Floral Still Life Oil Painting Process

2/9/2019

Hey there, fellow artists and art appreciators!

Today I'll be sharing the process behind my latest floral oil painting. The video included in this post contains a timelapse that I've recently uploaded onto my YouTube channel as a collaboration I did with Dena Tollefson, who also has a channel on this platform.

For a more in-depth explanation and tips on oil painting, visit my blog post Don't Be Afraid of Oil Paint + How I Paint a Still Life Using Oils.

Hope you enjoy!

If you enjoyed this video, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and encouragement for aspiring artists every-single-Friday!

Check out Dena's version of this challenge over at her YouTube channel.

The paintbrushes and paint tubes used to create this painting can be found in the My Art Tools section of my site.

Thanks so much for visiting today, and talk to you soon!

Visit my Etsy shop to check out my new collection!

Original decorative paintings by Erika Lancaster

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New Original Decorative Painting Collection for Sale

2/1/2019

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Original decorative art for sale by Erika Lancaster

Looking for an original (but accessible) art piece to decorate your home? Would you like to give your space a unique personality with a one-of-a-kind painting that no one else has? Thinking of a different, meaningful gift to give to a loved one?

I'm incredibly happy to finally share my first Etsy-exclusive art collection with you!

Those of you that have been following me on YouTube and other social media channels are probably already aware that I've been selling my paintings and illustration work at a national level for a few years and have been working at expanding my reach to other countries.

It's a dream of mine to send my artwork away to other places in the world and this is why I decided to start my Etsy shop!

Still life oil painting by Erika Lancaster

Floral still life by Erika Lancaster. Bliss collection. 19.6 x 15.7 in. Oils on stretched canvas.

This first 10-piece series created for my online art shop is composed of both watercolor and oil paintings of floral still life arrangements. I wanted the paintings in this first collection to transmit happiness and positivity, and to bring light into people's homes.

Throughout the past few months, I've been working on staying mindful and being thankful for what I have. As a hypersensitive person struggling with anxiety, I try to work on this every day and I really want to help others become aware of, or remember, the beauty present in the world around us.

I want my artwork to remind others that, even with all the craziness going on in the world today, there is good, and there are things to look forward to.

Subscribe to my email list to receive news about upcoming collections, freebies featuring my illustrations, coupons for my Etsy shop and insights into my creative process.

Floral still life by Erika Lancaster. Bliss collection. 31.4 x 19.6 in. Oils on stretched canvas.

Still life watercolor painting by Erika Lancaster

Floral still life by Erika Lancaster. Bliss collection. 10 x 8 in. Watercolors on 100% cotton watercolor paper.

Check out the rest of the collection here.

This week I shared the painting process for one of the watercolor paintings included in this collection over at my YouTube channel:

If you enjoyed this video, I recommend subscribing to my YouTube channel! I publish a new one every-single-Friday sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for aspiring artists.

Original watercolor still life painting by Erika Lancaster

Floral still life by Erika Lancaster. Bliss collection. 10 x 8 in. Watercolors on 100% cotton watercolor paper.

Throughout the last year I've been sending out test packages to people in different cities in the U.S., as well as Canada and Europe to ensure smooth sailing and have a better grasp on international shipping once I opened my shop. All of this research and testing has allowed me to set systems in place that will ensure my customers will receive their artwork safely and on time, which is extremely important to me.

I've also worked on finding local suppliers to assemble quality stretched canvases for me, as this is my favorite substrate to paint on. Whenever I get a new group of canvases manufactured, the wood used for the framing gets treated/processed, which enables my paintings to cross customs without problems. Their framing has official seals and proper documents get sent along with each package.

The reason why I did this, is not only because I love painting on stretched canvases, but because I really want my customers to receive my paintings ready-to-hang. The vast majority of artists selling their work internationally, ship their work unframed and rolled up, which means that the customer has to take it to a frame shop and pay extra money to get that done.

Furthermore, I made the decision of sending out all of my paintings via UPS Air. Yes, it really increases the price of the service, but getting my artwork to my customers safely and on time is a top priority of mine.

Floral still life by Erika Lancaster. Bliss collection. 19.6 x 15.7 in. Oils on stretched canvas.

In my blog post titled Decorating with Original Art: Incredible Finds #1, I share how interior decorators consider art to be a fundamental part of modern home decorating. It is able to bring interest, conversation and originality to a space.

It might seem that the acquisition of an original art piece is something that only the most affluent can do. However, thanks to Etsy and other online platforms, anyone looking to decorate their home can find very accessible, one-of-a-kind artworks created by artists of all fields.

