September 11, 2019

So you want to paint in oils….

If you want to start painting in oils and you’re not sure where to start, we can help! Pegasus Art is a resource for total beginners, amateurs and professional artists. We offer a whole range of day workshops to inspire your desire to paint, and also regular classes that run during term time. If you simply want to come and browse in our shop, you will have the opportunity to chat to artist staff and ask them for help and advice. We are here to support you at whatever stage you’re at.

Artist and tutor, Max Hale, offers his top five pieces of advice for those wanting to discover oil painting:

Use a sturdy, upright easel. Easels are often seen as expensive luxuries, they are just the opposite, a necessary way to hold your canvas or board and vital in allowing free movement for the artist to step back from their work. This Loxley Studio Easel is ideal, but we have plenty of others to choose from – browse here.

Choose a palette as large as you dare. Prepare your palette carefully, use a flat wooden or plastic one. A decent palette will allow areas for your reservoirs of paint on the perimeter plus space in the centre for mixing. The Cappelletto Okoume palette is ideal and you can browse our whole range of palettes here.

A smaller Cappelletto palette – 20 x 30cm £6.25

Draw outlines. Draw out on your canvas using a brush or charcoal. Just the outlines and a few carefully measured lines of dynamic gesture. Don’t fuss with detail you’ll not see it once you start to paint.

Charcoal Musgrove Willow in a variety of sizes

Darks first. Block in your darks first – use thin paint but not runny. Keep your paint to a medium viscosity but mix well with a little dilutant. Refined white spirit or water if water-mixable oils are used. This way you’ll be ready to build your painting in no time at all.

Step away. Step back from your work as you paint. In other words avoid working close to your canvas all the time you’re painting. It’s vital to take a couple of steps away to view the whole canvas. Only then are you in a position to judge your progress.
Use the best quality paints that you can afford. Max Hale favours Royal Talens Cobra water based oils and we sell a huge range of top quality brands. Browse our range of paints here.

Do you want to know more?

Why not join a term time art class or one day workshop with Max Hale? Find details on his website here.

Max runs term time art classes at Pegasus Art on Tuesday mornings and afternoons.

Join Max Hale for morning classes where he will be teaching a different technique each half of the term. This Autumn term you will tackle Ink and Wash followed by Acrylics. You will learn a huge amount with this very experienced teacher.

Ink & Wash – let’s take it further – all levels welcome

Starting 3rd September for five weeks: £150
10.00am – 12.30pm

Seven images in Acrylics – paint different subjects each week

From 22nd October for seven weeks: £185
10.00am – 12.30pm

Contact Max Hale directly to book: maxhaleart@gmail.com

Day Workshops with Max Hale

Max teaches a range of one day workshops throughout the year at Pegasus Art. Day Workshops are continuously updated, but Max currently teaching the following: