How Can I Be a Neater Painter?

Painting in oil can be a messy endeavor. However, organization is the trick to being a neater painter. Below is a list of the biggest mistakes  beginners make, which, luckily, are easy to fix. 

DOS AND DON’TS

• DO clean  brushes thoroughly, or they’ll become stiff and won’t produce beautiful brushstrokes. 
• DO use bristle brushes instead of soft watercolor brushes when painting in oils so that you will make brushstrokes instead of “licking” the surface, which smooths the paint out.  
• DON’T use turpentine to clean brushes, as it will destroy the bristles.  
• DON’T dip brushes in  mineral spirits or turpentine between brushstrokes, as It ruins the consistency of oil paint, turning the wonderful creamy oils into watercolor.
• DO NOT use a white paper palette.  It is difficult to judge value on a white surface, so mixing becomes more difficult. If you must use a paper palette, choose gray or brown instead. But realize that paper palettes wrinkle up, which makes it difficult to mix paint on. The best mixing surface is a glass or plexiglass palette. Put brown paper underneath it  to give a neutral value and color to mix against. 
• DO clean your palette at the end of the painting day so it will be clean and ready to use the next day.  
• DON’T hurry! Take your time and enjoy the process of mixing paint and laying it on the canvas. 
• DO keep your palette organized by putting your paints out in the same order every time. 
• DON’T buy unnecessary colors. Use a limited palette so you can learn to mix colors.  
• DO make sure you close the caps well on your oil paints so they won’t dry out.

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