Oil Painting Level 1 Short Course

Topics covered

• Imprimatura to create an under painting
• Colour theory and mixing colour
• Drawing with paint
• Creating form and space using colour
• Glazing and scumbling
• Various paint application methods
• Balance and harmony in painting
• Using different mixing mediums

Learning outcomes

• Leave the course with a body of work
  
• Feel confident expressing yourself through a variety of different techniques
  
• Have more awareness of the diverse concepts and production of the generic process of oil painting
  
• Have the confidence to move onto Oil Painting Short Course Level 2
  
• Digital badge and certificate of attendance.

Materials

Please bring the following materials with you on the first day:

• Palette and palette knife
  
• A2 canvas board (While an A2 canvas board is recommended by the tutor, you are welcome to bring additional boards, canvases or other painting surfaces in your preferred size or shape)
• Any objects you might like to see in a still life
  
• Linseed oil (not Stand Oil)
  
• Apron or old shirt to protect your clothes
  
• 2 empty glass jars for your medium
  
• Selection of brushes - bristle and/or synthetic
  
• Selection of Oil Paints (see below for further details)

Please note that studio safe solvent and medium is provided by the college. Students are advised not to bring their own products for health and safety purposes.

Oil Paints Short Course Essentials:

• Titanium White (large tube)
• Ivory Black (or Lamp Black)
• Lemon Yellow
• Cadmium Red or Cadmium Red Light Quinacridone Red (can be Rose Madder or Magenta)
• French Ultra Marine Blue or Cobalt Blue
• Burnt Umber Brown
• Yellow Ochre

Further recommendations:

• Naples Yellow
• Cerulean Blue
• Phthalo Blue
• Manganese Purple
• Viridian Green

For general painting we would recommend using the following brushes and sizes:

• Flat Brushes (long flat/ flat) sizes: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20
• Round Brushes (pointed) sizes: 2, 4, 6
• Filbert Brushes sizes: 3, 5, 8
• Rigger sizes: 2, 4

Brush sizes are dictated by the size of the painting you are working on, so please scale up as necessary. Oil painting brushes usually have long handles, but the smaller sizes used for detail may have shorter ones. Hog hairbrushes are traditional and great to use, but good quality synthetic ones can be just as good.

Please note: Students should make arrangements to take their work home at the end of the course. Any work that is left in the studio, during or after the course, is at a student's own risk. In such circumstances students should ensure that work is clearly labelled with their name, course title and dates. Work will be kept for no longer than one month after the end of the course. We are unable to arrange for the delivery of your work, but would be very happy to prepare this ready for collection should you wish to arrange for a courier.

Most materials needed for the short courses are available at the Chelsea College of Arts' Art Shop. Please contact the Art Shop directly for opening hours and availability.