Beginner tutorial
Online oil painting tutorial for beginners.
Keep the first session narrow. One subject. One small palette. One pass for shape, one for structure, one for finish. That is enough to learn what the brush and palette are doing.
Step 1: start with a five-color palette
White, a warm yellow, a red, a blue, and a dark neutral are enough. You are not trying to own every hue. You are trying to keep the palette readable long enough to make decisions.
Step 2: block in the big value shapes
Paint the sky, ground, wall, face, or fruit first. Keep the edges broad. If the picture reads from six feet away, the painting has a chance. If it only reads when you zoom in, start over sooner.
Step 3: reload and tighten only the places that need it
Reload the brush before it goes chalky. Clean it before a highlight or a crisp edge. Push detail toward the focal point and let the rest stay open. Beginners usually over-finish the wrong parts first.
If the painting gets muddy
Open the digital color mixing guide. If the brush itself feels confusing, read the oil brush simulation notes. If you want a direct example, compare the three stages in the mountain painting progression.