How to Block in Color in an Oil Painting
- 1). Draw the elements of the painting onto the canvas. Don't include details, only the most basic shapes.
- 2). Thin your paint with paint thinner. Do this by dipping your paintbrush into paint thinner and allowing drops of thinner to fall on the paint on your palette. For oil paints, you will thin the paint with turpentine. Other less toxic and odorless paint thinners are also available. You can purchase these at art, hobby, hardware or craft stores.
- 3). Dip your paintbrush into the paint on the palette and fill in the basic shapes of color on the canvas. These colors should be the base colors of each element of the painting. There should not be details, or shadows, or highlights. Use a medium-sized paintbrush on all shapes except for very small blocks.
- 4). Now that your basic block bases are complete, you can continue your painting, adding detail, shadows, and highlights.
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