Watercolor still life painting by Erika Lancaster

Floral still life by Erika Lancaster. Bliss collection. 8 x 10 in. Watercolors on 100% cotton watercolor paper.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE NEWS ABOUT UPCOMING COLLECTIONS, FREEBIES FEATURING MY ILLUSTRATIONS, COUPONS FOR MY ETSY SHOP AND INSIGHTS INTO MY CREATIVE PROCESS.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post and that you get a chance to hop on over to my Etsy shop to have a look at my artwork for sale. If you have any questions at all, please email me at: hello@erikalancaster.com

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Don't Be Afraid of Oil Paint + How I Paint a Still Life Using Oils (Alla Prima)

8/16/2018

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Don't Be Afraid of Oil Paint + My Still Life Oil Painting Process

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Are you curious about painting with oils but find them a bit intimidating? Do you feel that there are too many "rules" that you'd have to follow and that they would make the painting process anything but enjoyable? Are you tired of running into oil painting tutorials online that are far too technical and confusing to the point that you start tuning out and not want to learn the medium at all?

When I was first starting my oil painting journey, I got very confused and overwhelmed as I tried to learn from instructional articles and videos I found online. There were so many different types of mediums and solvents one could use, so many ways one could go about using them, and so many rules to follow in order to ensure effective drying of paint layers. Not to mention, professional oil painters have different tips to offer which sometimes even contradict each other.

In today's post, I'll be sharing my current process for creating still life oil paintings. I'll share the specific things I have in mind when creating my photographic reference, what I do to prepare before starting to paint, and the general steps of my painting process. Still life is a subject I highly recommend all beginners to delve into when they are first starting to paint with any medium, as it allows us to practice not only compositional arrangement, but specific fundamental art skills like proportion and value placement. This post also includes a painting time lapse video where you can see me create a complete painting from start to finish using my alla prima method!

What I have come to realize, after having explored oil paint first-hand and tried out a few different mediums and methods (and even ruined a few paintings in the process) is that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to go about creating an oil painting. It is up to each artist to explore different supplies and methods until he/she arrives at what he/she is most comfortable with. It's a matter of not being afraid, experimenting, and slowly but surely arriving at the specific techniques that will enhance and work in favor of our particular painting style.

This is not to say that you should completely disregard the most basic rules and safety measures, of course, like making sure you're working on a primed surface, following the "fat over lean" principle in order to ensure your painting will dry effectively, working in a well-ventilated area and avoiding having paint, mediums or solvents on your skin. However, once you've understood these basic aspects of oil painting (and probably ruined a few pieces for yourself) you'll most likely find oils very enjoyable!

Flowers and Tray Still Life Oil Painting by Erika Lancaster

Red Cabin and Mountains Landscape Oil Painting by Erika Lancaster

Sunflowers in Vase Still Life Oil Painting by Erika Lancaster

Nature Collage 1 Oil Painting by Erika Lancaster

Female Portrait in Grayscale- Oil Painting by Erika Lancaster

Pink Tulips in Vase Still Life Oil Painting by Erika Lancaster

I've heard a bunch of reasons that people come up with to turn away from oils and reach for acrylics:

1. They are too expensive!
There are both student-grade and artist-grade oils, the same way there are for acrylics and watercolors. Winsor and Newton is a brand that offers great quality products for beginners at accessible prices. *See supplies included in this post.

2. You need way too many supplies when compared to other kinds of paint!
What you need to understand is that the use of oil painting mediums is a choice, not a necessity. There are artists that don't even use mediums at all. Even the use of solvents is a choice, as you can use alternatives to clean with. There are people that even use regular dish soap to clean their brushes!

3. They are toxic and harmful for the environment!
Oil paint is a mixture of pigment and linseed oil, which isn't toxic. Different color pigments have different toxicities, whether you're using oils, acrylics or even watercolors (unless you're using the super cheap Crayola-types). So you have to take safety measures with any kind of paint you use.

What makes oil paint potentially more harmful to our health than say, acrylics, are the thinners and, possibly, mediums we use with them. If you're worried about toxicity and harming the environment, simply don't use thinners and mediums, or look for brands like Gamblin that create completely non-toxic products.

Don't believe me when I say that mediums and solvents are optional? Check out this video from JerrysArtarama in which an experienced artist explains how he avoids using them altogether in this work.

