Oil Painting Techniques – Glazing
In this post, we will discuss the oil painting technique called “Glazing”. Included below are several videos as well as step by step tutorials and lessons from around the Web, that discuss and demonstrate the Glazing technique.
Glazing is the process of applying a thin layer of translucent or transparent oil paint over a dry opaque layer of oil paint, which creates an effect unlike any other.
Light travels through the transparent or translucent layer of oil paint and bounces off the opaque layer creating a sort of glowing effect that is very difficult to create with other oil painting techniques.
The effect is known as “Optical Color Mixing”. Colors are not mixed together physically on a palette or canvas, but are instead mixed optically through the various layers of glazes.
Oil Painting Video Lesson – Alla Prima Oil Painting Technique
Alla Prima Oil Painting Technique – A Video Tutorial by Larry Seiler
Here is a wonderful oil painting video lesson for beginners by artist Larry Seiler that demonstrates the All Prima Oil Painting Technique.
Alla Prima is an Italian word that literally means “At Once”. Its a painting that is completed in one session. This is a direct painting method that produces a fresh and spontaneous look to your work. I love this style of painting because it allows me to get loose and just let go and have fun, which is exactly what Larry does in the following video tutorial.
He begins his Alla Prima painting session by mixing his colors ahead of time on his palette. He says this eliminates a lot of his decisions in advance and allows him to establish a color harmony that will work for his painting. Another advantage of pre-mixing his colors is that his focus is on the subject that he is painting and not on color mixing.
After his colors are prepared, he then creates a basic sketch using some vine charcoal.
Wet on Wet Oil Painting Technique – Bill Alexander Paints Fall River
The wet on wet oil painting technique is a direct painting technique where you complete a painting usually in one sitting. Wet oil paint is applied on top of another layer of wet paint.
In the following video demonstration, artist Bill Alexander paints a beautiful autumn scene using the wet on wet technique. Bill is a modern pioneer being one of the first artists to popularize the wet on wet oil painting technique through his Emmy award winning Magic of Oil painting television show.
Watch the master at work below. If you would like to learn more about Bill Alexander, be sure to visit his Website here or you can check out his YouTube Page here for more of his videos.
Bill Alexander paints Fall River Part 1
Portrait Painting Demonstration in Oils – Brittany
Biography
Scott Burdick was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1967 where his mother and father early on encouraged his interest in Art. “I spent a lot of time in hospitals as a child and remember my mother showing me how to transform simple shapes like circles, triangles, and squares into objects like planes, helicopters, and fish. It seemed such a magical thing and made spending so much time in casts and on crutches much more bearable.”
In high school, Scott began taking life-drawing classes at the American Academy of Art under the legendary Bill Parks. “Though I’d always loved drawing, it was Mr. Parks who filled me with the enthusiasm and discipline necessary to improve my skills. His love of painting and creative expression infected us all.” After finishing the Academy, Scott continued his study at the Palette and Chisel Art club, where he met his wife, painter Susan Lyon. “It’s a wonderful thing being able to paint together all the time and grow as artists together,” Scott says.
His ideas for paintings come from everywhere. “What makes a subject attractive to me are the same things that attract us all. The beauty of a young girl, the character of a weathered face, the solitude of a farm at sunset, or even the story itself behind someone or something that makes it interesting.” Scott believes it is the job of the artist to recognize this when it happens, analyze why, and use his technical skills to convey the feeling to someone else. He notes that some paintings are as simple as stopping at the sight of something interesting, while others may take more time to research than to actually paint.
Oil Painting Technique – How To Tone a Canvas
Toning Your Canvas For Oil Painting
Learn the proper way to tone your canvas in preparation for oil paints with this free video demonstration. Toning your canvas before beginning a painting is a very popular oil painting technique, but there is definitely a right and a wrong way to do it. In the following video, artist Don Stewart demonstrates his method for toning his canvas before he completes a painting. Don combines a mixture of medium and solvent to his oil paint to get it nice and thin before applying it to his canvas. After allowing that to dry for several minutes, he then wipes away the excess with a clean rag. The result is a nicely toned canvas with a luminous quality to it. Enjoy this oil painting demonstration!
Color Mixing Tutorials & Resources For Oil Paints
One of the biggest challenges for artists just starting out with oil painting is mixing colors. Color is a powerful tool. If handled improperly, things can become quite messy. Improperly mixed colors lead to muddy or unbalanced paintings. The good news is, with practice, you will become more skilled at mastering color in your oil paintings. I have collected a number of color mixing tutorials below including links to articles, videos and books. I hope you find these 
oil painting color mixing resources helpful.
VIDEOS:
How to Mix Colors for Oil Paints
Oil Painting Video Lesson – The Spring House
Enjoy this three part 
oil painting lesson:
Part 1
Beginning a new oil painting of a Spring House in rural Pa. Here i am blocking in the sky and foreground underpainting:
Part 2
Oil Painting Tips – Different Methods For Starting an Oil Painting
Oil paint is an exciting medium to work with. One will never become bored while painting with oil paints. There are a variety of materials and other mediums at your fingertips and when you combine these materials and mediums with the versatility of oil paints, you have a variety of interesting ways to begin an oil painting. There are certain drawing and painting mediums that are compatible with oil paints and when utilized, will make your painting experience more interesting and enjoyable.
CHARCOAL
Charcoal works beautifully as a preliminary step to 
oil painting. There are three main forms of charcoal used most often by artist’s and they are compressed, willow and vine charcoal. Willow and Vine charcoal tend to be more highly favored for preliminary drawings as they leave a lighter mark and are easier to erase. Compressed charcoal, because it leaves a much darker line, is more difficult to remove and not as widely used to start an oil painting. Some helpful tools to use for working with charcoal are kneaded erasers, stiff bristle brushes, blenders and tortillions. Whatever type of charcoal drawing you create, make certain not to go overboard with your application. Charcoal is very forgiving with oil paints, but too much, and it can effect the paint in adverse ways. Read more
Oil Painting Tips – How To Keep Your Colors Pure
oil painting tips in this article will help relieve some of your frustration and enable you to finally enjoy painting.
BE CLEAN AND ORGANIZED
I know for some of us, it can be very difficult to maintain a clean and organized painting environment. Sometimes we can get very caught up in our work and things can get sloppy. The last thing you want is to become a sloppy painter as your work will suffer. Break the habit early and try your hardest to develop clean and organized painting habits. Read more
Oil Painting Technique – How To Paint a Leaf Tree With Wilson Bickford
In this oil painting video lesson for beginners, artist Wilson Bickford demonstrates how to paint leaf trees using a 1 inch foliage brush. Starting with a canvas that has been pre-painted with a blue sky, Wilson applies a dark green foliage made up of Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue and just a bit of Burnt Sienna to dull and darken the mixture.
Wilson states that the Burnt Sienna takes some of the “Greeniness” out of the green, which can make the tree look unnatural. After the first application of dark green paint, Wilson then demonstrates how to apply highlights to the tree. For the highlights he uses a mixture of Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow and a touch of Sap Green to create a light and bright mixture that he dabs over the darker color. These oil painting techniques that Wilson Demonstrates in this video are very reminiscent of Bob Ross Painting Techniques, of which I am a big fan. Enjoy the video!
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