subject: Oil Painting rules for your Studio [print this page] Oil Painting rules for your Studio Oil Painting rules for your Studio
When it comes to oil paintinga lotof the success lies in the skill of the person, but like many things in life a certain number of rules also apply here. When setting up your Painting studio a few praticalrules needs to recognised. After many years of professional paintingInow share my studio rules with you.
1. Only two Colors may be mixed together at a time.
2. Only two things can be done to a color: Dulling or Brightening.
3. Add opposite colors to DULL for shadows. Add one color up to yellow for HIGHLIGHT.
4. Over mixing destroys the pigment, don't grind your paint to mud.
5. Paint the pure clean color first - then add the shadow by blending in.
6. Highlights and Shadows must be in ALL objects / subjects of a painting.
7. FULL range of TONE: from dark to light must be in all paintings.
8. Don't place prominent subjects close to sides of a canvas: Try to blur images at all edges.
9. Hard and soft edges must be in ALL Paintings. Soft around edges.
10. Keep no more than FIVE COLORS & White in your studio (At least to start with).
11. Paintings without TEXTURE is flat, like "coloring in" or paint by numbers.
12. OIL and TURPS destroy the quality of paint itself. Avoid adding these and NEVER thin paint.
13. White is NOT a color - too much white will make your painting appear "Chalky".
14. BIG brushes and a BIG painting knife will remove the temptation of fiddling.
15. Use a BIG palette to keep colors apart. A white background shows tint mixes better.
16. Clean brushes with turpentine - NOT soap water. Store with application of vaseline.
17. Copy ONLY photos that has CONTRAST, bright light and dark shadows.
18. Use Osram L 58W/860 Lumilux Daylight (Fluorescent) for night painting.
19. Place a mirror in the back of your studio to see your painting at double the distance.
20. LESS is MORE
21. Do not go OVER brushstrokes once your painting is done!
22. Having soap under your nails will help when cleaning your hands after painting.
To view all myoil painting lessonsand receive my painting secrets book FREE, please visit www.andregrobler.co.cc.