4. They are a hassle to clean!
Are they, really? I find cleaning up acrylic paint even more frustrating, as it dries fast and hard on everything! Oils at least remain wet and they can be removed from most surfaces very easily with any kind of thinner. I personally find acrylics more of a hassle to clean because, even though it can be said you need only water and soap to clean them, you need to clean them right away or anything hardens almost immediately. With oils, there is no problem if you continue working and take care of the cleaning at the end.

5. They take too long to dry!
Depending on how you work, you may find this a negative thing or a VERY positive thing. Oils' slow drying properties allow the artist to create awesome effects. However, if you need your paintings to dry faster, there are a variety of mediums you can add to your paint in order to make your paint layers dry in a day or two. Two of these mediums are Liquin by Winsor & Newton and Galkyd by Gamblin.

6. There are too many technical aspects involved!
As I mentioned before, don't allow yourself to get confused by tedious explanations from artists that have been doing this for decades and have very specific ways of working. I highly recommend learning the basic rules and tuning out all other specific recommendations that are right according to one artist and wrong according to the next. Stick to what matters and tune out the rest. You'll learn along the way!

Great Basic Oil Painting Supplies for Beginners

*Click on images to go directly to learn more about each product or visit www.consumercrafts.com to browse some great art supplies for yourself! :)

Winsor & Newton Oil Color Set (6 Tubes) $14.49

Studio71 Oil Painting Brushes (10 piece set) $4.97

Weber Odorless Turpenoid $7.93

Studio71 Stretched Canvas Value Pack (9 x 12 in.) 8 pack $11.97

*Optional: The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver $5.18

Aside from these supplies, you don't really need to buy much else! You probably already have everything else you'll need at home or can DIY it. For example, you can create a paint-mixing palette by carefully removing the glass from an old picture frame (cover its edges with masking tape so you don't cut yourself while painting). Find some disposable gloves that you use for cleaning (or you can do as I did and use the ones that come in hair dye boxes -haha). Use regular kitchen paper towels for staining your canvas and/or cleaning, and dish washing soap to wash your brushes when your done.

How I Create a Still Life Painting

1. Taking a great reference photo

Having a great reference (whether you're using a photograph or painting from direct observation) is essential, no matter what kind of painting you are planning to create.

Check it out my blog post titled How to Plan and Produce Great Art Reference Photos. In it, I explain the basic things you should have in mind when producing photographs to use as references for an artwork, and I also provide tips to help you achieve harmonious and appealing visual compositions.

I highly recommend learning about composition and, at least, basic photography. Start forming your own art reference library as soon as possible so you don't have to always depend on photographs taken by others. It doesn't have to be difficult and time-consuming. Not to mention, you're also ensuring that your artwork is completely your own and that you built it from scratch. Going through this process leads to a deeper understanding and a greater artistic development.

2. Editing/cleaning the photo in Photoshop

Still life art reference photo by Erika Lancaster

Final (cleaned) reference picture

After my photo sessions, I always open my images up in Photoshop and pick my favorite. By the way, I cannot tell you how useful knowing about photo-editing softwares like Photoshop and Gimp is for artists. If you haven't played around with one, I highly recommend doing so! You can download Gimp for free and it has a lot of Photoshop's capabilities.

Once I've arrived at the photo I'll be using, I almost always clean it up at least a bit and resize it so that it ends up having the exact proportions of my canvas or substrate I will be painting on. This, for me, is essential, as it allows me to arrive at effective proportions and placement of elements within my space more easily as I'm creating my initial sketch (more about this below).

For some more experimental projects, I create digital collages using combinations of photos or manipulate colors more drastically.

3. Staining/toning the canvas

The purpose of staining or toning a canvas is to get rid of the stark whiteness of it, so that it doesn't affect the way we see the colors we start placing on it. To stain my canvas, I choose a neutral color (in this case I chose Raw Sienna) and thin it out on my palette with odorless mineral spirits. I then use an old towel or rag (I love Scott Shop Towels) to create a transparent stain all over my canvas. I don't worry if my tint is darker in some areas and lighter in others, as all of this will be covered later.

I love painting alla prima , which means that I complete my entire painting (at least ones this size or smaller) in one sitting. When using this painting method, you're basically applying your paint wet-on-wet and the fat over lean rule doesn't apply the same way as it would when painting in layers.

When painting in layers, you have to allow the bottom one to dry completely before applying the next. If the bottom layer isn't completely dry before you apply the one on top, the latter will most likely end up cracking (perhaps not right away but it will over time). When you paint alla prima, this principle becomes a little vaguer, as you aren't painting in layers per se, and all your paint dries simultaneously. Nonetheless, it's important to know that certain pigments take longer to dry than others AND that thicker placement of paint will also take longer to dry whether you are painting wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry.

