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learning oils
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Posted
I first learned how to paint in oils at Dundee Art College. We did lots of stil lifes and that way every thing became easier asregards brushwork and colour mixing. In my opinion landscapes are just big still lifes. They have shapes ,tones, shadows , reflections and perspective. And they dont usually move !.....Syd
Posted
That's as good an approach as any Syd, and probably better than some: (you HOPE they don't move, anyway - possibly time to move smartly away if they do...).
I don't much enjoy painting still life, and never did, but it's invaluable at teaching you about tone, shadow, reflection, and the relationship of one object to another - and you really need all of that when painting landscape or your painting isn't going to work. Some people love painting still life, and I wish I did - but to me it was always basically homework: had to be done, but I didn't enjoy it.
It's about time I had another go at it, though ... because it also makes you look: you can't fanny about with an onion, or a pot, or any physical object you're expecting people to be able to recognize; the painted object has to look like the thing in front of you - good training for portraiture, that art form where there's usually "something a little wrong about the mouth"....