From the ancient age, oil paintings were stated to be the symbol of class and art. They are often deemed to be intimidating and even difficult to apprehend due to the many complexities of mixing colors. For the art students and professionals beginning figurative oil painting, here are a few helpful tips. Using them will help clarify some of the complexities, giving you an advantage with oil painting.

What Does Figurative Oil Painting Represent?

Figurative oil painting refers to the abstract art of creating a subject that relates to the happenings in the real world. Like the figurative orchid oil painting will enunciate an orchid by symbolizing it with human forms and emotions.

• Know Your Tools

  Since oil paintings require a variety of materials ranging from different brushes to colors, the process can be intimidating. For all the beginners in figurative orchid oil painting, it is better to get familiar with the tools. Test your different brushes, palettes, oil colors of turpentine or acrylic, and even the rag you use on rough paper. This will help you figure out the best way for brush stroking and the amount of color required to get that exact shade you want. It is also a much safer option since oil colors can be dangerous if not handled properly.

• Practice The Same Subject

  When it comes to students in art universities, professionals often advise them to work on the same subject for months. This helps the students to learn the importance of focusing their creativity on the application of colors. With the same subject, your mind will not have to stress about the theme. They can only focus on the best method to bring out the colors in the figurative orchid oil painting. As figurative paintings have symbolism as a huge context, it is necessary to showcase it accurately for the viewers.

• Mistakes Are Common

  You are dealing with liquid substances of varying thicknesses, so it’s pretty normal for errors. Instead of being too anxious and dousing your easel in solvents, take a breath. Mixing solvent that is too directly on your painting to remove the mistake can fall backward on you. Depending upon whether the section you want to remove has a thin or thick paint, you can easily replace it. Either scrape it gently or wait for the paint to dry. Then you can paint the right shade over it and get the figurative orchid oil painting you envisioned.

• Mixing Solvents Or Oils

  Figurative oil painting needs to be mixed with either spirits or oils to get the right texture. Since paint directly from the tube gets cracked and hardened too quickly, it is not ideal to do that. Thus mixing paint with solvents using the “Fat Over Lean” rule is highly recommended. What this rule comprehends is that the inner layer of every oil painting should dry more slowly than the upper one. It can be accomplished by making the paint either “fat,” i.e., too less solvent, or “thin,” i.e., too much solvent.

  These are the common tips aside from the basic guide that beginners can find helpful in oil paintings.