I always start my paintings using thinned out paint and move on placing it in thicker layers as I go, whether I'm painting alla prima or not. Also, I have yet to find a medium I enjoy using so...I don't even use one for most of my paintings! I highly recommend beginners to leave mediums out when just they're just starting out, as mediums make the whole process much more complex.

4. Selecting my colors

It's important to give thought to the colors you will be using prior to starting any painting. I like limiting my color palette and creating all required color mixtures using only those I have previously selected. To select them, I take a few minutes to observe my reference picture, think of the colors I will need to create them, and choose my tubes from what I have available.

The colors I used to create this specific oil painting were:
-Raw Sienna
-Burnt Sienna
-Burnt Umber
-Primary Magenta
-Sap Green
-Lemon Yello
-Titanium White
-Ivory Black

5. Initial sketch

After toning my canvas, I create a very loose sketch focusing on proportion and placement of different elements within my space. This is where having an image to work from that has the same proportions of your canvas is extremely useful. It doesn't matter if this sketch isn't perfect, because it's going to be painted over and shapes will be refined as the painting process continues.

This sketch is an excellent way for me to start loosening up!

I almost always use a darker neutral tone, which in this case was Raw Umber. Notice how this paint mixture contains much less thinner in it than the mixture I created to stain my canvas with.

6. Laying down large blocks of color

At this stage, I try to focus on recreating the large areas of color that I see, but I'm not being too careful, as these shapes will be refined as the process continues. I do my best to cover up large spaces on my canvas with the darkest values of the different colors I perceive in my picture. It helps to squint when observing the picture in order to tune out smaller details.

I usually start with my darkest values and make sure to leave the placement of color mixtures that contain white in them until the second half of my painting process. The reason I do this, is because white tends to dull out the beautiful saturated darks that have been placed. It's important for those darks to stay there for the painting to really pop at the end.

Remember that it's essential for an artwork to have a wide variety in values and you don't want to erase those darkest values that have already been placed (this is not to say that you cannot place more darks later).

7. Pushing through the "Ugly Stage"

This is the longest part of the painting process, as I move back and forth between the different elements in the composition. I sometimes get tired of painting a particular area and jump to another area.

I'm working on laying down my brushstrokes more confidently and really keeping blending to a minimum. When painting alla prima, it's very important to place colors effectively and be very careful when blending because this can lead to muddy colors. Overblending is a big no-no.

8. Adding final highlights and details

Still life oil painting by Erika Lancaster

Once I'm happy with the look of my painting, I move on to final details and highlights. This is a point at which I use my paint mixtures with large amounts of white in them. I also leave painting the background until the end most of the time, as it helps me clean up my composition a bit.

Something else I love is using my palette knife for final details. In this painting, I used my palette knife to create the pistils of the flowers and to add texture to some other parts of the painting.

Oils are one of my favorite painting mediums to work with, and if you are curious at all about what it's like to work with them, I highly recommend you give them a go. For me, nothing compares to their richness and the depth they are able to achieve.

I hope you found this helpful and that I've encouraged you to give oils a try!
Thanks so much for reading!

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Landscape Oil Paintings, Latest Sketches and Summer-y Watercolor Illustrations

6/29/2018

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Lighthouse oil painting by Erika Lancaster

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Hey, there!

In today's post I'll be sharing my most recent paintings and sketches. I've been working hard on, not only staying consistent with my blog and YouTube channel while teaching art classes locally, but also on producing the work I will be selling as soon as I'm able to open my online shop.

The two oil paintings included in this small compilation are the last two in the collection of five large (90 x 70 cms.) landscape oil paintings that I sought out to create about two months ago. It was a self-imposed challenge as I had never really created a "series" of larger paintings, and I really wanted to push myself to explore one single theme.

This weekend, I'll be starting on a collection of five still life oil paintings that will also be for sale and I'm very excited about that!

Through my online art shop, I'll be selling originals created with both oils and watercolors!

Windmill landscape oil painting by Erika Lancaster

Aside from these two oil paintings, I'm sharing the watercolor illustrations I created for the July calendar I sent out to my e-mail subscribers this week (at the end of each month I send them a calendar for the following month). I really enjoy painting with watercolors and pushing myself to continue improving with this medium.

Aside from using these illustrations as part of the calendar design, I also create awesome products for my Society6 and Redbubble shops with them, which I'd LOVE for you to check out! :)

Watercolor illustrations of objects by Erika Lancaster

Watercolor illustrations of different objects by Erika Lancaster

And, finally, I'm also including some sketches. I'm always going on about how I find drawing so important, and how it's important for artists to keep drawing throughout their journeys, and I'm holding myself accountable!

