Oil painting

Many people are averse to oil paint. One reason is the solvent, the classic artist's turpentine, and the other is keeping the tools clean. There are now modern odorless solvents, and they dry just as quickly as turpentine. I don't use linseed oil or paints containing linseed oil very often, because it dries slowly. I only use linseed oil if it was mixed into the paint the day before and I want the paint applied the next day to still blend on the surface.

Beginners need some time and from the beginning they should try to think about the surface as if we are not painting a tree, a flower, or a house, but a picture. First of all, you need to be aware of a few things that you need to learn. For example, golden ratio, color theory. This knowledge is already available on the Internet.

You can pre-draw the conceived theme on the primed surface. Instead of graphite pencil, I recommend pastel (pitt) pencil, because it is related to oil paint and does not smear like graphite.
The surface is like a scale, we are always working on it, but we must strive for balance. Such pairs of opposites occur, in which we must be careful not to let one of them become dominant: e.g. dark-light, cold-warm, vertical-horizontal, image elements, mass of spots, etc.

Do not torment the material, let it prevail, and do not try to paint a picture in one day. If the paint runs somewhere or we have drawn a line due to a larger gesture, leave it!

The important thing is to feel good while creating. Always apply the colors that are visually farther away first: background, the sky, and move forward. Let each layer dry, and the previous pure colors remain, they do not mix.

And don't forget to wash your brush!

Walnut stain

This material is used to color wooden surfaces. There are different colors, but walnut stain is liked for its warmth and reminds me of old postcards. It can be classified as a watercolor technique, with the difference that the paper does not need to be dipped. It is worth using good quality paper, e.g. watercolor paper, etching paper, with the latter you have to be careful with rubbing, because it fluffs up. Otherwise, you should work loosely, with a small touch of the brush, with good quality brushes (pony hair).

Pre-drawing is not recommended, because it can show through under the paint. This requires a somewhat steady hand, because if you draw something there, it will stay there. There is not much room for correction. That is why it is worth starting with lighter, lighter shades and then darkening. Here too, it is good to wait until the previous layer dries. In this case, you don't have to stop, but continue working on another part of the picture. Good walnut wood stain is best in crystalline form and must be dissolved in water. This way, you can get from almost black to the palest shade, depending on the dilution.

It is worth mixing (diluting) at least five shades in small bottles in advance, and numbering them from one to five so that the shades don't get mixed up the next time.

I also like this material because the brush can be easily washed out with water.