The Simplest Way to Start an Oil Painting

If starting a painting ever feels like the hardest part, you’re not alone.

That blank canvas can stop a lot of good paintings before they even begin.

In this video, I’ll show you one simple step I use to get past that. It’s not complicated, but it sets you up for a much stronger painting from the very beginning.

Imprimatura is a traditional underpainting technique used in classical oil painting to establish values early and help create luminosity. Whether you use traditional oils, water-mixable oils, or acrylics, these principles of values, light, and shadow remain the same for every landscape painter.

So if your clouds tend to look flat or unconvincing, chances are it’s not a color issue — it’s a form or value issue.

That’s why I put together a short guide that walks through three common mistakes I see all the time, along with simple ways to fix them.

3 Mistakes That Make Clouds Look Flat
➡️ Get your free copy here

And if you’d like to go deeper, this video lesson comes from my full course, Painting Dramatic Clouds 2.0.

Inside, you'll learn how to paint believable clouds, atmosphere, and light — from the first step all the way through a finished painting.

Painting Dramatic Clouds
➡️ Learn more about the course here

Remember, start simple, trust the process, and let each step build on the last.

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4 Basic Rules for Easier Landscape Paintings

Learn four simple rules that make painting realistic landscapes easier and clearer. Helping you simplify the process, improve depth, and avoid common beginner mistakes—no matter your painting style.