10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Oil Painting

Ten things I wish I knew before I started oil painting :

0:00 Surface is fundamental
2:28 Let it dry
4:52 Don't go too fluid
6:35 Let paint dry however it wants
7:21 Simplicity is key
8:41 Technique isn't more important than the subject
10:25 Study with subjects that motivate you
11:42 Cover the surface first, think later
13:55 Prioritize fun
16:07 You can't paint like someone else

***

➡ Thank you for supporting me on Patreon!

➡ LEARN OIL PAINTING - A 7 HOURS VIDEO COURSE :

➡ ADVANCED PAINTING COURSE ON COLOR AND PAINT - A 9HR COURSE :

➡ Free Resources for artists :

✔ Social media :

Facebook :

Instagram :

Support me on PATREON and access real-time tutorials with commentary (and more) :

If you want to connect with me, the best option is to use the contact form on my website.

Write me :

***

About me (bio) :
Website :

I am an artist living and working in France. I learned the techniques of the Atelier of the Nineteenth century and now I try to share some of my knowledge with the rest of the world, because I think that beauty still has an important role to play in artistic creation. I do mostly drawing and oil painting, and my goal is always to provide techniques, thoughts and explanations that can be useful to anyone, from beginners to more advanced artists.

The material I use most of the time (not necessarily in this video) :

Drawing
Equipement
✓ Kneaded eraser
✓ Plumb line
✓ Small mirror
✓ An old synthetic brush
✓ Masking tape
✓ Cutter
✓ Sandpaper or sanding block
✓ Mahlstick or Hand rest (DIY)
✓ Level ruler
Graphite
✓ Pencils 2H, HB and 2B
Charcoal
✓ If available: Nitram charcoals (H, HB and B)
✓ Square charcoals
✓ Natural charcoal box
Black and white chalk
✓ Sketch pencil Conté white
✓ Square Conté noir : HB and 2B
✓ Chalk or pencil holder
✓ Pencil sketch Conté Pierre noire : H and HB
Sanguine
✓ Sketch pencil Conté : Blood and blood Medici
✓ Crayon Polychromos Faber-Castel : sanguine
✓ Sketch pencil Conté white
Oil painting
Palette
(Extra-fine paint, recommended brands depending on availability: Lefranc Bourgeois, Winsor and Newton, Royal Talens Rembrandt)
✓ Titanium white PW6
✓ Yellow ochre PY42
✓ Burnt Sienna PR101 or PBr7
✓ Venetian red or English red PR101
✓ Permanent Alizarin crimson (Attention: do not use the traditional pigment, which is not very light-fast) PV19 or PR177 or Quinacridone Rose PV19
✓ Cobalt teal blue PG50
✓ French ultramarine blue PB29
✓ Raw umber PBr7
✓ Burnt umber PBr7
✓ Ivory Black PBk9
Brushes
✓ About ten filbert hog bristle brushes sizes n° 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12
✓ Some flat brushes
✓ Round sable brush or round Kolinsky sable n° 4, 8, 10, 12 (from the size of the nail (about one inch) or synthetic imitation
Medium
✓ Linseed stand oil
✓ Odourless mineral spirits
✓ Safflower oil
Surface
✓ Linen canvas, fine grain universal coating
✓ For studies : Canson oil-acrylic oil paper Figueras
Others
✓ Palette
✓ Foam and spalter brushes
✓ Palette knife in the shape of a water drop, no souldering
✓ A few small pots, containers, jars...
✓ Paper towels

***
#art #painting #inspiration
***

Thanks for watching !

[karshbandicoot]

'Failed paintings' are just really colourful underpaintings.

[liwi]

"If you fail, you are going to learn alot more than by NOT doing it." Thank you, Florent.

[lucycannon]

"There are a lot of ugly stages before a painting is finished." That one took me much too long to understand. Excellent video, thank you!!

[asmellofgreengrass]

I would add this. The light in the room where you are creating the art matters. After you cover the canvas fully with color, take the painting off the easel, and look at it in different lighting. Verify that the overall painting key is not too dark or too light.

[vince-]

"Nobody care about the final results, except you." This is HELL DAMN freaking TRUE. When I understood that, I fell so free about the process. Thank Florent !

[marciaengle]

I've actually never posted a comment on any kind of form or video but I was so incredibly excited about what you had to say in this video it is not even funny. I'm 68 years young and I'm just learning how to oil paint and how to draw. I spent $2, 000 to take a painting course to learn how to paint in one year and was so overwhelmed and bog down by all the rules and anyway I was overwhelmed. So through your video I felt like I was released from a cage. What started out as being a fun retirement Hobby turned into a burden and yet I refused to give up, I went for several weeks without painting at all because it was so anxiety-producing. So I just want to thank you I'm so grateful for your videos and I will be joining your patreon and I look forward to having this return to a very fun fulfilling Adventure.

[MohammedAnsariRiz]

Man, you just appeared on the horizon like Moses with Ten Commandments and delivered me out of woods! It is advice every painter, and any creative person needs. Thank you.

[lindamlynch]

“You are allowed to start”. This morning, I start. Thank you, thank you.

[-trisld-]

A good thing: walk away, yes! Walk away and then periodically return and just glance at it.... pretend it's not yours, what is off? Walk away again. Get your mind and your eyes on totally other stuff. Go back and forth until you see things anew and/or feel more open to moving forward.

[raynoladominguez]

Be yourself first and be true to who you are. The only artist that you should compete with is the artist you were yesterday. If you are open to learning something along the way, the only failure is when you don’t do it. Thank you for your valuable teachings.

[deanerhockings-reptilianhu]

Alright mate - you just made me get out 3 unfinished paintings and I'm looking at them now like unruly children.

[ButchCurry]

What's funny is, all the stuff you said about using a good surface, not adding too much medium, keeping your process simple, is all stuff that will actually make it more archival, too!

[marybartlett]

Hi its 440pm here in jackson michigan. I wanted to say thank you i appreciate every video that you put on here. You have given me more courage to start serious painting again. I am a self taught artist and i get extreamly discouraged with the outcomes of my paintings, when i feel that way i sit, breathe, and i start watching your videos all over again and that keeps me going as an artist and my love for painting. Sometimes i feel that im not good enough but again i watch your videos and gives me a differsnt way and more motavation to keep going. So thank you your awesome keep being ypu.

[Tsikoh]

'The best painting style is the one representing your personality'. This is the one of the best pointers I learned from this video.

[jake]

This man is is down to earth with his teaching. He is also a great speaker. He is truthful and sincere and you can tell his teachings are thru trial and error. Most successful men and women are successful by learning thru their mistakes. Very well done my friend.

[Mike]

Excellent advice. I would only add that always use a mirror, even in the sketch phase, to make sure it's balanced. I've regretted using a mirror too late in the process.

[ianmoore]

"Appreciate oils drying time" - excellent quote that will stay with me - great video Sir.

[sophieunusual]

I started 8 days ago (after a decade of fear of failure!) and I love it!
I wish I had known how simple it truly is to paint with such fluid and opaque paint.

[mnoldbstrd]

I just wish I knew how enjoyable painting was. I had a fear of oil, actually, a fear of all paints. Then I decided to give it a shot and haven't look back. I look at techniques other painters use, if I like the outcome, I will continue to use it, If not, I'll set it aside and maybe try again later. It's frustrating and relaxing and still have a lot to learn. Your videos have been an inspiration to me, whether mentally or technically. Thank you

[jenniferk]

This is really excellent advice. You can see joy and passion in your face when you talk about this. Thank you for sharing ❤