Oil Painting Tutorials

Real-time demonstrations for a variety of subjects focusing on many aspects of the oil painting process including:

•color mixing
•underpainting
•layering
•painting details
•analyzing references
•using mediums

Painting tutorials are posted to Patreon. If you are already subscribed, make sure you’re logged in to access each lesson.

  • Oil Paint Colors I Use

    I use Gamblin Artist Oils but you can use any brand you like. Most of them will have some version of these colors.


    Most Used (main palette): •Titanium white •Cadmium Lemon •Cadmium Red Light •Quinacridone Red (sub alizarin crimson) •Burnt Umber •Ultramarine Blue •Phthalo Blue

    Frequently Used: •Yellow Ochre •Burnt Sienna •Sap Green •Phthalo Green

    Occasionally Used: •Cobalt Teal •Radiant Green •Radiant Blue •Radiant Turquoise •Radiant Violet •Radiant Magenta

    A general “basics of color-mixing” beginner tutorial for oil painting is available for free on my youtube channel.

  • Mediums I use

    Solvents: • Gamsol •Sennelier Thinner •Lavender Spike Oil Essence

    Mediums: •Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel • Galkyd •Galkyd Gel •Gamblin Stand Oil • Gamblin Refined Linseed Oil •
    M. Graham Walnut Alkyd Medium


    You don't have to use the same mediums I'm using if following along with a tutorial. I like to switch up what I use for different paintings but you only need a solvent to clean your brushes with (and dilute paint) and a medium of choice to mix a little bit with your paint to achieve a better application. Gamsol and Linseed Oil, or Galkyd, are a great starting point and can be used with any tutorial I've created. If mixing mediums seems intimidating at first, Gambin's Solvent-free Gel or Galkyd Gel are excellent options; they're used in many of these demos.

  • African Violet Blooms

    Total Time: 2 hrs 3 mins
    1 video
    Reference Included

  • Cloudy Mountain Landscape

    Total Time: 1 hr 19 mins
    1 video
    Reference Included

  • Forest Landscape With Sunlight Patches

    Total Time: 1 hr 58 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Water Droplets on a Car Window

    Total Time: 1 hr 49 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Pet Portrait - Black Labrador

    Total Time: 3 hrs 1 min
    1 video
    Reference Included

  • Realistic Eye Close-Up

    Total Time: 2 hrs 41 mins
    2 separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Water Drop Splash

    Total Time: 2 hrs 7 mins
    1 Video
    Reference Included

  • Water Droplets on a Window

    Total Time: 3 hrs 36 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Cozy Rainy Cityscape

    Total Time: 5 hrs 54 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Sunny Mountains, Grass, Trees, Pond

    Total Time: 1 hr 29 mins
    1 video (mostly alla prima with a bit of detail added in the following day)
    Reference Included

  • Mt Rainier Landscape

    Total Time: 1 hr 53 mins
    1 video (alla prima demo)
    Reference Included

  • Reflective Silver Ring

    Total Time: 1 hr 27 mins
    1 video (alla prima demo)
    Reference included

  • Apple Blossom

    Total Time: 1 hr 28 mins
    1 video (alla prima demo)
    Reference included

  • Pastel Sky, Mountains, Trees, Path

    Total Time: 1 hr 54 mins
    1 video (alla prima demo)
    Reference included

  • Droplet on a Geranium

    Total Time: 3 hrs 7 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference included

  • Ocean Wave

    Total Time: 3 hrs 18 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference included

  • Underwater Painting

    Total Time: 11 hrs 7 mins
    6 Separate videos (underpainting, color-blocking, details)

  • Sci-fi landscape

    Total Time: 2 hrs 19 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Sketchbook concept reference included

  • Sci-fi Landscape | Trees & Planets

    Total Time: 1 hr 31 mins
    Sketchbook concept reference included

  • Lily in Blue Light

    Total Time: 2 hrs 34 mins
    Reference Included

  • Forest Landscape

    Total Time: 2 hrs 44 mins
    4 separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Droplet On a Flower

    Total Time: 2hrs 44 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Daffodil Still LIfe

    Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Water Droplets / Blurred Face

    Total Time: 3 hrs
    4 Separate Videos (reference shoot, underpainting, 1st layer, water droplets)

  • Pink Rose

    Total Time: 31 mins (slightly sped up in a few sections)
    Reference Included

  • Mountain/Field Landscape

    Total Time: 42 mins
    Reference Included

  • Crystal Study

    Total Time: 59 mins
    Reference shown in video

  • Candle Flame Study

    Total Time: 41 mins
    Reference shown in video

  • Marbles Study

    Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
    Reference included

  • Macro Droplet Close Up

    Total Time: 1 hr 56 mins
    3 Separate Videos/Sittings (Underpainting, 1st color layer, glazing & details)
    Reference included

