Tuesday, January 10, 2017

How I create a miniature oil painting



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since previously I have been posting pictures of finished paintings, I thought it might be fun to show the steps to creating a one. The first step is finding an interesting painting I would enjoy doing. I chose this dog:


I cut a piece of good hot press Crescent illustration board. Then I lay out the subject and indicate the background lightly in pencil.



Below is my work station. Oil paint, wax paper palette, good brushes and turpentine.


Here is a home made brush holder, so you can suspend the brushes in the turpentine without them touching the bottom, ruining their shape. It was a plastic soup container, coat-hanger, spring, and the black "liners" courtesy of mac 'n cheese. (PS I don't eat this junk food any more!!)  Lots of them so if the turpentine eventually messes up the liner, just pop in another one.




Sorry for the terrible blurry photo, I hate this new phone. This is how I like to hold the board, with the photo taped to the right side, as I am left handed. It is impossible to hold the painting like I do in my right hand and shoot a pic with my left.....I want my little flip phone back 😒... Too lazy to go upstairs and get the good camera, sorry, I should have. Anyhow here it is about a third of the way done (my thumb will show size):


And finally we have the finished painting.










14 comments:

  1. Hi Linda! I am really happy to see these steps! I hope someday to try oil paints instead of just acrylics and I know none of the techniques for handling the materials! Thank you so much for sharing this! Including your wonderful brush holder!!! The painting is beautiful! That little guy is a winner.... don't you wish you "knew" some of these wonderful animals? I have always felt that way about beautiful animal paintings..... Thank you again for sharing these great techniques!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are very welcome! Any time I can possibly inspire, that's what it's all about. I love this dog because he looks like my neighbor's dog who I adore. If he was smooth hair and less brown in the face.

      Delete
  2. Your skills with the paint brush and the oil paints are a pleasure to behold! I also appreciate yours showing the steps towards your finished work because it further demonstrates how painting is a skill and a process beyond simply photocopying which is what most of us do.
    And like Betsy, I learned something in seeing your brushes suspended above the bottom of the cleaner. You would be APPALLED by the cavalier way I treat my brushes, Linda. Perhaps now I shall smarten up and take better care of them- thanks to your timely demonstration. ; P

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Elizabeth! Any time I can share advice and ideas is so fun. And yeah it is important get good brushes keep them nice. I am finding that the really fine ones, no matter how much I baby them, will not hold up like the larger ones. But there are a couple different brush cleaners I like in the photo, and good old soap and water. There is also a brush shaper but if a brush loses it's shape I find this stuff does not work. Leaving a brush laying in a container bristles on the bottom is bye-bye brush. Guess how I know haha!

      Delete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was really fun to see. Your brush holder is brilliant! I LOVE the dog. It looks like he is standing in front of a hollow of a tree. I can only imagine he is waiting for whatever he chased in there to come out. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Catherine! Yeah I think it's a squirrel :)

      Delete
  5. Un gran trabajo, ha quedado precioso, eres una artista.
    Un abrazo
    Maite

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Muchas gracias Maitefor este dulce comentario! Un abrazo a ti tambien :)

      Delete
  6. I think my favorite posts are the ones where the process of work is shown, preferably with a lovely finished miniature to admire. And that this is. Wonderful work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Josje and thank you. I do enjoy showing steps and would do it more often but the project, carving- painting- whatever, is usually half way or more finished before I get the idea and realize I should have been photographing the steps!

      Delete
  7. I'm fascinated to know the process behind making fine miniatures and could literally sit for hours watching someone do it. You must have very fine bristled brushes to be able to get such small detail in there. Thank you for posting your steps and if you ever decided to video the process of you carving... :0D :0D :0D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Preciosa pintura, te ha quedado un perro encantador,felicidades:-)

    ReplyDelete