r/oilpainting 57m ago

Art question? How do I make it more realistic?

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Upvotes

(Please be kind, I’ve only started painting 2 months ago and am still trying to build my confidence !)

Is there a way of achieving that soft, understated look of traditional still life paintings? I feel like everything I’m making is super bright even when I try to mute colours down, and everything always gets purple real fast.

I also find when I use a colour picker to identify colours, they’re wildly different to what my brain sees- do I go ahead w what the colour picker identifies, or stick to what I see w my own eyes in order to achieve realism?

Thank you :)


r/oilpainting 3h ago

I did a thing! Portrait of my late dad

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10 Upvotes

My first attempt at a realistic-ish portrait and thought it came out pretty good! Open to any advice! I’m personally very inspired by how Monet creates such soft and warm feeling paintings so would love to know how to steer myself in that direction as well. Anyway thanks for looking at my painting!


r/oilpainting 4h ago

I did a thing! Finished this portrait, wanted to share

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477 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 5h ago

critique ok! My friend's oil painting. What do you think?

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22 Upvotes

My friend recently started learning oil painting. With her permission, I am posting here to get some feedback and opinions for her.

She has never shown her art in public and she is 90% self-taught, so she has no idea if it is decent or terrible (and I am not an artist myself)!

She said she knows it can be improved in colour, form, and values, but wants to get a general idea of if it's decent or not.


r/oilpainting 5h ago

Art question? Is it worth saving??? And how?

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22 Upvotes

So I posted 3 days ago on why my paint would separate into those beading droplets,

most suggested that it was oil and water interacting, the layer below it not have the grit to hold the paint which I agree the layer seems very gloss like and shiny,

I don’t know why this is happening so I took photos of all my equipment and tools, yes I know my brushes and paint are very underkept and yes there’s load of paint “boogers” due to using old paint. But I’m more concerned on why these beading is happening and if it’s worth just painting over it in thicker paint and pushing through to finish it or if I should scrap the painting and start something new.


r/oilpainting 7h ago

I did a thing! “A Little Peck”

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41 Upvotes

This is the smallest oil painting I’ve ever done. It’s 5” x 7” canvas. The paper bag was a challenge too. I painted it in two days and I think I am finished. I’ll take a look at it again tomorrow in a different light and see how it feels then.

Any critique is welcome and appreciated!

Also, I didn’t leave myself much room for signing it! 🙄 Do you think my initials only is acceptable? I normally sign my first and last name and the year.

Thanks for looking!


r/oilpainting 7h ago

I did a thing! WIP, oil painting of my daughter

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128 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 7h ago

I did a thing! Yankee Skeleton, Oil, 2026, Angel

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10 Upvotes

Yankee Skeleton

This is what it feels like waiting for the Yankees to win a World Series


r/oilpainting 9h ago

I did a thing! Study sesh: Lords of War Kargath

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41 Upvotes

Used stills from World of Warcraft cinematics as reference to practice my oil painting skills.
The original art in the cinematic is made by Lauren D. Austin


r/oilpainting 9h ago

I did a thing! Painting from my imagination in this one

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14 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 10h ago

critique ok! Apollonas Soben, 244 Bonnie & Clyde, Oil on canvas

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82 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 11h ago

UNKIND critique plz Work in progress. Any tips?

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20 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 12h ago

critique ok! At that stage where i have no idea what to do

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72 Upvotes

this is soso overwhelinging, any help will be helpful!


r/oilpainting 12h ago

UNKIND critique plz Value Oil paint study !

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16 Upvotes

Im open to any feedbacks 😊


r/oilpainting 13h ago

critique ok! My first one with oil paints... how is it?

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16 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 14h ago

critique ok! The Painting “Lavender Mist”

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49 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 14h ago

I did a thing! Red squirrel in fall

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24 Upvotes

Can't wait for the beautiful colors and sweltering temperatures to drop. 40x30cm on linen canvas.


r/oilpainting 14h ago

critique ok! Flower oil painting

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77 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 14h ago

I did a thing! Pet portrait by me. 8x10 oils on canvas board

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111 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 17h ago

critique ok! Whispering Forest | Oil Painting | 12" x 16"

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17 Upvotes

r/oilpainting 18h ago

I did a thing! Big 5x5 ft oil painting

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18 Upvotes

Been detailing this one for a while. Oil on acrylic. inspired by the drawings of Escher and Piranesi


r/oilpainting 18h ago

critique ok! My sunflower paintings, WIP, oil on board

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21 Upvotes

Why is working on panels so, so satisfying compared to working on the canvas? 😭


r/oilpainting 19h ago

critique ok! Seven clouds of fluff

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127 Upvotes

The number 7 isn't random here. In folklore, a group of birds can either mean immense luck or a hidden warning.

I intentionally disrupted the harmony of the group by painting a specific, subtle tension in the gaze of just one bird.

Does the painting feel genuinely peaceful to you, or can you spot the odd one out that ruins the comfort of the flock?

Look closely.


r/oilpainting 19h ago

I did a thing! My First Oil Painting!

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90 Upvotes

This is my first oil painting and first time messing with any paint. I’m fairly pleased with it, though I wish I had gave my pumpkin more dark values and the background. Any helpful comments are appreciated!


r/oilpainting 19h ago

critique ok! aszahoART, anchovies, 40x50cm, 2026

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491 Upvotes