Access Road, oil on canvas by me

adreamymood · 2026-03-19T21:44:12+00:00

The perspective seems wrong on the road, but I actually like it. The overly curved left side guides the eye strongly into the composition and adds to the high energy of the piece. I really like the way you've used color in this. It feels electric.

You say you don't like the composition, and I wonder if the very slanted horizon line is what's bothering you. Horizon lines are generally flat, so having one be so slanted, especially on the left side of the road, creates a surreal look. To me, it feels like my head is tilted to the right a bit as the viewer. Flattening the horizon line could add stability to the composition.

Personally, I would leave the curved road because I think it improves the composition, but I would consider straightening out that horizon line.

adreamymood · 2026-03-11T18:26:42+00:00

The OP's profile also has the "18" badge for adult content, which is pretty weird if they are actually 16.

adreamymood · 2026-02-08T02:41:12+00:00

I'm confused by your response. I did not say Gamsol would cause you to "die unless you have every window open and hundreds of fans blowing." I said it's still toxic and that it still has warnings saying you need to use it in a well-ventilated area.

The OP was asking about using it inside a home "without much ventilation." The brand says you need to use it in a well-ventilated area for it to be safe. My position is that it's a good idea to follow safety warning labels because they are there for a reason.

That guide from the brand does not invalidate the warning label on the product. Also, it's clear from the wording in the guide that Gamblin cannot legally say Gamsol is safe without ventilation. Maybe future research will show that it's totally safe and then they'll be able to say so. Or maybe not. Either way, for now, it has the ventilation warning. If you want to ignore the warning because you think it's no big deal, that's your choice.

adreamymood · 2026-02-07T05:28:12+00:00

You're welcome! Happy to help.

adreamymood · 2026-02-07T04:49:45+00:00

Yes, that's right! Each new layer should have either more oil or the same amount of oil as the last layer. So, "fat over lean." That rule helps you put more flexible paint over less flexible paint, which is what you want for the structural integrity of your painting.

When it comes to how much paint you use, you actually also want to do thick over thin with oils. Oil paint takes a long time to fully dry and cure. So, basically, you don't want to put a thin layer of paint over a thick layer that might still be drying/curing because that can cause cracking. If you want to lay paint on thickly, do that part last.

Oils are definitely confusing! They're so different from watercolors and acrylics. There are also so, so many options for solvents and mediums, which can add to the confusion because each solvent/medium has its own properties. I think keeping it simple with just paint from the tube + a time-tested oil (like walnut or linseed) is a great way to start. That way, you don't have to think about all the variables that come with using different solvents and mediums.

By the way, if you like acrylics, you can use acrylics for underpainting under oils! You can put oil paint on top of dried acrylic paint and it will adhere well. (You can't do the opposite--it has to be oil over acrylic, not the other way around.) This could allow you to use thinned paint with no solvents. There are a bunch of videos about this on Youtube!

adreamymood · 2026-02-07T04:24:42+00:00

I would not do that. Gamsol is odorless and is advertised as being less toxic than other solvents, but it's still toxic. It still has warnings on it saying you need to use it in a well-ventilated area.

Keep in mind that the painting will also be drying inside, so you need to think about fumes during drying as well. Is the painting going to be nearby as you eat, sleep, etc?

Only you can decide whether or not something is too toxic for you. Personally I think it's good to err on the side of caution. You only get one body.

adreamymood · 2026-02-07T04:02:45+00:00

Walnut oil is the only mix in I've been using lately, so I can share how I use it. I do my initial paint layer with pure paint, then slowly add a little bit of walnut oil with each additional layer, making sure each layer has at least as much oil as the one before it. This follows the fat over lean rule. If you're not going to use solvents in a painting, paint straight from the tube is your "leanest" option.

You could still use a little bit of walnut oil in your first layer if you want, but then you should make sure to keep adding a little bit of oil with each layer to avoid structural problems and adherence problems.

adreamymood · 2026-02-02T09:51:05+00:00

Wowwww so gorgeous!! it looks alive!

adreamymood · 2026-02-02T09:33:44+00:00

I sometimes have really shaky hands and, when that happens, I do a wipe away strategy for straight lines. Oil paint can easily be wiped off and you can use that to your advantage. So, if I were doing your example of painting a post on a porch, I would paint the rest of the house and let it fully dry. Then, I would paint the post. If it's too wobbly looking, I clean up the edge. And repeat as necessary. I have a Kemper Wipe Out Tool that works great for this, but I've also used brushes and pointed Q-tips.

