Sometimes figuring out the most suitable oil painting background can be the trickiest part of the entire painting process. Painting awesome backgrounds is every artist’s priority. We want a background that feels aesthetic as well as part of the bigger picture. If you are wondering how to paint backgrounds in oil that feel just right, allow me to share my experience with a recent painting.
Joy of Colours
When I started planning my oil painting of the “Multicoloured” series entitled “Joy of Colours”, little did I know that it’s going to be quite a ride.
My initial plan was simple geometric blocks in rhombus shape complementing the main painting pattern.
As I wanted the focal point to be the huge chandelier and then the lady, I wasn’t intending to bring lots of shades in the background.
However, as I was painting, I started noticing that the Naples yellow under layer was complementing the main subjects very well.
Pivot 1: I decided to keep the background Naples yellow
So I went with my gut that let’s go all in with this bright and light yellow background.
However, balancing multiple colours started becoming a challenge. There was no breathing room as everything wanted attention. I had to tone it down.
Pivot 2: Revert to original plan of a dull brown background
Only problem in this pivot was I was missing the spark/joy that the light-yellow background was giving to the picture. Something needed to be changed. I listened to my intuition a little more.
Pivot 3: Let the background be a mix of dull and bright if one tone doesn’t work.
All good things take time. This background definitely took me lot more time than expected. However, it was worth the time and experimentation. The best way forward was to keep the dull brown background but have room for some bright yellow parts too. This mix of geometric rhombus background in dull and bright colours worked beautifully with the main subjects without overwhelming the eyes.
Voila, the curious case of finding the oil painting background was demystified.
Lessons that I learnt – background tips for oil paintings:
1. If you don’t have any oil painting background ideas, look at your main subjects. Perhaps, the background can be an extension of those in a subtle manner. For instance, I continued with the geometric rhombus pattern of the main focal points in the background as well.
2. Always have room for flexibility. No matter how much we pre-plan things, it’s always important to step back. What might look good on paper might not be that good on canvas as a final painting. For instance, I had to let go of my initial plan of an entire brown background as it was pulling the whole painting down in terms of charm.
3. Look for answers while painting. Maybe the answer is already there in the first few stages of painting. For me, under painting of light yellow colour was the answer to break the monotony of brown colour.
4. Keep fine tuning. Don’t settle. You are closer than you think with each layer of painting. Don’t settle for anything less than what you truly want for your art. When your painting is finished, your heart will know. Eventually, I got to know my painting background needed both dull and bright parts to reach its final look.
Paint awesome backgrounds in your artwork
Hopefully, these background tips for oil paintings provided you that much needed guidance and motivation. It’s not necessary to plan the perfect background from the beginning. Play, experiment, pause, observe and refine your way to beautiful backgrounds in your paintings.
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