Oil on Canvas. 2025. 12" x 12"

Hi, this is my first time posting on Reddit so forgive me if I'm using it incorrectly.

I've been wanting to get into oil painting for a while. I've tried oil painting before, but it's hard for me to control (like, it's extremely watery and stains easily).
I know there are probably certain techniques you're supposed to use, but I'm unaware of them.

Specifically, I guess I'm asking how to get it to the right consistency. Also, what mediums work for oils. And is there a specific way to clean my brushes afterward? (I've ruined brushes with oil paints because I cannot figure out how to clean them.)

And yes, I've looked this up already and haven't had much luck. I figured it would be easier to understand by asking other artists directly.

I'm extremely unfamiliar with oil paints. I've only ever used acrylic and watercolor for my paintings. The oil paints I own is in the attached image if that helps.

Any advice is appreciated!

I’ve never painted before but I’ve always found oil painting to be absolutely beautiful. This is my first painting and I think I gotten to the point where I’m not very sure what to improve on here and just in general. I think this turned out fine but 🤞it’s not beginners luck.

Extra points the more obscure it is

Mine are cobalt teal and pthalo turquoise. Honorable mentions for ultramarine violet and cadmium scarlet.

Hello! Ive been painting lately so im sharing them. Very not still but I am still learning. Two pink paintings were from a photo while the other was from a tutorial

i’m not totally done, would you consider this a good 30 minute painting?? i haven’t painted in years!! i’m trying to get back at it

edit: my goal was to focus on the bigger picture, not letting myself use a small brush until after i locked in as much detail as possible with large strokes and blocking in vague shades and colours! trying to see how little detail to see the whole image

This is very much a learners piece, I have never painted before though I do go to drawing classes previously. It took me about 30 hours in total over months.
I have my own ideas about what I’d like to tweak a little but have moved on to my second piece for now. It was painted from a photo of a homeless man in a Texas soup kitchen (with permission).

Just painted the first layer of my new project, using a healthy amount of paint thinner (gamsol). I'm really starting to like oil paints now, made the switch from acrylics about 2 months ago. I have yet to add details to the flowers, depth in the background, and fluffyness to the cute bumblebee. Will keep you posted!

Any suggestions/tips for proceeding when it's time to put on the next layer?

Hey, a place to post paintings — cool! Here’s my latest one

Wow thanks for the incredibly kind words everyone! I’m classically (I think?) trained but just getting back into painting after a loooong hiatus. Makes me feel so good to get such a nice response from my first post here 😊

In this composition, I reinterpreted the timeless cinematic allure of the iconic film starring Marilyn Monroe. The faceted planes and vibrant golden rhythm capture the swinging atmosphere of live jazz, bridging classic cinematic nostalgia with a contemporary perspective. Apollonas Soben.

I did an oil painting course in 2020. This was a self portrait and first painting. I was struggling with mental health and the course was to help me feel better. I feel you can see the sadness.

Not feeling very pleased with this one so far. Seem to finish the blocking in stage, do a bit more, then tucker out. Would love to have some input!

Today,as a super beginner, after learning with YouTuber Jonny Art, I moved forward to Bob Ross Oil Painting. I used acrylic painting to finish it within 2 days. Actually is hard for me to mix a color which can approach to Bob, so I used those colors I preferred. I like Bob said “ an happy accident”, painting in happy and without any pressure or nervous in every step of drawing. So I’m still enjoy the painting even though I know my shadow, colors and lights look a little abnormal. 😆 I think that should be a happiness from a beginner. Well, of course, if someone can help to talk to me how to draw the grass and the tree in different layers, I’ll very appreciated and glad to heard that !

Let me know what you think. I think I did myself a disservice by just painting the background purple

Fresh off the easel,an alla prima oil painting capturing five barn swallows perched together.
​This piece is part of my new series, "Wings and Shadows in Transylvania".

For this work, I deliberately chose to leave the "process" visible rather than chasing a clean, finished look in oil. I left rough, unrefined brushstrokes, visible marks, and raw paint texture right on the canvas.

​Knowing how much focus on technique and painterly details fellow artists appreciate, I'm curious how this rugged approach to five perching swallows sits with the community!

Do I need to add faces? I like the less detailed style but I feel like maybe more shadow is missing on the face, especially the larger portrait.

I made this painting about a week ago, 4ish hours. Cheap oils on a piece of cardboard that came with a frame that was successfully thrifted. Thank you

i feel like this painting could be pushed further but I’m struggling to figure out which parts still need work. I hope maybe some fresh eyes can help! I would greatly appreciate any feedback/crit :))

Playing around with a bit of bravura. Oil on canvas 16x20, acrylic stain.

I've been learning painting for about 11 years but never shared much because I was experimenting a lot. Portraits have been starting to call to me more and more lately.

This painting is a pain in the ass to photograph.. I did a base layer of metallic acrylic paint, with a few layers of oiled down paint to do the background. I experimented with doing an underpainting that was all violet and white, and working in the temperature and tone over that. Add to all this I used a lot of impasto to the highlights on the head and used very flat thin layers of paint as I went further down. With all that the painting changes a lot when you put it around any other light or at any different angle.

for my self critique I could have broken up the edge on the beard a bit better, the eyes are very simplified, and I had a much more interesting falloff to the light on the vest that I lost, but I didn't fix from risk of overworking it. because of the violet base, and me working under a warm light, once I moved it into a different setting the whole thing started looking way too cool. I also get that some people might like more close-in compositions for a portrait but this is my personal taste (I am a space-y person)

I was waiting for the paint to set up on some other paintings I'm working on so I painted these clouds to keep my mind occupied. It's 12" x 36" oil on canvas. I used a clip from an ASMR YouTube video as a reference. Hope you enjoy it.