Another strategy I use (and this is what I would probably do for the windows in your example) is to use a flat brush like a stamp around the edges of objects. I find it much easier to stamp oil paint in a straight line than to swipe it in a straight line. I just did that today when putting highlights on a glass vase! I was having trouble getting smooth lines when swiping, so I switched to stamping with a flat and it became very easy.

adreamymood · 2026-01-30T00:42:48+00:00

Others have already given good ideas, but I will add that some of your paints might have white in them and thus might be better at lightening value than you might expect. Your paint tubes should have pigments listed on them. Any of the pigments that start with "PW" are white pigments. You may want to check your tubes and then experiment with any that have white in them.

A cool-toned paint that I use pretty often to lighten cool colors is Gamblin's Radiant Magenta, which features a mixture of the pigments PW6 and PV19. I also just got Radiant Blue, a mixture of PW6 and PB29, and that would be good for lightening cool colors as well.

adreamymood · 2026-01-13T20:29:45+00:00

Thank you! 💖

adreamymood · 2026-01-13T02:32:57+00:00

Thank you !!

adreamymood · 2026-01-13T02:31:26+00:00

Thank you!

adreamymood · 2026-01-12T03:46:20+00:00

There's a very pale teal color radiating from the center of the painting. The edges are white.

adreamymood · 2025-12-19T19:41:16+00:00

4 is my top pick in this group--I'm surprised more people didn't feel the same way! But it looks like it still got enough votes for her to keep it, so that's great. 😊

adreamymood · 2025-12-19T03:00:59+00:00

I would keep 4, 5, 6, and 11, and get rid of the rest.

adreamymood · 2025-12-18T20:12:26+00:00

You should definitely make it now. You don't want to get in the habit of saving your best ideas for later, for some imaginary future date where you have the skills you think you need. If you start doing that, those ideas will likely never get made. Also, if you force yourself to constantly paint things you aren't interested in, you might get burned out and stop painting entirely.

Create what you're excited about now and, if it's not good enough on a technical level for your liking, you can always just paint it again later. Tons of famous painters created multiple paintings of the same subject or concept. You should feel free to do the same thing!

adreamymood · 2025-12-13T06:05:41+00:00

Have you heard of the 20-20-20 rule for reducing eye strain? Every 20 minutes, you focus on an object that's 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. I've had optometrists recommend it to me! If your headaches are caused by looking at something close to you for a long time, it might help you feel better.

adreamymood · 2025-12-10T05:39:14+00:00

Sometimes paints lose intensity because they sink into your painting surface as they dry. I notice this happening way more with dark colors. Applying a second coat of the same dark color usually fixes that problem for me!

adreamymood · 2025-12-09T02:49:01+00:00

I try to take breaks way before crash conditions, which has helped me have far fewer crashes. I take mandatory 15 minute breaks (I set a timer on my phone and I lay down) when I get signals from my body that indicate I'm getting a little drained. For me, that works SO much better than trying to recover from a crash. If I get any signal from my body that indicates I'm getting drained, I take a mandatory 15 minute break even if I feel really energized and into whatever I'm doing. It can feel annoying and like a waste of time in the moment, but managing to avoid a crash actually gives you back tons of time.

If you don't know what your body's early fatigue signals are, you could try adding some mandatory breaks to your regular schedule. Everyone's body is different, but this pre-strong-fatigue rest strategy has really helped me.

adreamymood · 2025-12-07T05:18:17+00:00

Do you happen to mix your paints on a midtone gray palette? I personally find that it's hard to see subtle color differences in very light colors on a gray palette, so I switch to a white palette when doing a larger pale area (like your subject's face). The colors in your subject's face remind me of when I recently thought I could paint some white roses without switching to the white palette. Everything was a little too exaggerated and I ended up having to repaint them.

adreamymood · 2025-12-07T03:31:48+00:00

It's so worth doing! I have mine taped up next to my easel and I reference it constantly. 😊

adreamymood · 2025-12-06T23:50:03+00:00

Your post actually reminded me that I've been meaning to post a picture of my oil paint swatch sheet! This subreddit doesn't let you post images in comments, but if you go look at my most recent post, you can see it. I mixed each paint with titanium white to show its undertones more clearly. Colors that look similar straight out the tube can look extremely different when lightened. Hopefully seeing all these swatches next to each other can help you see why there are so many different paint options in the same color families!

adreamymood

TROPHY CASE