Oil paint is usually mixed with pure linseed oil and turpentine, and brushed on; but it can also be applied thick with painting knives, poured on, or even squeezed on, straight from the tube.

To start, you need a small range of paints, brushes, paint and palette knives, palette, clip-on 'dipper' pots to hold linseed oil and turpentine and something to paint on. This need not be canvas, which requires some preparation. Art shops sell ready-primed canvas and oil painting boards, which are cheaper and suitable for the beginner.

PAINTS - Ready made paints, sold in tubes, vary greatly in quality and durability. Check the manufacturer's grading for permanence, as some colors fade badly in sunlight. Buy the best you can afford, choosing a basic selection which should include Cadmium Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Red, Viridian Green, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black, Burnt Umber and Titanium White.

Mix and experiment to create a wide range of shades. You will need linseed oil to mix the paints and turpentine to thing them. Buy pure turpentine, as substitutes could cause the paint to crack after it is on the canvas. You can use substitutes for cleaning brushes.

BRUSHES - Oil painting brushes have bristles in four main shapes - square-edged 'flats'; shorter, square-edged 'brights'; 'longs'and 'rounds'. They are made of stiff hogs' bristle or a softer hair such as camel, squirrel or sable - again buy the best you can afford.

In general, use broad, flat brushes to cover wide areas. Use bristle to emphasize the texture of brush strokes, and softer brushes for fine detail. You can also apply paint with knives, different shapes producing different effects. Use a palette knife to mix the paints.

PALETTES - The traditional artist's palette is made of mahogany but you can also use glass, marble, melamine or buy disposable paper palettes.' Dippers', which clip onto the palette, hold small quantities of linseed oil and turpentine, enabling you to dip into either pot quickly and conveniently as you work. A piece of clean rag is also essential for wiping the brushes as you paint.

PAINTING A SCENE - Make a sketch of your proposed picture on paper. Use pencil and ruler to draw a light grid over the drawing. Then draw a grid of appropriate proportions on the canvas with charcoal. That way, as you transfer your sketch onto the canvas, you will know what should go into each square.

Sketch onto the canvas with charcoal or pencil, transferring the outlines square by square. When you have sketched in your outline, dust off excess charcoal. Mix the colors for the sky and apply them with a wide, flat brush.

Next, paint in the foreground and wait at least a day until it is part dry. You could continue painting without a break but this requires expertise to know how the colors will merge.

Paint the dark areas of your objects first, working towards the lightest shades, which go on last. When your picture is complete, wait a week before you start glazing.

Glaze is a layer of color heavily thinned with linseed oil and turpentine and is used to highlight certain areas, for example, you can use a translucent reddish-pink for a sunset. Try different colors for different effects, painting on lightly with a soft brush.

You can give the painting a final protective coat of matt or floss varnish after about six months. Varnish in a dry place.

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