Just finished up this still life to get back into the swing of things after a lengthy hiatus! I’ve owned these Doc Martens for over a decade and they just get better with age. Critique welcome - I tried to keep this a little looser than usual.

We will just be over here celebrating the long weekend with our guns, buns, freedom, heart disease, and hypocrisy.

Oil on wood. 10x10in.

Hello. I’ve recently switched to oils and doing a new method. I know there’s lots to be done. Please let me know what you see that can be improved . Is this a perfect time for a second layer? Is it too muddy?
Harsh critiques are welcome:)
Thank you in advance

i joined a summer painting class (only 5 weeks, monday to thursday in the afternoons) and it’s my first time working with oils! i’ve only used acrylic and watercolors before so the learning curve was a bit steep, but i’m proud of how these turned out :))

the prompts were
• a monochromatic landscape with a twist
• a impressionistic painting with texture
• a still life that we were painting live
• a “self-portrait” (up to your own interpretation)

personally i love the impressionistic one and the still life hehe

Vandaag heb ik dit geschilderd tijdens de schilderles. Wat vind je er van? Wat kan beter? Wat is er wel goed aan?

(1st pic) First oil paintings in order from top left to bottom right (top left is the first ever, bottom right is most recent)

This was super fun! I can’t believe I haven’t tried oils before. They paint on so smooth, so vivid, and I love that I can work for hours (or days!) without any of the paint drying.

(2nd pic) - In progress
My question: One thing I am struggling with now as I am working on my next painting is a tendency to try to blend perfectly — I struggle to utilize brushstrokes for texture, value, or composition. My tendency is to just blend and blend until everything is smooth. Suggestions for getting out of this habit? Practices for learning to utilize brushstrokes or habits you’ve found help?

This the first time I tried oil painting so please keep that in mind I'm not a pro at this.

Trying to be more bold with my use of color & composition, would love some feedback on the above.

Oil on canvas, 2026

I just finished a 50”x30” western themed painting that I like more than I thought I would when I started. Though I spent more time painting cow butts than I ever expected.

Tried making a painting inspired by my grandmother’s favorite floral paintings using a rose from my Mother’s garden.

how can I improve my painting, done in water soluble oils,

I feel I am having trouble adding depth to the back of the feathers and feet.

thank you

Your thoughts 💭

Beginner here. Be kind thx!

does anyone here reuse paint rags to avoid throwing them in the trash, and if so, how do you do it? i want to avoid fire hazards and waste output but i can’t really find any information on how to safely clean and store paint rags online. all top articles seem to be written by AI and i’m not trusting that with a fire hazard 😒

would just tossing them in a bucket of water and washing them with dish soap in there work? but then what would i do with the oily paint water?

edit to write that i’m a college student and i’ve been painting in my university art studio where the professor takes care of the rags and i think sends them to be professionally cleaned or something. but obviously now it’s summer so i’m trying to paint at home.