Oil Painting for Beginners: Full Step-by-Step Process from Blank Canvas to Finished Artwork

Surfaces for Oil Painting: Gesso, Pre-Primed Panels, and Canvas Tips

Drawing the Composition: Charcoal Sketch vs Grisaille Underpainting

Introduction to Surfaces for Oil Painting

Gesso Painting Panel or Canvas
Coating surfaces with gesso
Types of gesso available
Use of pre-primed canvas and panels
Consideration between acrylic and oil-based gesso
Recommendation against colored gesso
Toning the canvas as a risky endeavor

Drawing The Composition

Sketching the composition onto the canvas with charcoal
Painting the composition with a single thinned paint color
The concept of grisaille underpainting
Drawing or sketching onto the canvas with various materials

Begin Applying Color

Introduction to applying color over the underpainting
Application of thin, transparent layers of paint
Thinning oil paint with linseed oil or painting medium
The method of applying the first layer of color

Paint In Layers

Painting in layers and ensuring each layer dries fully
The concept of applying numerous transparent layers over time
Creating an illusion of depth by slowly building up layers

Oiling Out Between Layers

Importance of letting each layer of oil paint dry fully
Factors affecting the drying time of oil paint
The process of oiling out to renew the shine and blend edges

Glaze If Desired

Explanation of a glaze in oil painting
Thin layer of oil paint thinned with linseed oil or painting medium

Surfaces for Oil Painting: Gesso, Pre-Primed Panels, and Canvas Tips

Prepare a canvas or panel for oil painting. Common surfaces for oil painting are a stretched canvas or a wooden painting panel.

Before painting, these surfaces should be coated with several layers of gesso. Gesso is a type of sealer and a primer. There are several types of gesso available. Gesso should be applied in thin layers, one at a time. Allow each layer to dry before applying the next one. It's important to let the gesso dry fully before painting. If you're looking to save time, pre-primed canvas and panels are readily available as an option.

My Recommendation: Buy pre-primed painting panels from American Easel or Dick Blick.

Both acrylic gesso and oil-based gesso are available, with the latter being considered the best option for longevity. However, acrylic gesso is a popular choice. It works fine. Colored gesso is available, but it may impact the luminosity of the oil paint. Some artists may choose to tone the canvas before painting. Toning can be a risky endeavor. Some tone with thinned acrylic paint which can affect the adhesion of the paint. I suggest that you paint directly onto the white gesso for best results.

My Recommendation: Skip toning, paint directly onto the white gesso.

Drawing the Composition: Charcoal Sketch vs Grisaille Underpainting

The composition can be sketched onto the panel or canvas with charcoal. Traditionally, the composition is painted onto the panel using one paint color thinned slightly with a solvent such as turpentine or mineral spirits. This first layer of an oil painting, painted with a single color, is called a grisaille underpainting. It helps to establish light and dark areas of the composition. It's important to let the first layer dry before applying the next one.

When it comes to drawing or sketching on the canvas, the most reliable method is drawing with paint. Other mediums may show through the paint layers or resist the paint, creating issues in the upper layers of your painting. If you dislike drawing with a paintbrush, a light charcoal sketch is a sufficient alternative.

My Recommendation: Draw your composition with one color of oil paint, brown or green, thinned with 1-2 drops of Gamsol.

Begin Applying Color: First Layer Over Dry Underpainting

Color can be applied over a dry underpainting. Some artists apply thin, transparent layers of paint, building them up slowly over time. Others apply thicker, opaque layers. Either way is fine. Oil paint can be thinned slightly by adding a few drops of linseed oil or painting medium. I like to dip the tip of my brush in linseed oil before loading paint onto the brush, keeping the added oil to a minimum. I use only as much as necessary to increase the flow of the paint.

My Recommendation: Apply the first layer of color in broad, flat sections. Reserve details for later. The first layer of color can be applied loosely, blocking in large areas.

Paint in Layers: Thin Applications and Full Drying Between Coats

When applying color, it's important to paint in layers and let each layer dry fully before applying the next. Layers of thin paint dry faster. Transparent layers can be applied over time to create an illusion of depth.

My Recommendation: Paint in thin layers. Use only linseed oil as a paint medium. Don't use too much, just a drop or two.

Oiling Out Between Layers: Renew Shine and Improve Adhesion

When painting in layers, it's best to let each layer of oil paint dry fully before applying the next. The drying time can range from overnight to more than a week, depending on factors such as the amount of oil added to the paint, temperature, and humidity. Brushstrokes look different when applied wet onto dry versus wet onto wet. Oiling out, which involves applying a thin layer of linseed oil to the dried oil painting before applying new paint, can solve these issues and renew the shine of the colors.

My Recommendation: Oil out between layers. If the paint begins to resist, wipe your oil painting down with turpentine and let it dry before applying the next layer.

Glaze If Desired: Thin Transparent Layers for Depth (Final Stages Only)

A glaze in oil painting is a thin layer of oil paint thinned with linseed oil or painting medium, typically used to darken areas. Clothing and shadows can be enhanced or darkened by applying a glaze. It's important to keep glazing in the final layer and avoid excessive oil or painting medium to prevent paint cracking. Glazing is optional, not always necessary.

My Recommendation: Glaze only in the final layers, usually the very last paint layer.

Varnish Your Painting: Use Gamvar for Protection and Sheen

Oil paintings should be varnished using the instructions provided by the varnish manufacturer. Varnishing restores the sheen and protects the painting. Allow the painting to dry for the recommended time before varnishing, which depends on the type and brand of varnish used.

My Recommendation: Use Gamvar to varnish your oil paintings. It's easy to use.

Frame or Hang: Gallery-Wrap Panels Save Money on Framing

Finished oil paintings are typically framed unless they are painted on a gallery-wrapped canvas or thick panel. If framing, a wire hanger is often added to the back for easy hanging, achieved by screwing two D-rings to the sides of the painting and running picture wire between them.

My Recommendation: Painting on gallery-wrapped canvas or thick-edged panels saves money because it requires no frame.

The Chemistry & Optics Behind Layered Oil Painting

Oil painting’s layered approach is rooted in polymer chemistry and optical physics. Linseed oil dries via autoxidation. Wikipedia states that the phenomenon of autoxidation has been known since antiquity and forms the basis of drying oils. Oils were traditionally used to make many varnishes and paints. Unsaturated fatty acids cross-link into a flexible, durable film over days to weeks. Thin layers dry faster because oxygen penetrates more readily, reducing surface wrinkling and cracking risk (fat-over-lean rule). White gesso maximizes subsurface light scattering (high albedo), reflecting back through transparent upper layers to create luminosity. Colored or black grounds absorb light, dulling brilliance. Oiling out restores refractive index and surface uniformity after drying, preventing sink-in and improving the adhesion of subsequent layers by reducing surface tension differences. Grisaille underpainting establishes a value structure first. Our visual system is said to process luminance before hue, so a strong monochromatic foundation may guide accurate color perception later. Glazing adds depth via selective absorption: thin transparent color modifies reflected light without obscuring the underlayers. This may mimic skin’s subsurface scattering. Avoiding excess medium or solvent helps to prevents weak film formation, reducing potential cracking later. Properly cured oil layers form a stable matrix resistant to environmental degradation, aiding in archival longevity while allowing rich, luminous realism that is almost impossible to achieve in fast-drying media like acrylics.