Misty valley at first lightUltramarine, raw umber, yellow ochre, white. Over dry hills, scumble a very thin veil of pale opaque paint for the mist.
Single pear in side light on a grey clothYellow ochre, sap green, burnt umber, white. Alla prima: block the shadow side first, then lay the lights into it wet.
Red apple glazed over a grey underpaintingIvory black, white, alizarin crimson, Indian yellow. Paint it in greys, let it dry, then glaze thin red over the apple.
Bunch of radishes with their leavesAlizarin crimson, cadmium red, sap green, white. One sitting: drag the white root tips out of the wet red.
Cumulus cloud study from the windowUltramarine, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, white. Paint the grey undersides first and press the lit tops into them wet.
Cup of black coffee with a teaspoonBurnt umber, ultramarine, yellow ochre, white. Paint the ellipse of coffee dark and drop the highlight in last, wet.
Evening sky over rooftops before the light goesCadmium orange, alizarin crimson, ultramarine, white. Work wet into wet outdoors and stop when the light changes.
Fried egg in a black panIvory black, cadmium yellow, burnt umber, white. Drag the white of the egg into the wet black so its edge softens.
Garden path in dappled lightSap green, cadmium yellow, ultramarine, burnt sienna, white. Lay the shadow pattern first; dot sun patches into it wet.
Garden roses in a jam jar, one stroke per petalAlizarin crimson, cadmium red, sap green, white. Alla prima: place each petal with a single stroke and leave it alone.
Glass of water on a windowsillCobalt blue, raw umber, white. Paint what shows through the glass first, then set hard highlights into the wet paint.
Self-portrait from a mirror in four coloursYellow ochre, cadmium red, ivory black, white. Block the shadow shapes first and lay the lights into them wet.
Single pear in side light on a grey clothYellow ochre, sap green, burnt umber, white. Alla prima: block the shadow side first, then lay the lights into it wet.
Sleeping cat as five big shapesBurnt sienna, raw umber, yellow ochre, white. Block five shapes with a large filbert; soften only the back edge.
Snow field with a fence line in low sunUltramarine, alizarin crimson, yellow ochre, white. Violet shadows first; lay warm white sunlit snow against them wet.
Surf running up a flat beachCerulean, viridian, raw sienna, white. Pull the wet foam into the wet sand colour with a flat brush, in one pass.
Three lemons and a knife on a white plateCadmium yellow, lemon yellow, ultramarine, burnt sienna, white. Mix every colour first and finish in one sitting.
Tomatoes on the vineCadmium red, alizarin crimson, sap green, white. One sitting: darker red on the shadow side, one clean highlight each.
Wet street at dusk with shop lightsPayne's grey, cadmium orange, alizarin crimson, white. Pull each light straight down into the wet grey road.
Glazing in layers 16
Autumn beech leaf held up to the lightIndian yellow, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson. Three thin glazes over a white ground, each dried; veins go on last.
Brass candlestick with one highlightYellow ochre, raw umber, Indian yellow, white. Glaze Indian yellow over a dry ochre candlestick, then one highlight.
Candle flame in a dark roomCadmium yellow, cadmium orange, burnt umber, ivory black. Glaze warm yellow over a dry pale halo so the glow deepens.
Copper pan hanging on a nailBurnt sienna, cadmium orange, raw umber, white. Glaze burnt sienna over a dry monochrome pan and restate the highlight.
Dark grapes with a pale bloomAlizarin crimson, ultramarine, burnt umber, white. Glaze crimson over dry blue-grey grapes; drag a pale bloom on last.
Evening sky deepened in three glazesIndian yellow, alizarin crimson, ultramarine, white. Let each transparent layer dry before the next goes over it.
Glass marble and its coloured shadowUltramarine, viridian, raw umber, white. Glaze the cast shadow with the marble's own colour over a dry grey.
Green glass bottle against a dark wallViridian, burnt umber, ivory black, white. Glaze viridian over a dry tonal bottle, then add opaque highlights on top.
