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Finishing Layer of Oil Painting Lessons

This is your finishing layer oil painting lesson. Here you will put on your final touches, signature and after painting has dried, the varnish coat.

Below you see a close up of the wine jug. It has already had it's final color coats (not much really except for some touch ups from the dead layer and a deep blue accents pushed a little deeper by adding in additional ultramarine blue to the lines.

I come back in with small dabs of white/yellow mixture of paint. It is applied thickly with little medium.

oil painting of grapes still life

I then used a very small correcting brush and finally a few wisps of the mop brush.

oil painting of grapes

These softened out nicely. As it is a clay (fired) piece, it's highlights are not as sharp and the dew drops or reflection off of chrome or glass.

still life of grapes oil painting

Here I have finished the grapes, but have shot some closeups to show the details. On each grape in the final finishing layer I have added certain detail. Not only are the dew drops more complete (click this link for dew drops explained in detail), but on the right side is a touch of yellow/red or orange that simulates a secondary light source.

This is in addition to the main light from the left.

oil painting of grapes

Remember, no two grapes are the same. Each has it's own character!

still life oil painting grapes

Also notice that a great deal of the dead layer show through on each grape. This mimics the gray dusty coating on fresh grapes that is usually wiped away in handling or from dew drops dripping down the skin.

oil painting of grapes

Below is the completed finishing-layer of the painting. I've added some lighter area's to the background to simulate a window frame. And of coarse the signature on the bottom.

oil painting of wine jug and grapes

And here is the 2nd painting used for our examples. I discuss its finishing-layer in great detail on this page about dew drops. Both of these paintings I considered successful. Why?

Quite simple actually. They both sold within a few weeks of completion!

It's said that the greatest compliment an artist can receive is when someone takes out that hard earned cash, and gives it to the artist for something that has no real intrinsic value other than for pleasure for the eyes!

I'm thankful for the many people that view this work as having value. May your travels be filled with people that wonder at your work also. Keep within these steps, and you will succeed at this craft we call Oil Painting!

oil painting of grapes and pears

After you've allowed your painting to dry you can put a protective varnish coat. If you used damar varnish in you medium, then you will need to wait several months to allow full drying of the painting. Damar varnish is then brushed on with a large flat brush then laid down to allow the varnish to settle to an even coat. Keep your painting covered with a box to keep dust from settling on it also.

If you used the Alkyd medium in your mixtures, you need to wait but a few days. Then re-apply the Liquin directly to the painting using a flat brush. As this medium is very thick, the painting can be leaned against a wall (paint side towards the wall) to dry and prevent dust from getting to it.

Now didn't I tell you that each layer gets easier. The finishing-layer is a very quick final application of highlights, a few water drops, and your signature. In most paintings it is completed in less that an hour! It's always a good day in my studio, because I usually have several pieces in the pipeline that end up be completed on the same day. My gallery owner loves this because her clients love choices!

If you've enjoyed these lessons, but you feel you need more, I have a wonderful E-book "A Real Art Lesson" that is down- loadable. Clicking the link below will take you there. It has more detailed photo's than I can provide on the site. It's actually over 140 pages long with over 200 photo examples to follow.

More Information on "A Real Art Lesson"

And if you're not interested in the e-book at the present moment, but you've followed this process through with me in all the layers, then lets take a short break and slip out to my favorite coffee shop.

Seriously,

If we were to meet someplace, like a Starbucks, or a Barnes & Noble store, and began to discuss your art travels, and I had the time to explain to you this technique in person, would you buy me a cup of coffee?

If you've enjoyed these wonderful lessons, and you feel like you'd like to keep me juiced up to give you more fantastic information about this wonderful past-time, then go ahead, buy me a small cup of coffee! Click on the cup It's only $2!

Now if you'd really like to keep me talking, and divulge all the studio practices I follow, give you incite into all the steps I take to create my art, would you buy me a whole pot? The coffee shop that we are in only charges $5, and I'll stay here with you for hours! So, what do you say? Click on the pot!

You will be helping me to keep this information flowing!

Thanks!

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