Do any of you paint? if so, do you have any tips for beginners? I'll soon have oil paint, which I've always wanted to use because I just know it will be the best for me. All I've ever used is watercolor & I don't like it. I was hoping some of you can give me some tips on what to do so I won't mess up badly. Do you know of any books, etc. I should check out? Or anything else.

Any help would be appreciated. I used to be great at art when I was a child/teenager but then stopped for years & have been getting back into it over the past year or two or so but am just now going to start it more seriously.

if you loathe what you're doing you're doing it right.

Nice thought, but I can't imagine that would be true . When I like what I write, it's always good, so I can't imagine painting would be any different.

Paint naked. That way you won't get any paint on your clothes.

tip # 1 is always be prepared. have towels and rags you can throw away and a good amount of turpentine, since nothing else i've found works as well to get the paint from the brushes. always wear clothes you don't mind being stained with paint, because oils will mess up anything forever. since most oils i've worked with and all turp has a strong smell you don't want to huff for hours and hours, make sure you're doing this in a well ventilated area, or near an open window. make sure you wash your brushes well after you're done every time, and get all the oil off your mixing board or toss it. i used to use old pieces of cardboard or those styrofoam plates. not the best but they worked for what i needed.
tip #2 is with oils, you'll make mistakes it's just part of learning how to use them. learn to create foundations, how to make a composition, plan it out. don't scrape a mistake off, use a rag with a little turp or that special expensive oil linseed oil i think and gently wipe away. you can also "tonk" which is basically blotting the painting's mistake very very gently with clean sheets of paper cut into the shape of the mistake until it's mostly gone then allowing it to dry and going back over it. don't just keep globbing more and more paint over a mistake becoming too focused on that mistake instead of the painting as a whole or the whole painting will be a mistake.
tip #3 never mix the paints on the canvas. ever. and don't mix too much black or white in, they drain the other colors.
tip #4 patience is a prerequisite. it takes at least three days to dry most of the time, it's never a one and done with oils like with acrylics or watercolors.
tip #5 is when you've figured out how you paint then buy the good brushes. you'll know which ones you'll like better and the type of bristle you'll need after you get in there.

I just heard in TV like one guy said: "Art is a monster who is feeding by tragedy and pain of artist. And I will feed this monster by myself!"

Watch Bob Ross - The Joy Of Painting.
Lots of tips and inspiration, plus it never fails to cheer me up.