An Introduction To Oil Painting Supports
oil painting support is any surface that oil paint can be applied to. There are a variety of different surfaces that artists use to paint on. Everything from certain woods, canvas, and even metals can serve as supports for oil paint. This article will introduce you to those various supports and hopefully help you decide which support is best for your style of oil painting.
LINEN
Linen is made from the fibers of the flax plant. The plants are harvested and then left to soak in water until the outside of the plant rots away leaving the fibers underneath. The fibers are then processed into yarns or threads which are then woven into canvas. The fibers of the flax plant are long and quite strong and make for a very interesting and durable painting support. Paintings executed on this surface have withstood the test of time. It is for this reason that linen canvas is a favorite amongst professional oil painters. Unfortunately linen canvas is rather expensive and may not be the best option for beginners. If you are interested in learning more about linen canvas, check your local art store or go online and do a search. There are a variety of different linen canvases available, from rolled canvas to pre-stretched. It comes primed for acrylic and oils, or you can get it unprimed as well. Read more
Oil Painting Lesson – Introduction To Oil Painting Mediums
Oil painting is a wonderful medium all on its own, but there are modifiers that you can add to the oil paint that can change its behavior. This article will give you an overview of some of the more popular 
oil painting mediums available to today’s oil painters. The use of oil painting mediums is really a matter of taste and not a requirement. Many artists do not use any mediums at all other then a bit of oil to make the paint more workable, as some paints are quite thick straight from the tube. Other artists swear by certain mediums. It should also be noted that artists differ on opinion when it comes to the effectiveness and quality of oil painting mediums, so you should experiment on your own and form your own opinion. Make sure before using any oil painting medium that you read all warning labels and always work in a well ventilated area. It is also recommended that you work with gloves to protect your skin.
LINSEED OIL
Linseed oil is made from the seed of the flax plant. During its early history, linseed oil had a different role then it has today. Originally it was used as a final varnish for paintings that were created using the egg tempera medium. Linseed oil is used as binder in today’s oil paints. Linseed oil dries thoroughly and forms a strong paint film. Because linseed oil dries slowly, the paint remains in a workable state, enabling the artist to continue working on the painting for some time. When linseed oil ages, it does tend to yellow unfortunately. Many painters avoid using linseed oil with lighter colors like whites and yellows. Below are a few varieties of linseed oils that are available to today’s oil painters. Read more
Oil Painting Lesson – Introduction To Oil Painting Fundamentals
oil painting lesson is meant to be an introduction. You should study these topics further on your own when you have time.
DRAWING
Learning to draw, as a foundation for oil painting, is one of the most valuable skills a beginner oil painter can have. Many new artists usually frown upon the idea of drawing first. They would rather jump right into painting, as most beginners do. Nothing is more rewarding for a painter, than working with color, but if you want to gain experience working with values, form, and space, then drawing is something you should consider learning. This is not to say that you should master drawing, as it is an art form all in itself, but do spend time drawing and sketching your subjects before you work with color. Did you know that in art schools, many years ago, students were not permitted to work with paint until they successfully spent at least a few years drawing first? They must have been very restless, but imagine how skilled they became before they ever lifted a brush. You should at the very least have a basic understanding of drawing techniques before you begin. Check out Amazon.com for some great beginner drawing books that will give you a well rounded introduction to drawing and techniques. A book that is highly recommended by artists is: “The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Oil Painting Tip – Coat Canvas With Linseed Oil
Next time you begin a painting, apply a thin layer of linseed oil on your canvas before you apply your 
oil paint. This creates a more workable surface allowing the oil paint to slide on easier.
Colored Pencil Tip – Do not over saturate your paper…
Be very careful when applying 
colored pencil to your paper. Do not overdue it. Your paper can only hold so much of the colored pencil medium before it no longer sticks to the papers surface. You also risk tearing your paper as well.
Pen and Ink Portrait Video of Nascar Driver
Pen and Ink Portrait Drawing Lesson of a Nascar Driver
A big thanks goes out to Vincent Strader for making this video available for viewing! Vincent Strader is a fine artist with a passion for fine automobiles. He enjoys capturing the beauty of these automobiles with his paintings and drawings.
You can learn more about Vincent by visiting his Website or check out more of his great videos over at his YouTube Channel.
Watercolor Demonstration Video of Maimeri Paint
Catherine Anderson is a nationally recognized watercolor artist, author, and painting workshop leader. Here she comments on the watercolor paint made by the Italian manufacturer, the Maimeri Paint Company. A big thanks to you Catherine for sharing this wonderful video with the arts community!
Watercolor Demonstration Video of Maimeri Paint
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