Hand holding an eggTerre verte, yellow ochre, cadmium red, white. Underpaint in greenish grey, let it dry, then glaze a warm skin colour.
Jar of honey on a sunny sillIndian yellow, burnt sienna, raw umber, white. Glaze Indian yellow over a dry pale jar so the ground glows through.
Misty valley at first lightUltramarine, raw umber, yellow ochre, white. Over dry hills, scumble a very thin veil of pale opaque paint for the mist.
Plums in a blue and white bowlUltramarine, alizarin crimson, raw umber, white. Glaze violet over dry plums and keep the bowl opaque for contrast.
Portrait lit from one side on a dark groundBurnt umber, yellow ochre, cadmium red, white. Tone the canvas dark, build the lit side opaque, glaze the shadows warm.
Red apple glazed over a grey underpaintingIvory black, white, alizarin crimson, Indian yellow. Paint it in greys, let it dry, then glaze thin red over the apple.
Red cloth draped over a chair backAlizarin crimson, cadmium red, ivory black, white. Model the folds in grey, let them dry, then glaze crimson over them.
Stained glass window seen from insideAlizarin crimson, ultramarine, viridian, ivory black. Glaze each pane in pure colour over dry white; leads go on last.
Impasto and palette knife 16
Birch bark dragged on with a knife edgeIvory black, raw umber, cerulean, white. Load the knife edge with white and drag it sideways across each dark trunk.
Bowl of oranges in three knife strokes eachCadmium orange, cadmium yellow, ultramarine, white. One stroke of light, one of middle, one of shadow. Leave the edges.
Crusty loaf on a bread boardYellow ochre, burnt sienna, raw umber, white. Thick broken strokes for the crust, so the brush marks catch the light.
Fir bough under thick dabbed snowViridian, ultramarine, burnt umber, white. Thin dark branch first; the snow goes on last in thick unblended dabs.
Night sky in short swirling strokesCobalt blue, ultramarine, cadmium yellow, white. Lay short thick strokes that follow the swirl; never go back over one.
Old boat hull with flaking paintCerulean, burnt sienna, raw umber, white. Drag thick pale paint lightly over a dry dark hull so it breaks up.
Orchard tree in blossom against a flat skyCerulean, alizarin crimson, raw umber, white. Thin flat sky, then blossom in thick pink-white dabs from a loaded round.
Ploughed field under a big skyBurnt umber, yellow ochre, ultramarine, white. Furrows in thick strokes of a hog bristle flat, all running to one point.
Poppy field dabbed in thick redCadmium red, sap green, yellow ochre, white. Thin green field first; each poppy is one thick dab, larger at the front.
Rocky coast at low tideRaw umber, burnt sienna, Payne's grey, white. Knife the rock planes on thickly: light top, middle side, dark underside.
Slice of iced cake on a plateAlizarin crimson, yellow ochre, burnt umber, white. Spread the icing with the palette knife exactly as a baker would.
Stormy seascape with knifed foamPayne's grey, viridian, raw umber, white. Thin dark sea first, then thick white foam laid on with a palette knife.
Sunflower heads with knife-laid petalsCadmium yellow, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, viridian. Impasto: lay each petal with a palette knife and leave the ridge.
Waterfall over dark rockPayne's grey, viridian, raw umber, white. Thin dark rock; pull thick white down with the knife the way the water falls.
Wheat field leaning in the windYellow ochre, cadmium yellow, raw sienna, cerulean, white. Short thick strokes all leaning one way, with no blending.
White cottage in full sunYellow ochre, cobalt blue, burnt sienna, white. Keep the shadows thin and lay the sunlit wall on thick.
Underpainting and tone 16
Bare winter tree on a sienna groundBurnt sienna, ultramarine, white. Stain the canvas sienna and leave it showing between the branches as the warm note.
Crumpled paper bag in three valuesRaw umber, white. Squint, sort everything into dark, middle and light, and paint only those three.
