Tutorials in Oils From Scratch demonstrate what can be achieved with a starter kit of six primary paints plus some whites, a handful of mediums, along with a few brushes and a painting knife, a palette and the simplest of painting surfaces.

It is only through understanding the basics of these materials, putting them into practice and exploiting their characteristics, that a successful introduction to oil painting can be achieved.

Learn how to exploit the use of arbitrary and structural textures to produce the dramatic surface of a snow draped landscape.

Discover subtle mixes of glazes and tints that will help you to achieve the mood of a composition featuring a range of greens.

Note the contrast of vividly coloured flowers against the dark recesses of a woodland scene, where the rhythm of applied brush-strokes plays an important role.

Observe the use of paint in its rawest form to effect the strong colours of some fishing boats, basking in the orange glow of the newly risen sun.

I conceived this From Scratch series to provide the grounding people should have when starting out in painting and each book is based on the questions most frequently asked of me.

Which Paints Do I Need?
Many painters are not able to get the proper advice early on and consequently find themselves with inappropriate paints.

Why Do I Need A Brush?
I return to basics and look at what the most common shapes do best, what the brushes should be made of and why.

Why Do I Need A Palette?
This simple piece of equipment is as important a tool as brushes and paints and when fully exploited will definitely enrich any painting experience.

What is so special about using the correct surface?
Should an ill-prepared surface be used, no matter how well the techniques of Oil painting have been mastered, the artist will run into trouble.

Paul Taggart
Artist & Author