Mastering Oil Painting Mediums
Underpainting, Overpainting & Glazing
with
David Heskin
Dec 9 - Dec 11, 2026
(Wed - Fri)
9:30am -4:30pm
(with 1 hr lunch)
Tuition $525
Mastering Oil Painting Mediums
Underpainting, Overpainting & Glazing
with David Heskin
Overview
Oil painting mediums can be intimidating, as they
offer a sophisticated approach to painting with
unparalleled brilliance and depth, especially when
paintings are produced in a calculated, layered
approach.
In this course, we will look beyond the infinite
possibilities of products presented by the art supply
stores, boiling our methods down to simple, elegant
solutions that can be easily modified to suit any
artist’s desires. Our mediums are formulated for their
superior technical attributes, as well as their support
of a non-toxic studio practice.
Students will empower their painting practice by
developing a thorough and practical comprehension
of these essential aspects of the craft.
Learning Objectives
- Technical principles of layered painting processes
- A working understanding of oils, resins & solvents
- ‘Fat over Lean’ in theory & practice
- Traditional painting materials & philosophy
- Toxicity & safe handling of oil paint & mediums
Practical Outcomes
Students will create numerous painting sketches each day, as we work with a small number of essential ingredients
to produce our own painting mediums. These mediums can be adjusted throughout the course of an ‘indirect’, or
layered, painting process, to achieve luminosity on the surface while utilizing a logical progression and technically
sound practices. Adjusting proportions in our mediums throughout the layers of a painting ensures cohesion and
structural stability for the life of the painting.
Studio & Material Essentials
Panels, Watercolor Paper & Primed Paper, Palettes & Knives, Brushes, Paint, Mediums, Jars & Bottles, Measuring Spoons, Ceramic Dishes, Solvents.
This course is open to all skill levels, age 18 and up. Those with prior oil painting experience may benefit from familiarity with the processes, although those new to oil painting will benefit from learning logical steps from the ground up, demystifying oil painting mediums and empowering a solid practice rooted in sound technique.
As we deeply explore oil painting mediums and processes, other topics inevitably arise. We’ll also take time to consider these adjacent topics which include: painting supports, traditional surfaces & grounds, putty mediums, transparency and opacity, impasto, “oiling out”, reliable drying times, varnish, materials compatibility, brush care and more.
David Heskin is a mid-career polymath artist working in a variety of fine art mediums across 30 years. A
largely self-taught early career was later influenced through studies with recognized masters and traditional
lineage holders in traditional and classical drawing and painting techniques. This culminated in an MA from
the prestigious King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts in London in 2020, where David received an
Albukhary Scholarship and graduated with distinction. David had the opportunity to study in numerous
legacy traditions both within and outside the MA program, to pivot into the architectural crafts during 2
years living in the UK. David has continued to pursue letter carving in stone, among other traditional
heritage craft mediums, as a result of this educational experience.
David is an internationally exhibiting artist and instructor who combines his strong work ethic with an
insatiable thirst for the practical applications of historic research in his field. Since 2011, David has
developed and taught in-depth art courses to hundreds of adult students across a broad range of subjects,
spanning advanced oil and egg tempera painting to the harmonic geometry of sacred architecture. These
intensives have been hosted independently, under the umbrella of other art schools and organizations, and
in university settings. Through extensive research into historical manuals, David co-founded and produces
traditional handmade painting mediums for artists, the likes of which have never been commercially
available in our lifetimes. David is currently building a house and establishing a land-based education
center for the preservation of traditional arts and craft techniques in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
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