Egg on a white cloth in greys onlyIvory black, titanium white. A grisaille: five mixed greys, the darkest at the cast shadow, and no colour at all.
Foggy harbour in close greysPayne's grey, raw umber, white. Keep every value within three steps of its neighbour and lose the far edges.
Hands resting on a table, in greenish greyTerre verte, ivory black, white. A verdaccio underpainting: greenish greys only, ready for warm colour later.
Head study in burnt umber, wiped backBurnt umber, a clean rag. Stain the canvas mid brown, then wipe out the lights with the rag while the paint is wet.
Hillside farm sketched in thinned umberRaw umber, thinner. Draw the whole composition in thinned paint and wipe back mistakes with a rag before any colour.
Moonlit lane in two blues and whiteUltramarine, Payne's grey, white. A night value study: nothing lighter than mid grey except the moon and its path.
Onion and garlic in earth coloursYellow ochre, burnt sienna, raw umber, white. Earth palette only; keep the first layer lean and add oil to later ones.
Seated figure stopped at the block-inBurnt sienna, ultramarine, white. Stop early: big shapes of light and shadow on a toned ground, and no features.
Steel kettle reflecting the roomIvory black, raw umber, cerulean, white. Monochrome first to place the reflections, then one cool tint once it is dry.
Street corner in black, white and one redIvory black, white, cadmium red. Paint the scene in greys and spend the red on a single door or coat.
White jug on a white cloth against a white wallUltramarine, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, white. Every white is a warm or cool grey, so mix them all before starting.
White mug under a desk lampRaw umber, white. Tone the canvas first, then work from the darkest dark to the lightest light.
White sheet pinned to a wallRaw umber, ultramarine, white. Underpaint the folds in umber, let them dry, then lay cool half-tones over the top.
Worn leather work boots out of a dark groundBurnt umber, yellow ochre, ivory black, white. Dark toned ground; build the worn leather highlights up out of the dark.
How it works
Oil paint hardens by reacting with air instead of drying out, so it stays workable for hours. These 64 oil painting ideas are subjects chosen for that: some blended in one sitting, some built in dried layers.
Read the full guide
Four methods, sixteen subjects each
Alla prima means wet paint laid into wet and finished in one sitting, as in Single pear in side light on a grey cloth. Glazing is the opposite: thin transparent layers, each over paint that has dried. Impasto keeps the brush or knife mark in thick paint. Underpainting and tone holds monochrome starts and toned canvases, where one colour settles the values before any other arrives.
What slow-drying paint allows
While a passage is wet you can wipe it back with a rag and paint it again, which makes Self-portrait from a mirror in four colours less risky than it sounds. Layers bring one rule, fat over lean: each new layer should hold more oil than the one beneath, or the picture can crack.
Oil-soaked rags can self-ignite: keep them in a covered container that lets no air in, and follow the label.
Easy first oils crosses all four methods: 6 alla prima, 4 glazing, 5 impasto and 7 underpainting ideas.
Questions and answers
What are easy oil painting ideas to start with?
Under More filters, set Level to Easy first oils. Fried egg in a black pan takes four tubes and one sitting, and its soft edge comes from dragging wet white into wet black. Egg on a white cloth in greys only needs black and white.
Which oil colours do these ideas need?
White is in 58 of the 64 palettes: buy it large. Raw umber is in 22, ultramarine in 21, yellow ochre in 20, burnt sienna in 16 and alizarin crimson in 15. Those six tubes paint 13 of the ideas with nothing else.
How long does an oil painting take to dry?
Usually within two weeks to the touch, and some colours dry within days. So the glazing ideas run over several sessions, while the alla prima ideas skip the wait by finishing before the first layer dries.
Do I need turpentine for oil painting?
No. Water-miscible oils thin and clean up with water, the simplest route indoors. Turpentine is highly flammable and its vapour irritates eyes and lungs, so if you use it, open a window, keep it off skin and keep it away from flames.