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Oil Painting Course

Oil Painting Course

What you'll learn

Learn to work with oil paints with our painting short courses in Sydney!

In this comprehensive oil painting course, you will learn the techniques and benefits of working with the oil paint medium. 

Suitable for both beginners and those with some painting experience, you will be guided through structured exercises to create paintings with beautiful texture and finish – even without any prior painting experience. 

In this oil painting course, you will learn how to prepare your surface, outline your painting, mix, and layer different oils in your painting, and how to finish and glaze your painting.  

We will begin with the examination of inspirational paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. You will be introduced to the historical techniques as used by artists during this period. Your first painting will be the reproduction of a section of a painting of your choice from this period. 

The traditional painting techniques acquired during this study will then be used to create a second painting of your choice. 

This course is designed to be ongoing, with students encouraged to re-enrol as many times as they like to continue their painting learning. Your teacher will structure each session to suit all levels of experience in the group. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of this oil painting course, you should be able to:

  • Demonstrate correct brush and palette technique
  • Mix colours using colour theory
  • Create various formulations of oil paint
  • Create a single-layered painting
  • Create a multi-layered painting

Course content

What will be covered in this oil painting course?

  • Tonal painting and underpainting
  • Colour theory and colour mixing
  • Paint formulation and handling
  • Brush technique
  • The application of grounds and primings and the construction of an oil painting

Intended audience

Who is this oil painting course for?

This course is open to beginners and students with some painting experience.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd in the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Course materials

What to bring to class

Option 1: Purchase a complete material kit when you enrol. It will be ready for collection from the front office at your first session.

Option 2: Uncheck the materials kit at checkout and bring your own - consult our oil painting material list.

*Materials kits are ordered from our supplier and can take up to a week to arrive. If you enrol close to the start date, you may receive your kit at the second session instead of the first.

Additional information

Please note the following:

  • Closed-in shoes required
  • Please wear old clothes and/or bring an apron
  • Long hair must be tied back

Course testimonials

  • said: Relaxed supported space to learn new skills. Focused exercises and experienced teacher guiding through.

  • said: This was a fantastic course, with the opportunity to learn a lot about painting in oils. The tutor, Nicola, was very supportive and knowledgeable, providing both encouragement and useful instruction at the same time. Highly recommended!

  • said: I enjoyed the course, and plan on continuing in 2026. It has encouraged me to continue painting.

  • said: Ellie is a knowledgeable and experienced teacher who makes the lessons enjoyable and informative.

  • said: It was great to get useful feedback in each of the classes on my painting technique from Nicki. She is a very encouraging and patient teacher and the class was a very relaxed environment in which to learn. I’ve never used oils to paint before and haven’t painted anything for decades so the class was wonderful to get me started. What we each produced at the end of the course was really amazing.

Course tutors

Elinor Pickard is a practising artist and a painter with drawing at the centre of her practice. She has a BA Visual Arts and Grad Dip from Sydney College of the Arts. Elinor also went on to...

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Classes

Oil Painting Course

<p>Learn to work with oil paints with our <a href="https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/visual-arts/painting">painting short courses</a> in Sydney!</p>

<p>In this comprehensive oil

...
2026-05-06 Wed 6 May 2026 - 2026-06-24 Wed 24 Jun 2026
8 sessions, 20 hours total
6:30pm - 9pm (UTC+10:00) (first session)
2A Gordon St, Rozelle
Elinor Pickard
$529 Limited inc GST / $423.20 / $449.70 / $476.10

Materials Kit: Kits must be ordered at least one week before the class starts to allow time for delivery. You can purchase a kit at checkout or bring your own—just uncheck the box.

Enrol in two or more painting or watercolour classes that are more than four sessions in length in a single transaction and receive 15% off your total course fees at checkout. The discount applies only when eligible classes are in your cart.

Eligible courses:

  • Drawing & Painting Course: Beginners
  • Acrylic Painting Course: Beginners
  • Oil Painting Course
  • Portraiture Oil Painting Course
  • Painting Course for Beginners
  • Watercolour & Sketching Course: Beginners
  • Watercolour Painting Course: Botanical Art
  • Watercolour Painting Course: Beginners
  • Chinese Brush Painting Course: Beginners

For more details and to browse all painting and watercolour courses, visit:
https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/visual-arts/painting

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If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist

If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist

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