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Today I decided to dive into some details on my current oil painting process. I have laid this out as a simple list with visual examples. I'm not saying that what I do is the best way, but it's something that works for me. I hope you may find this useful or inspiring whether you are new to oil painting or experienced in the field.

1) First of all, once I have found a suitable reference photo, with or without additional adjustments, a suitable substrate size is decided upon. I will typically paint on stretched canvas or on panels. Recently, I discovered that I love painting on cradled panels for their durability, firm surface, and sleek look.

2) Prepping the substrate is something I have learned to put more focus on recently. Personally, variation in the surface texture is very pleasing to my eyes, as opposed to repeating texture patterns that you find in canvas. Dynamic texture is also just more fun to play with. I use an acrylic gesso to prime the panels with a large 3" painters brush, one you would buy at Home Depot. The acrylic gesso I like is the Golden Gesso, bright white. It's good to be generous with the gesso, covering the entire surface area with varying brush strokes in different directions until you get a unified layer with a dynamic texture. I let this dry and repeat this step two more times with a total of three layers of gesso.

3) When the painting surface is dry, I go over it with a single oil wash. I like using a mix of burnt umber and raw sienna with Gamsol mineral spirits. This offers a warm backdrop for my paintings. I like the earthy background because it tends to compliment my subjects if I decide to let any of it show through, and it gives my paintings a slightly warmer feel. The main reason I am not using a completely white background is because it is easier to judge values when you are laying paint down against a mid-tone background.

4) Now that the mid-tone wash is dry, I will transfer my planned image onto the surface. There are three ways I prefer to do this. One would be to create a grid pattern, free handing the image referencing the matching grid layout from the photo (created in photoshop or a similar program) and the grid drawn on the substrate. That process can be time consuming. Most of the time, I use an app on my phone called Camera Lucida. When set up in a phone holder, I can match the corners of the substrate with the picture reference on my phone and trace the image while looking through the screen. This method only works for smaller pieces since the phone has to be far enough out for the image to fit in the screen. And my arm is only so long. Using a projector to project an image onto a surface is another method I use for larger pieces. I like to use graphite drawing pencils for defining the composition, form and light.

5) With a transferred image in place, I will start premixing paint. Finding and staying within the gamut range is a recent learning curve that I have found really useful in my latest paintings for a more harmonious color palette. Basically, this is the use of a limited palette with three to four separate colors and white. Once I have my premixed palette ready, I begin painting. Starting with the focal point, normally the eyes, I paint wet on wet, completing a section at a time before moving on to a new section. I start with the focal point because the beginning of a painting is when I feel like I have the most energy and focus, enabling me to more easily achieve detail then when I am hours into the painting. The focal point is where I would like viewers to gravitate towards, naturally, the place with more detail. I like the expressive use of palette knives and large brushes to create visually appealing shapes and make my painting feel lively. I use Gamblin oil paints fresh out of the tube with no additional mediums.

6) When it is time to call a painting complete, which is sometimes hard to do, I will let sit for a few days to dry. When it is dry to the touch, I feel it is safe to varnish with Gamvar Gloss. This protects the piece from elements and brings out the true colors of the painting. I will then frame the painting and safely store the piece in protective packaging in a place that does doesn't significantly fluctuate in temperature or humidity.

I hope this has helped your understanding of my process, and maybe even introduced some new ideas you might use in your creative process. Thank you for reading!

All the best,

Mitchell McClosky