How to Paint Gold | Rembrandt Oil Painting Copy

Demonstration of how to paint gold using oil paint with the four color Apelles Palette.
In this demonstration you'll learn the basics of color mixing in order to create realistic skin color and how to mix color to create gold. You'll also learn some useful techniques and strategies for how to paint gold in order to make it feel life like and metallic.
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A video on proportions: • Quickly Get Proportion...
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0:00 Start
1:28 Mixing Base Skin Colors
10:23 Drawing the Portrait
13:30 Filling in Background
16:24 Skin Color Mixing
20:16 Portrait Block in
21:36 Color Choices in Retrospect
22:48 First Layer Tips
25:24 Rembrandt's Complementary Colors
28:33 What Colors To Use in the Face
30:38 The Most Important Skill in Painting
32:58 Gold Painting Begins
34:05 Color Mixing for Gold
37:34 Tip For Mixing Colors
39:14 Brilliant Gold Mixture
44:35 One Key Takeaway
47:02 Keep it Clean
50:49 Grays
52:00 Tip for Texture
54:59 Highlight Strategy
57:30 The Big Challenge
58:35 Impasto Painting
1:00:59 Transitions
1:02:17 Cool Vs. Warm Highlights
1:03:59 Avoid the Detail Trap
1:06:50 The Process of Color Mixing
1:11:37 The Final Touches

[@jazw4649]

34:00 min is where painting gold starts

[@c3ramics]

Thanks for this longer format and for free! Nothing better than watching a pro tackle a painting step by step.

[@NicThurman]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the support

[@AR-mu4zq]

So many experts in the comments makes me wonder why they bothered watching a tutorial.

[@ull893]

Because they are the so called " experts" they know "everything "😂😂😂😂

[@ull893]

Because they are the so called " experts" they know "everything "😂😂😂😂

[@tonylu6569]

Haha funny😂

[@NicThurman]

😂 haters gonna hate

[@jasona.palmer6993]

Great comment! I needed a good laugh.😂

[@mickeykyker4837]

I have learned more today by binge watching your videos than i have in 2 years watching a ton of portrait painting videos. Thank you, your an awesome artist and teacher. Im embarrassed to say i didn't think it was possible to paint gold without using metallic paint and you made it happen. Wow amazing.

[@ruthkozsey4122]

Excellent work! Thanks for sharing and explaining as you paint!!

[@NicThurman]

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed

[@CraigLovelockcoach]

One of the best and easy to follow lessons I’ve watched. Thank you

[@NicThurman]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you

[@cameronscanlan1620]

Cool! Always love to see other artists' processes to steal ideas. Thank you! Hope to see more oil painting and drawing.

[@franceskavalec350]

very generous of you, I picked up a lot of tips on skin color , to me the gold was the icing on the cake!! thankyou.

[@taulantkapidani2166]

Thank you for the painting lesson, we are looking forward to your other works

[@michellehayes5565]

Alchemy! 🤗 Thank you so much for this demo. 🙏❤️

[@NicThurman]

Thank you! 🙏

[@josephtermeer5196]

This video is an absolute gem. Plus, it's on of my favorite paintings. Now I can make this portrait! Thank you Nic!

[@honnigorega]

I was recently admiring some gold materials in a Rembrant painting and now I stumble upon this video! Ty

[@NicThurman]

Glad I could help!

[@elizabethreems187]

Thank You Sooo Much for Sharing and Merry Christmas !

[@Nienaah]

Very helpful to see how its all set up, thanks!

[@soulofninja7348]

We love this type of content!

[@christopherfrazier8238]

Your video is really informative and well done! I learned a bunch and look forward to challenging myself with this palette.

[@NicThurman]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jacquelinemcgowan8164]

Excellent nice tutorial well explained thankyou ❤

[@yacineyacine-lj8lm]

Thank you so much Nic !

[@ull893]

Amazing to say the least ❤️🙏❤️🙏

[@lauralaladarling3775]

Thank you so much for your tutorial, very helpful. Xxx

[@NicThurman]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching

[@VelocitysMovies]

awesome video thanks for posting it

[@NicThurman]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@beckynichols3832]

Thank you so much.

