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.
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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 Yellow Light •Cadmium Red Light •Quinacridone Red (sub alizarin crimson) •Burnt Umber •Ultramarine Blue •Phthalo Blue •Sap Green
Occasionally Used: •Phthalo Green •Cobalt Teal •Radiant Green •Radiant Blue •Radiant Turquoise •Radiant Violet •Radiant Magenta •Radiant Red •Dioxazine Purple •Perylene Red •Yellow Ochre •Burnt SiennaA general “basics of color-mixing” beginner tutorial for oil painting is available for free on my youtube channel.
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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, Gamblin's Solvent-free Gel or Galkyd Gel are excellent options; they're used in many of these demos.
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Tulips (Beginner-Friendly)
Total Time: 47 mins
1 Video/sitting
Reference Included -
Green Apple (Beginner-Friendly)
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
1 Video/sitting
Reference Included -
Hummingbird (In progress)
2 parts uploaded uploaded
1 more on the way! -
Sakura Blossoms
Total Time: 4 hrs 21 mins
2 videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Forest Puddle
Total Time: 4 hrs 45 mins
4 Videos/Sittings
Reference Included -
Water Droplet on Petal
Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
2 Videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Aurora Sky & City Lights
Total Time: 1 hr 52 mins
1 Video/sitting
Reference Included -
Water Droplet on Petal (Beginner-friendly)
Total Time: 1 hr 2 mins
1 Video/sitting
Reference Included -
Underwater Portrait
Total Time: 5 hrs 1 min
3 Videos/sittings
Reference included. This is a partial demo, showing the first 3 sittings, not the finishing final details. -
Mossy Forest
Total Time: 2hrs 20mins
1 Video/sitting
Reference Included -
Crow Portrait (watercolor + oil)
Total Time: 1 hr 42 mins
2 Videos/sittings
Reference Inclduded -
Green Eye
Total Time: 2 hrs 19 mins
1 Video/sitting
Reference Included -
Polish Countryside
Total Time: 1 hr 49 mins
2 Videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Tangerine Study (beginner friendly)
Total Time: 42mins
1 Video
Reference Included -
Underwater Portrait
Total Time: 6 hrs 52 mins
4 Videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Beach/Seascape
Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins
2 Videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Water Portrait (in progress)
3 Videos currently uploaded (4 hrs 15 mins)
+ 1 last demo on the way
Reference Included -
Ocean Wave
Total Time: 1 hr 24 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Magnolia Bloom
Total Time: 2 hrs 47 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Seagull
Total Time: 3 hrs 37 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Colorful Evening Road
Total Time: 2 hrs 41 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Bird Study
Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Lunar Eclipse
Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Foggy Mountains
Total Time: 1 hr 6 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Flooded Forest
Total Time: 2 hrs 32 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Galactic Seascape
Total Time: 4 hrs 35 mins
4 Separate videos/sittings
Composition mockup/reference included -
Snowy River
Total Time: 1 hr 49 mins
1 video
Use painting as reference -
Moth Study
Total Time: 1 hr 12 mins
1 video
Reference included -
Golden Light Winter Scene
Total Time: 1 hr 31 mins
1 video
Reference included (gouache study) -
Winter Cabin
Total Time: 1 hr 29 mins
1 video
Reference included (gouache study) -
Fawn Portrait
Total Time: 1 hr 43 mins
1 video
Reference included -
Space Butterfly
Total Time: 1 hr 9 mins
1 video
Reference included (Digital illustration) -
Expressive Dreamy Forest
Total Time: 1 hr 9 mins
1 video
Reference included (based on a digital illustration I created) -
Sunrise at Mt. Rainier
Total Time: 1 hr 54 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference included -
Autumn Forest
Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
1 video
Reference included -
Freeway Landscape
Total time: 2 hrs 8 mins
1 video
Reference included -
Amarante Album Cover
Total Time: 3 hrs 17 mins
3 Separate Videos/Sittings
Use final painting as reference -
Forest with sunny patches
Total Time: 2 hrs 36 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference included -
Expressive Tulips
Total Time: 1 hr 9 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Forest painted on a small tree trunk slice
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
No specific reference as this is an exercise in painting with imagination. -
Macro Droplet
Total Time: 1 hr 7 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Kos Island Landscape
Total Time: 2 hrs 48 mins
3 Separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Orchid Blooms
Total Time: 1 hr 21 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Expressive Sunflower
Total Time: 1 hr 1 min
1 video
Reference Included -
Glowing Jellyfish
Total Time: 1 hr 17 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Rose Close-Up
Total Time: 2 hrs 28 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Foggy Forest
Total Time: 1 hr 37 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Glowing Sunset
Total Time: 57 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Armor
Total Time: 2 hrs 13 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Fantasy Cat Portrait
Total Time: 3 hrs 50 mins
3 Separate videos/sittings
Reference included -
Planet Earth
Total Time: 1 hr 26 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Moonlit Street
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Jasmine Blooms
Total Time: 2 hrs 34 mins
2 separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Ornament
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
2 Separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Luna Moth
Total Time: 44mins
1 Video
Reference Included -
Autumn Streetview Landscape
Total Time: 1 hr 56 mins
2 separate videos/sittings
Reference Included -
Ornate Street Lantern
Total Time: 1 hr 12 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
Dolphin
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
1 video
Reference Included -
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
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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
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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
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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
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Orange Hybiscus (Beginner Friendly)
Total Time: 25 mins
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Forest Mushroom
Total Time: 41 mins
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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.
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Lime Light
Total Time: 32 mins (sped up in some parts)
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"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
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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 -
"The Sleepwalker" Behind the scenes
Total Time: 29 mins
Sharing a few painting clips as well as video editing. -
"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
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Atlas Moth
Total Time: 22 mins (lightly sped up in some parts)
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"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.