Avoid These Oil Painting Mistakes When Painting Large Canvases

Avoid These Oil Painting Mistakes When Painting Large Canvases If you’ve ever tried to create a large oil painting and felt overwhelmed by color, values, or the sheer scale of the canvas, this video is for you. In today’s video, artist Christine Lashley walks you through the most common oil painting mistakes artists make when working big and how to avoid them with confidence. Whether you're a beginner learning the basics of oil painting or someone looking to improve your studio workflow, this step-by-step oil painting lesson will help you build strong habits, simplify your decision-making, and create paintings that feel intentional and expressive. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 01:12 Large Paintings Problems 01:44 Solutions 04:29 Method 01 - Classic 06:25 Method 02 - Intuitive 09:20 New Project WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS OIL PAINTING TUTORIAL: In this video, Christine Lashley demonstrates her 2 favorite ways to approach a large canvas: 1. The Traditional Method Using a small plein-air study or color sketch as a guide A. Helps maintain consistency in color, value & mood B. Supports a clear plan for your composition 2. The Intuitive, Loose Approach Going bold with paint, letting instinct lead A. More expressive marks B. Freedom to explore movement and texture You’ll also see how she compares both methods and how each technique can transform a simple idea into a finished, large-scale painting. OIL PAINTING MISTAKES TO AVOID: 1. Colors becoming too bright or garish 2. Losing control of values when scaling up 3. Overworking details instead of focusing on big shapes 4. Making mixtures that don’t sit well on the canvas 5. Getting frustrated when the painting looks “off” from a distance 6. Not using enough subtle grays to balance strong colors OIL PAINTING TIPS COVERED: 1. How to fix oil painting mistakes in real time 2. How to mix subtle grays to control brightness 3. Why color transitions matter 4. How to choose the right values for large paintings 5. When bold color works (and when it doesn’t) 6. The best way to test mixtures before placing them on a big canvas 7. Why phone photos and mirrors are useful tools for painters If this video helped you… Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and LEAVE A COMMENT telling us what size canvas you’re currently working on. Your engagement truly supports the channel and helps more artists find these lessons! ABOUT CHRISTINE LASHLEY: Christine Lashley is an award-winning American artist renowned for her vibrant plein air oil paintings, which are inspired by nature. Trained at Washington University, the Sorbonne, and Parsons Paris, she blends light, color, and emotion to capture fleeting moments in the landscape. Her work has earned top honors at major plein air events, and she continues to inspire artists worldwide through her teaching and exhibitions. Christine Lashley An American artist Art Courses: https://www.lashleyartclass.com/ KEYWORDS THIS VIDEO COVERS: oil painting mistakes painting mistakes oil painting oil painting for beginners oil painting tutorial oil paint oil painting techniques oil painting tips painting coach how to fix oil painting mistakes oil painting basics tutorial for beginners oil painting for beginners step by step oil paint advice how to oil paint oil painting for beginners tutorial basics of oil painting oil painting lesson oil paint recommendations oil painting lessons oil paints #oilpainting #oilpaintings #oilpaint #oilpaintingforbeginners #oilpaintingteacher #oilpaintingart #oilpaintingprocess #painting #paintings #paintingprocess #paintingtutorial #paintingforbeginners #paintingtechniques #paintingart #paintingvideo