[@NicThurman]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching

[@supertrucker99]

Bingo I am so glad u did this paint8ng.ty

[@matmoriconi3197]

Hello Nic. Can I use glass jar to put premixed oils? Because here in Arg I don't find empty tubes.

[@jaimehernandelgadoquintero4539]

Gracias gran maestro

[@DeuceGenius]

Rembrandt was a beast

[@daviddelossantos6075]

Wonderful.

[@NicThurman]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@lidanaude8022]

I love every artist! Nevermind the haters! Bet they never picked up a paintbrush Thank you for the demo!

[@zekysantangelop]

not an expert, i do paint myself...the results speak by themselves, its not a matter of "haters gonna hate" but bruv...

[@bradleyshimels3253]

Do you think they do it the same way in Dafeng?

[@MrRemorseless]

Hey Nic, with the textured chunks you've got on the edges, did you mix an agent into the paint, or is that just straight dried oil paint? Thanks for the tutorial!

[@NicThurman]

It’s oil ground preparation: calcium carbonate + linseed oil

[@hangten1904]

It's like the Zorn palette plus orange.

[@SlickOils]

Hi, nice video, I’m just venturing into this content creation stuff myself. 👍🏻

[@dianecharette6492]

Thank you for this tutorial. The « brown yellow » you mentioned, that looked like yellow ochre, who carries that Color and what is the name of that colour. Thank you for your time!!

[@NicThurman]

It’s Old Holland yellow brown. The link will take you to the Amazon list that has it and all the colors I use. Here it is: amzn.to/3P28R46

[@dianecharette6492]

@@NicThurman thank you for the tutorial and for replying so promptly !! Happy holidays!!

[@paulkristianberjuega2877]

I think the better approach to this is to match the larger area of lower value in the helmet (the one reflecting light) and paint in the darks as accent... I am interested to do this one of these days... I think its fun. The shine part is just a visual trick.

[@GaryYoung-eq1ph]

Gold metal helmet in Rembrandt paint has a dark background maybe inside, what about outside in daylight the colors , shadows would be different

[@anahatas]

Interesting , even if it is not really a picture by Rembrandt

[@artingwithmy4879]

The bad comments are so stupid. "Copying" the masters is exactly how artists learn. No one is claiming this is a perfect copy of a Rembrandt; it's simply a (pretty damn solid) approach to painting bright metallics, demonstrated by copying a painting with bright metallics. This tutorial is more about color mixing than it is about Rembrandt's techniques. Jumping in the comments to complain about this dude not using the chemicals that KILLED the greats is also a super weird thing to do, lol.

[@NicThurman]

Thank you haha

[@sp9138]

Value Value Value Value get that right and chances are your paintings will turn out well

[@Thesamurai1999]

And proportions

[@PinturaYdibujoENVIVO]

Nice demo, the only issue is that the masters like Rembrandt rely on transparency and translucency in his palette . The problem with the apeles palette is way to limited for those effects plus those colors are very opaque. Rembrandt’s palette is more extensive with lake colors , more earth colors , plus lead white which is less opaque than titanium . Get the book Rembrandt The Painter at Work it has a lot of technical info . You can’t do level master work with a student palette , you miss those effects that other pigments can and an old masters had extended palettes 🎨. The bright yellow that Rembrandt and Titian used as many masters is Lead Tin Yellow ( the brand NATURAL PIGMENTS has it in tube ) , you can’t mix that yellow it has beautiful properties no other pigment has

[@jakecavendish3470]

Yeah, the copy/study does look good and he certainly is very talented, but the issue with trying to capture technique in a copy of a C17th painting is that most modern copies and studies use wet on wet and are emulating the immediate effect of the surface layers, but as you say, up until the early C19th virtually all oil effects were done by glazes so it's a totally different process and effect

[@lauralaladarling3775]

Absolutely, Rembrandt would have taken much longer, building glazes, depths and with superb ground pigments made by his colour-man to his own requirements. Even with the same supplies, Rembrant used, it will always never be possible to make a replica ; Rembrandt was a genius but I appreciate this artist's superb colour mixing tutorial and effort to try for a similar effect of Rembrandt stunning, shining hold effect. Xx

[@sj8569]

@@jakecavendish3470Yes!! I haven’t seen a video of a Rembrandt study in Rembrandts technique! Always just wet in wet…

[@tomedwardsconcepts]

Great video. Is this similar to the Zorn palette?