  • Monarch Butterfly on a Flower

    Total Time: 2hrs 25 mins
    3 Separate videos
    Reference Included

  • Mushroom

    Total Time: 35 mins
    Reference Included

  • Trees, Mountains, Overcast Sky

    Total Time: 48 mins
    Reference Included

  • Expressive Rose

    Total Time: 28 mins

  • Ocean Wave

    Total Time: 2hrs
    3 Separate Videos/Sittings (Underpainting, 1st color layer, building details)
    Reference Included

  • Water Droplets on Window

    Total Time: 1 hr 19 mins
    2 Separate Videos/Sittings
    Reference Included

  • Snowy Mountain Sunrise

    Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
    2 Separate Videos/Sittings
    Reference Included

  • Shiny Ornament

    Total Time: 1 hr 34 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings (underpainting, color layer & details)
    Reference Included

  • Hummingbird

    Total Time: 48 mins
    Reference Included

  • Trees & Lake Reflections / Expressive Landscape (Beginner friendly)

    Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Solar Study (Beginner friendly)

    Total Time: 1 hr 7 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Halved Lemon

    Total Time: 3 hrs 4 mins
    Reference included

  • Forest Landscape

    Total Time: 1 hr 16 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Watermelon Study

    Total Time: 1 hr 3 mins
    Reference Included

  • Rose with expressive background (Beginner friendly)

    Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings (1st color layer, glazing)
    Reference Included

  • Avocado Study (Beginner friendly)

    Total Time: 1 hr 48 mins
    2 Separate videos/sittings (underpainting, color blocking)
    Reference Included

  • Glass Jar Study

    Total Time: 2 hrs 7 mins
    Reference Included

  • Tulip Study (Beginner friendly)

    Total Time: 46 mins
    Reference Included

  • Moon Study

    Total Time: 1 hr 2 mins
    Reference Included

  • Sunset mountains (Beginner friendly)

    Total Time: 1 hr 7 mins
    Reference Included

  • Shower Portrait

    Total Time: 10 hrs 20 mins
    11 Separate videos (I worked on this painting on and off for a couple years) shows the gradual layering process to create the effect of transparency and foggy glass. Final touchups/details not filmed as a lesson.

  • Mossy Forest Landscape

    Total Time: 4 hrs 24 mins
    3 Separate videos/sittings (underpainting, first color layer/color-blocking, final details)
    Reference included

  • Moonlit Imaginative Landscape

    Total Time: 2 hrs 22 mins

  • Underwater Portrait

    Total Time: 5 hrs 48 mins
    5 Separate videos/sittings (including photoshop reference image editing process)
    Reference Included

  • Detailed Bubble

    Total TIme: 2 hrs 41 mins
    2 Separate videos

  • Lightbulb

    Total Time: 5 hrs 13 mins
    3 Separate videos

  • Tropical Sunset (for beginners)

    Total Time: 37 mins

  • Countryside Landscape (Beginner Friendly)

    Total Time: 2hrs 26 mins
    Reference Included

  • Black Butterfly (Beginner Friendly)

    Total Time: 1 hr 22 mins
    Reference Included

  • Underwater Rose

    Total Time: 1 hr 16 mins
    2 Separate videos: Partial demo showing only color-mixing and the first color layer, details were not filmed as a lesson.

  • Sunflowers Still Life

    Total Time: 3 hrs 19 mins
    3 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference Included

  • Rainy Cityscape

    Total Time: 1 hr 28 mins
    2 Separate videos: Partial demonstration containing only the underpainting and first color layer, further layers and details were not recorded as lessons.

  • Macro Iris

    Total Time: 5 hrs 43 mins
    5 Separate videos/sittings
    Reference shown in video

  • Candle (Beginner friendly)

    Total Time: 55 mins
    Real-time version of a free tutorial I posted to youtube.
    Reference Included

  • Kat - Spinning Out Portrait

    Total Time: 3 hrs 8 mins
    4 Separate videos
    Reference Included

  • Hometown Cityscape

    Total Time: 45 mins

  • Orange Hybiscus (Beginner Friendly)

    Total Time: 25 mins

  • Forest Mushroom

    Total Time: 41 mins

  • Ocean Wave

    This is a partial demonstration focusing mainly on the initial color-mixing and some of the color-blocking stage (first color layer). The rest was not demonstrated in lesson form and only time lapsed for youtube.

  • Lime Light

    Total Time: 32 mins (sped up in some parts)

  • "Secret Oasis"

    Total Time: 1 hr 43 mins (length of 2 demo videos combined, sped up in some parts)
    Reference shown in video

  • Water Series Portrait

    Total Time: 1 hr 8 mins
    2 Separate videos: Partial demo showing the color-mixing process and the first color layer. The rest was not filmed as a lesson and just time lapsed for youtube.

