Advanced Oils

Structured Practice for Ambitious Painters

Welcome to Advanced Oils

Advanced Oils (AO) is where we teach you to master oil painting to a professional standard.

It’s a structured programme for painters ready to swap guesswork for principles—learning how painting actually works, why different methods create different results, and how to turn that understanding into strong, original work fit for galleries and open competitions.

AO runs as a rolling annual cycle of multi-part projects. Every three weeks you tackle a focused challenge—sometimes historical, sometimes contemporary—anchored by lecture demos to frame the ideas, studio practice to test them, and critique sessions to reflect and refine. Post your work, get regular group mentoring, and build momentum project by project.

You’ll develop a true painter’s vocabulary: indirect vs direct painting, tonal vs colour-driven construction, historic ébauche vs modern alla prima, optical vs subtractive mixing. Each is proved in practice, then folded into your repertoire—so you don’t just know what you want to achieve, you know exactly how to get there.

Beyond Oils

AO is taught in oils because the medium is versatile and rewarding, but the lessons transfer to any medium. Oils combine the translucency of watercolour, the texture of acrylic, and the immediacy of pastel. By training in oil, you gain a vocabulary that applies broadly across painting.

About Martin Kinnear

AO is led by Martin Kinnear, an award-winning painter and RCA MA graduate. Martin has exhibited internationally, with work in the UK Government Art Collection and multiple awards at the Paris Salon. Alongside his studio practice, he has spent over twenty years teaching oils to painters at every level, building a reputation for technical clarity combined with contemporary relevance.

Commitment & Investment

AO asks for seriousness but offers flexibility. Delivered through rolling projects and live group sessions, it bridges the gap between being a competent painter and becoming an independent, consistent practitioner.

Quarterly or annual subscription available.
Cancel anytime, no application required.
Designed to be self-funding if you show and sell your work at the level it equips you for.

What’s Included

Live tuition: 90 minutes of painting and group critique every three weeks.
On-demand access: Current and previous projects, so you can see continuity and revisit.
Critique community: A moderated private group where you can share ongoing work and join discussions.
Archive access: Unlimited access to a back catalogue of core projects (Indirect, Direct, Ebauche).
Bonus access: Full membership of The Oils Program (TOP) and Simply Oils, including weekly projects and 9 hours of core tuition — ideal for those newer to oil.