How To: Blended Gradients with Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colours

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Getting Started With Gradients

In this article from our friends at Winsor & Newton, artist Vince Hart provides simple steps to guide you through creating a seamlessly blended two-colour gradient with oil paints.

Materials for this technique:

Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colours
Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Synthetic Brushes
Canvas, Oil Paper, or other prepared/gessoed painting surface
Masking Tape
Winsor & Newton Sansodor solvent
Winsor & Newton Liquin Oleopasto (alternative: Liquin Impasto)

About The Artist: Vince Hart

Vince Hart is a UK-based artist who lives and works in London, where he has remained since graduating from his BA in Fine Art at Central St Martins School of Art in 2018.

Step 1: Measuring Borders

I begin by carefully measuring my surfaces and deciding the borders for the painted area of the work. For this work, I’ve chosen a Winsor & Newton Cotton Smooth Canvas.

Measuring and marking the canvas to decide borders.

Step 2: Marking & Masking Borders

After measuring the surface, I mark off my borders on small pieces of masking tape to avoid marking the canvas itself, I then line up a ruler with these marks and put down my first layer of tape.

Using a ruler to assist in masking the border.

Step 3: Protect Your Edges

I then add offcuts of paper around the taped area to prevent paint from bushing or spattering outside of my marked area. I often use offcuts of watercolour paper; I’ve found this work well to prevent paint from seeping through to the canvas below.

Masking past the tape to protect the edges of the canvas.

Step 4: Sealing & Colour Selection

I then add a layer of primer or sealer (depending on the surface) to seal the tape and prevent any unwanted bleeds.

Whilst this is drying, I begin to select and mix my colours, for this gradient I used Oriental Blue and Permanent Carmine.

Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colours and Mediums

Step 5: Mixing with Mediums

I mix the colours with healthy amounts of Sansodor and Liquin Oleopasto.

I choose these mediums as they tend to produce a more matted finish than regular Liquin when dry. I also find glossy surfaces difficult to photograph.

Incorporating painting mediums into the oil colours.

Step 6: Starting The Gradient

To start the gradient, I use a pure version of each colour on either side of the canvas. With two separate brushes, I slowly blend towards the middle, applying slightly less paint as I get closer to the centre.

Starting with pure colours on each side.

Step 7: Measuring Borders

Once I reach the centre, I take a clean brush and begin to blend the colours from side to side. I used a Synthetic Hog brush for this as I want the brush marks to remain visible in the work and the coarse bristles do just that.

Blending the gradient after the two colours are both down.

Step 8: Reveal Your Gradient!

Once finished, I use a scalpel and tweezers to remove the layers of tape and paper. I try to do this whilst the paint is still wet so that I can avoid any paint lifting or pulling from within my borders.

The work appears glossy when wet, but once dry should obtain a satin-matte finish.

Removing the masking to reveal the seamless gradient.

Keep The Gradients Going

Once you feel comfortable blending your gradients, try incorporating this technique into your painting style, or try this tutorial on a much larger scale or with more than two colours!

If you'd like a downloadable/printable version of this tutorial, click here.