I'm continuing to push myself to create human figure studies in more complex/dynamic poses (as opposed to the very stiff and uninteresting poses I drew when I first started). The human figure is a great challenge for me, but I've seen significant progress since I've started drawing it more consistently.

Sketch of female figure by Erika Lancaster

Outstretched hand sketch by Erika Lancaster

Thanks so much for dropping by and checking out my work. I really appreciate it! And if you're a beginner/intermediate artist looking to improve your skills and find your voice, make sure to check out past blog posts!

Cheers!

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Landscapes in Oils, Female Figure Studies and Summer Watercolor Paintings

5/25/2018

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Landscape oil painting by Erika Lancaster

Hey there, creative friends!

In this week's blog post, I'll be sharing some of my recent sketchbook entries and finished paintings (both watercolor and oils).

As far as sketchbook work, I continue challenging myself whenever I'm able to, focusing on subjects that are difficult for me. For these last entries, I practiced female figure studies and a male portrait (I rarely draw men!).

The oil paintings included here are two in my new landscape series. I have now completed three out of the five I will be selling. Very soon, I'll be sharing progress of the fourth one. So do follow me on Instagram if you wish to know how that goes! Once I complete these five landscapes, I'm going to be working on five still lives. I currently sell my original artwork only in Mexico, but have plans of opening online shops to ship to other countries in the near future! So due stay tuned! :)

The watercolor paintings included here, are part of the group of illustrations I created for the June calendar design I will be sending over to my e-mail subscribers very soon! At the end of each month, I send them free printable calendars in both Letter and Tabloid size featuring my illustrations. :)

If you'd like to become part of my insider group and receive these exclusive freebies, as well as helpful art content and news about offerings that will help you progress artistically, subscribe here:

Landscape oil painting by Erika Lancaster. Oils on 90 x 70 cm. stretched canvas.

Female pose study 1. Pencil sketch by Erika Lancaster.

Female pose study 2. Pencil sketch by Erika Lancaster.

Female pose study 3. Pencil sketch by Erika Lancaster.

Male portrait study. Pencil sketch by Erika Lancaster.

Monstera leaf watercolor painting by Erika Lancaster

Lemonade in mason jar watercolor painting by Erika Lancaster

Seashell watercolor painting by Erika Lancaster

Thanks so much for visiting and checking my work out! I really appreciate it!

If you're a beginner/intermediate artist looking to improve your work, do check out the posts below! I constantly produce helpful blog posts and YouTube videos with art tips, tutorials and encouragement!

Have a beautiful weekend!

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A Landscape Oil Painting, Female Figure Sketches and Pencil Portraits

5/5/2018

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Eva Green pencil portrait.

Hey there, art friends!

I've been busier than usual the last couple of weeks because I'm launching my first two mini-courses, which will be free for my newsletter subscribers! These two mini-courses are intended for total beginners looking to start drawing and/or painting with watercolors and are coming out mid-May.

Each of these courses is three classes long (10-15 minutes each) and each class includes its own exercise I ask you to complete before moving forward. They are chock-full of information that I wish I had when I first started drawing and painting with watercolors. Knowing this information will not only give you a solid foundation to build skills upon, but will also help you save some money (we tend to buy supplies in the beginning that we really don't need).

To be notified as soon as they're out, make sure to subscribe to my list here:

Aside from working on my mini-courses and teaching my afternoon art classes, I'm continuing to challenge myself to improve my drawing skills, which is INCREDIBLY important, no matter what artistic medium you plan on developing skills in. The past couple of weeks, I've been sketching a lot of female figure studies, as well as portraits.

Sketchbook pencil portrait studies

Sketchbook pencil portrait study.

Sketchbook female figure pose study.

In case you're not following me on Instagram (instagram.com/erika_lancaster_art), you should! On there, I share what I'm up to on a daily basis. If you've already been following me, then you're probably aware that a couple of weeks ago I challenged myself to produce a total of five landscape paintings using oils. I've nearly completed the second, which I will be sharing soon! I'm including the first in this mini-collection of my latest artwork!

Cabin and mountain landscape. Oils on 90 x 70 cms. stretched canvas.

See the process that I went through to create this oil painting in this YouTube video of mine:

That's it for now, but stay tuned for much more to come!

I hope you're having a wonderful day and that you've been able to set aside at least a bit of time to work on your art!

Cheers!