[@NicThurman]

Yes it is!

[@ucantgetuson]

wow

[@opium9266]

You mention that the colors are weird for Rembrandt. I think its believed now that this painting wasn't actually painted by rembrandt but rather one of his students.

[@MattyCslim]

I recently started (SAFELY!!!) painting with lead white and I'm actually shocked by the difference this has made when mixing colours When doing a side by side comparison with my regular go-to titanium white. I immediately noticed that the lead white appeared a lot warmer than the stark titanium white that i was used to. But the real difference became apparent when I started to mix in different coulers. This is because (in my opinion) lead white has a much, much better pigment retention then my regular white. So if any painters out there have a chance to (SAFELY!!!) experience with lead white i would highly recommend it!!!

[@OlympusLaunch]

What does it mean to use it safely?

[@Palatinate-o5d]

I have seen this painting in the original. Rembrandt's student who painted this, 'painted' the plasticity, he did not model it with thicker strokes of paint. I also see little resemblance to the gold in the helmet in the original; that's not possible in such a short time with a few brush strokes anyway.

[@publicalias8172]

The high contrast is what was mainly missing.. which he spoke on but then continued in a very “safe” manner with grey muddied mid tones being the dominant factor.

[@neilcramond_fineartist]

Interesting demo, thank you! From a viewing point of view, it was difficult to see the colours because of your dirty palette, couldn't see the order you laid your tints and shades in. Would recommend not using dab of paint on your finger to colour check - other viewers might use cadmium colours in their palette, and wouldn't recommend skin contact with those. Other than those minor points a good demo, good info about importance of contrast when depicting gold. Well done👏👏

[@BardChords]

Touching cadmium paint is not going to make you sick. There's no recorded case, ever, of somebody getting sick from skin exposure to cadmium paint. You have to breathe the dry pigments. It's not helpful to new artists when you spread bad information.

[@user-vk8xm4vv1v]

to paint light is just a mindshift: paint more dark. beginners are too afraid to paint dark so they never make light appear. light only seems to shine when it's contrasted by dark. if there is no dark it'll just become a pastel kinda flat image. in theory there is more light, but without the contrast it just seems flat and dull, like a white canvas; it does not shine.

[@francoismennes4891]

I like it Question is Is it finished the way it is? Think needs more work .....

[@Overlorddz]

Jeez you have quite a dutch intonation. Not much accent maar ben je Nederlands?

[@anonymousano3430]

Since when is gold the colour of orange ?

[@user-kr7fd1ru4k]

8:33 15:14

[@the_key_x]

I have to say I like your version better than the original, it’s really gorgeously atmospheric.

[@supersal3391]

Holy shit

[@mantegna1506]

Big respect to that guy not only for trying to copy the God but also for not using the materials the God used. God Rembrandt was handling a thick but easily manageable paste in order to achieve such an illusional 3D depth and the secret is forever gone unfortunately.

[@afh553]

I think he would have liked…

[@tamuwaha]

Thanks for this one! But this is most likely not Rembrandt's painting, they say :)

[@ªªŕđƏ]

Anyone remember the film where a guy copied a rembrandt so well people thought it was real and he git prosecuted?

[@1977ajax]

Yours is orange. His is gold. What am I missing?

[@SaRkAsMuSoNe-]

Let me be the 91st comment to point out how I would do it better than you and then come up with a excuse why I know it all but cannot be bothered to make a video about it while my whole purpose of being here is purely antagonistic. Who said art can’t be fun?

[@user-vk8xm4vv1v]

this is nothing like Rembrandt: way to thick. and I highly doubt the painting you're trying to copy was painted alla prima like you do. though Rembrandt did paint in multiple techniques. or at least; his studio with it's students and their paintings below which he signed the painting. still I gave it a like, cause you paint oil in 2023. and it's a decent study. good. keep going !

[@jeanthomassen7338]

This painting is not done by Rembrandt! It is work of a pupil of him.

