Copper & Bloom | Classical Oil Painting Tutorial
- Marion Dutton
- Nov 3
- 2 min read
There’s something timeless about copper — that deep, glowing warmth that seems to hold light inside it. Copper & Bloom was our October MazArt Academy project, and it quickly became a favourite. It’s a quiet, reflective still life — just a simple vessel, a soft peony bloom, and the soft glow of afternoon light — but it offered so much to learn from.
Building from the Ground Up
We began, as always, with a classical underpainting. Using raw umber, we mapped out the tones and established the light structure before colour even touched the canvas. This first stage is where the painting’s strength is built — accuracy, proportion, and the feeling of light. Many students told me this was their favourite part, that quiet stage of laying the foundation where everything feels calm and deliberate. I always feel the painting is beautiful at this stage too, and could quite easily pass for a finished piece in its own right.
Bringing the Glow to Life
Once the underpainting dried, we moved into colour. This is where copper truly sings. Through transparent glazes of burnt sienna, opaque oranges and reds, and tiny touches of green, we built depth layer by layer. It’s slow, intentional work — the kind of painting that rewards patience. You can’t rush a glow like that; it has to be earned, one veil of colour at a time. And perhaps that’s why this process feels so restorative. In today’s fast-paced world, taking the time to slow down — to paint slowly, to observe, to breathe — has become an essential act of care, both for our art and for ourselves.
Balancing Warmth and Softness
The peony introduced a gentler note, balancing all that rich warmth. It's muted pink and off-whites played beautifully against the copper, softening its intensity. Here, I encouraged students to think tonally — to look for the light and shadow first, rather than the “right” colour. It’s a shift that transforms the way you see everything.
The Final Touches
By the end, what began as a simple still life had become a study in restraint and beauty. Every highlight, every softened edge, every reflected glimmer of light added to the harmony of the piece. Copper & Bloom wasn’t just about painting copper or flowers — it was about slowing down, observing deeply, and rediscovering the quiet joy that comes from painting with intention.
Join the Lesson
This full-length project is now available inside the MazArt Academy, alongside over 500 hours of tutorials and courses that explore classical oil techniques in portraits, pets, still life, and more. Learn the underpainting and layering method at your own pace, or join our live sessions to paint along in real time.