  • Light Skin Tones Study

    Total Time: 1 hr 42 mins
    3 Separate videos (color mixing & color blocking)
    Reference shown in video

  • Eye study on agate slice

    Total Time: 59 mins
    2 Separate videos

  • Portrait on exposed wood

    Total Time: 42 mins
    Partial demo showing just the wood-prepping process and the final details/touchups on the face

  • Color-mixing demo (Wonder Woman portrait)

    Total time: 23 mins
    Printed reference used in mixing demo

  • How to paint dark skin tones

    Total Time: 2 hrs 17 mins
    5 Separate videos (color-mixing, color blocking, painting some detail)
    Printed reference used in video

  • Hand, Rose & Fabric Study

    Total Time: 3 hrs 14 mins
    6 Separate videos showing various parts of the process, sped up in a few sections

  • Painting a wave

    Total Time: 7 hours
    8 Separate videos
    Reference editing shown in video

  • Iris Bloom

    Total Time: 31 mins
    Partial demo showing the beginning underpainting stage + some of the first color layer

  • How to paint stars / space background

    Total Time: 43 mins
    Partial demo showing how I painted a few sections of a large space-themed painting

  • "Disarray" (Sunflower Series Portrait)

    Total time: 58mins
    Partial demo containing 2 separate videos capturing some of the skin tones and color blocking, not the full process.

  • "Blue Lagoon"

    Total Time: 1 hr 44 mins
    4 Separate videos showing a few aspects of the process

  • "Fusion" (Sunflower Series Portrait)

    Total Time: 1 hr 6 mins
    3 Separate videos, partial demo showing a few parts of the process like skin tones, sunflowers, and some abstract effects. Not the full process.

  • "Verdant Waters" Water Series Portrait

    Total Time: 2 hrs 43 mins
    6 Separate videos: color-mixing, color-blocking, painting water, skin tones, oiling out. Demonstrates a lot of the process but not 100%

  • Moonlit landscape on agate slice

    Total Time: 44 mins

  • Mirror, Reflections, Water Droplets

    Total Time: 1 hr 48 mins
    3 Separate videos

  • Iceland Geyser Landscape

    Total Time: 2 hrs 43 mins
    3 Separate videos (color-mixing, 1st color layer)
    Printed reference shown in part 1

  • Portland House Study

    Total Time: 1 hr 28 mins • lightly sped up in some sections
    3 Separate videos (reference editing, color-mixing, painting)

  • Color-mixing process for "Immersion"

    Total Time: 1 hr 9 mins
    3 Separate videos (color mixing)
    Other than the color-mixing stage, this painting was not filmed as a lesson, only time lapsed for youtube.

  • Color-mixing process for "Ripple"

    Total Time: 43 mins
    2 Separate videos (color-mixing)
    Other than the color-mixing stage, this painting was not filmed as a lesson, only time lapsed for youtube.

  • Color-mixing process for "Tide"

    Total Time: 28 mins
    Other than the color-mixing stage, this paintiing was not filmed as a lesson or time lapse.

  • Eye painting with muted tones

    Total Time: 54 mins
    2 Separate videos capturing the full color-mixing process and some of the 1st layer.

  • Color-mixing process | How to mix natural earthy greens for landscapes

    Total Time: 20 mins
    Towards the end there is a little bit of painting demonstration but this is mainly a color-mixing tutorial.

  • Color-mixing process for a beach landscape

    Total Time: 21 mins
    Other than the color-mixing stage, this painting was not filmed as a painting demo, only time lapsed for youtube.

  • Tiny water piece | Detail touchups

    Total Time: 36 mins
    This demonstration shows the detail stage of a tiny water painting created for a metrocard theme art exhibit.

  • Shadow portrait

    Total Time: 50 mins
    2 Separate videos focusing on color-mixing and the first color layer

  • Skin tones, hands, florals

    Total Time: 43 mins
    2 Separate videos focusing mostly on the early stages and some details

  • "Oasis" Demonstration

    Total Time: 48 mins
    2 Separate videos sharing a few sections of the process (not 100%)

  • Painting water droplets

    Total Time: 22 mins

  • "The Sleepwalker" Behind the scenes

    Total Time: 29 mins
    Sharing a few painting clips as well as video editing.

  • Atlas Moth

    Total Time: 22 mins (lightly sped up in some parts)

  • "Haven" Underwater portrait

    Total Time: 56 mins
    Sharing some real-time footage from various parts of the painting + my palette/color mixing

  • Painting Lips (Beginner-friendly)

    Total Time: 29 mins
    Long version of a free tutorial I created for youtube.

  • Cracked hand study

    Total Time: 20 mins
    Sharing the process of the early stages

  • Eye/Rose Fusion

    Total Time: 48 mins
    2 Separate videos sharing the underpainting, color-mixing, and 1st color layer. Lightly sped up in some parts

  • "Ephemeris" behind the scenes

    Total Time: 1 hr
    2 Separate videos sharing the reference editing and some of the early first color layer/color-blocking stage.