Article: Oil paint is extremely forgiving in the sense that it takes many days to begin to dry. However, it is nearly impossible to mix the same paint twice so mix your paints in large batches and preserve between painting sessions so that you always have enough of the right color. Use a color wheel to help you find colors to mix. The color wheel shows primary, secondary, and tertiary colors and how to make them. Pure hues are colors that have not been mixed with either white or black. You can mix the primary colors to create the secondary colors. To create a tint, add white to your paint. This will lighten it and make a more pastel color. To make a shade, add black to any paint color. To make a tone, add white to a shade (any color with black added). Tones are the most widely used, as they represent most of the everyday colors we see. You can choose whatever painting technique you like, whether that be painting entire sections to completion or putting layers of paint over the entire canvas. When oil painting, though, use the thin-to-thick method in which you paint with thin paint before using thick paint. Try painting basic subjects. All figures are made up out of a few basic shapes: the cube, cone, cylinder, and ring. Paint these in the form of real subjects, such as a box or orange, or paint a flat form of each. To thin your paint, use a blending medium (linseed oil or terpentine) mixed with your paint. Don't use too much to start, but gradually add more until you get the consistency you want. It takes three days for a layer of paint to dry enough to add a second layer to the top, so be patient while you wait for your paint to dry. There are dozens of ways to perfect your painting, but learning them all as a beginner can be overwhelming. instead, focus on picking up some of these techniques one at a time. Try blending your paints. This is the process by which you slowly fade two or more different colors (think of a sunset). To do this, add layers of paint so that they are directly adjacent to each other on the canvas. Then, use flat brush to smooth the paints together, working with the direction of the blend. Try creating a glaze. This is when you use a solution of 1/3 linseed oil,1/3 terpentine, and 1/3 varnish to create a transparent color. You can use this mixed with any paint color to create a see-through hue over dried paint. Use stippling to create small dots. Use a natural bristle brush (dry often works best), and tap it vertically against your canvas. You can build up these dots to create a more opaque figure. Try using a palette knife to paint. This technique is great for landscapes and creating movement on your canvas. Scoop up a bit of paint on the bottom edge of the knife, and sweep it across the canvas to create thick layers of paint.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Mix your paints. Begin painting. Try different techniques.