How to paint a sunset with Jen Dixon

Mixed-media artist and illustrator Jen Dixon demystifies oil painting by showing how to create a beautiful sunset using accessible materials and effortless blending. She conveys the message that starting with oil is easy when you focus on colour, blending, and expression.

What You’ll Need

• Graduate Oil Paint (200 ml or 38 ml Selection Set), designed for students, hobbyists, and beginners. They offer smooth consistency, rich pigmentation, and blend easily. These oils dry to a low-gloss satin finish within about five days.

• Georgian Oil Paper Pad, a 290 gsm, acid-free, linen-textured surface that mimics canvas elasticity and preserves colour vibrancy and intensity.

• Georgian Linseed Stand Oil Medium, which thins paint for smoother flow, speeds drying compared to raw linseed oil, and minimises brush marks for a fine finish.

What You’ll Learn

Jen demonstrates mixing and blending colours to achieve sunset tones with clarity and ease. Her approach encourages embracing the fluidity of oil paint and using layering to build luminous depth. The method focuses less on complexity and more on intuitive colour creation.

Why It Works

The Graduate range delivers quality at an accessible price, making oil practice inviting. The Georgian oil paper supports confident application while enhancing vibrancy, without needing a full canvas setup. Combined with a medium that improves flow and drying, these materials give artists both control and freedom. Jen’s instruction reinforces that oil painting, especially landscapes, should be joyful, responsive, and approachable.

Tap into your creativity, start with a few colours, and let a sunset emerge under your brush.