[@CynHicks]

My personal painter just uses gold as the surface and goes from there. 😤

[@meco6309]

Bas ste se trudili. Lepo je ali ne moze uopste da se uporedi sa Rembrant. Kod njega izgleda zlato a kod vas izgleda bakar. Pričam slemu a i lik vam je sasvim drugaciji

[@maciejlewandowski7311]

If you squint your eyes... maybe... :P

[@LyubomirIko]

Nice impression, bit clearly nothing close to the Rembrandt's technique. The impasto in the helm is particularity very off. Rembrandt were very carefully shaping the form underneath, using juicy amount of medium in order the paint to get the proper viscosity and behavior. Linseed Stand oil have honey-like consistency, and it is a good start, although a lot more can be said (like lead white behave differently as a start; or his extensive use of Smalt/Blue glass to all volume and texture to the paints - and there is modern substitutes!) Also you need proper brush for some of those passages, not that flat one. Some pointy aquarelle brush will do magic. Also Rembrandt were vivid user of all sort of transparent siennas and umbers. Rembrandt technique is 80% glazes and transparent effects, obviously not alla prima. I don't see point of limiting yourself in this artificial Apelles palette and missing all the properties you can get with the different earth pigments and few like "transparent yellow oxide", "stil de grain" (that are already quite synchronized with the Apelles gamma anyway)

[@anthony71571]

if I'm not mistaken, this is not a painting by Rembrandt. A group of researchers analyzed the painting and concluded that this painting may have been done by one of his students.

[@daenerystargaryen]

Why are you using plural form 'were' instead of 'was'? Were there many Rembrandts or are you talking about one specific person?

[@LyubomirIko]

second language @@daenerystargaryen

[@bestofrock945]

Okay, but why does your own art suck if you talk all these "facts"? Your claims are ridiculous. You can make very accurate and good studies and copies not using the exact same colors and BRUSHES!? Are you kidding me...

[@LyubomirIko]

@@bestofrock945 try painting Jeronimos Bosch with hog brush.

[@pollywanda]

The painting is NOT by Rembrandt---- check your facts

[@ruok3351]

i dont even paint but i can see that ain’t gold or even metallic enough

[@fritzkern6442]

It#s not a Rembrandt! Nothing is all this without underpainting in egg tempera.

[@anonymousano3430]

Not even close to the original. Thurman’s version is more orange than gold. !

[@serrielu8025]

Let’s see yours. 🙄

[@serrielu8025]

Let’s see yours. 🙄

[@anonymousano3430]

I don’t pretend to be an expert !

[@deliaradulescu8523]

You loose essentials.

[@mateuslp8959]

You can do better

[@Catdadquinn]

This is not very good. Your palette is way too limited for the range that metallic gold requires.

[@naomifrakes6474]

Oh really, I guess nobody told Rembrandt since that was his exact palette.

[@swellmate12]

i think rembrandts is better

[@arturamatuni5801]

You are. not a Rembrandt ,but you good

[@TheKhandesign]

Boring commentary, sorry, good luck for others

[@canalcahill]

Your excellent at Painting old mens helmets doesn't sound good on paper does it 😂

[@mouse2078]

Calling the Zorn palette by its common name would greatly improve your ability to communicate with your audience.

[@eu3145]

... more copper, than Rembrandt gold

[@cemozturk7714]

Not good enough

[@Yorkie285]

Not even close.

[@user-lj5nl2ku5g]

Здравствуйте. Я думаю у Вас техника не правильная. Автор оригинала использовал "свечение" краски. Лицо и шлем первым слоем полностью прописал оранжевым или красным цветом. Потом поверх наносил остальные оттенки. Первые слои оранжевого и красного как бы светятся из под слоёв других оттенков. Главное соблюдать толщину слоёв иначе "свечение" пропадёт. Это очень интересная техника)

[@poojajainpretty]

Can you please start a beginner level series for people who are new to paint

[@francoismennes4891]

I like it Question is Is it finished the way it is? Think needs more work .....

[@franceskavalec350]

It was not meant to be a finished painting, it was to show the contrast and get the idea behind painting gold. he just very generous went and painted the portrait in order to show how to mix the skin color, did you learn anything I sure did!!