Whether you’re learning a specific set of skills to be an expert, or you just want a fulfilling hobby, you always need to start somewhere. And that includes painting, this is why it’s crucial to research before you even pick up a brush.
So if you want to get cracking but don’t know where to begin, make sure to ponder on these 5 important basics of painting before doing so:
Pursue Painting with a Specific Goal in Mind
Remember, always think things through before you start shopping for art kits online! Before you press the purchase button, you should think about why you want to learn this skill.
Do you want to do it because you wanna be a professional painter, or do you just want to have a fruitful hobby that you can learn at your own pace without pressure? Either way, you have to be self-aware and ask yourself why you want to do it in the first place. Your decision will influence your learning path from there on out.
Medium to Master (Acrylics, Oils, or Watercolors)
After you decide, you should then choose a painting medium to focus on. It will give you some experience on how the paint feels, and a lot of exposure to its composition.
You may pick between acrylics, watercolors, and oils. Though there are many other mediums to try, it’s best to touch on them when you’re more acquainted with the primary basics of painting.
Every paint medium has its advantage and disadvantage, and we’re here to give you a short overview to help you choose:
- Watercolors
Watercolor is the least expensive out of the three but has a notorious reputation because of how difficult it is. Since the pigments are mixed with water, it has a high chance of drying fast. Other than it drying too fast, the amount of water you use will be crucial and should be done with care considering there is little room for error. Using too much or little will contribute to how dark or translucent the paint will be due to low viscosity.
Learning this medium may be difficult, but the skill sets you acquire and the elegant paintings produced can be rewarding!
- Oils
This medium is widely used by professionals because of how versatile it is. Its slow-drying nature makes it easy for them to blend colors and use a range of techniques.
Although favored by the masters, we recommend trying it once you’re more accustomed to the basics of painting you can learn through acrylics. Diving into oils immediately may be too complex.
- Acrylics
As a beginner, acrylics might be the best choice because it’s cheap, it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals commonly found in oils, and it’s easy to clean-up. Some acrylic paint products can even mimic the feel and consistency of oils, which makes it easier for you to transition to it when you want to.
The only problem with acrylic is that it dries fast and the colors darken whilst drying. So if you want a starter friendly medium to try while deeply understanding different techniques without the complexities, acrylics is the way to go.
Canvassing for Supplies
Before you start rummaging the art shop for every type of brush and paint, I just want you to know that you don’t need all of that stuff!
Your supplies will depend on the medium you want to pursue, you should focus more on getting:
- A painting easel - to act as a support for your canvas while you paint
- A canvas (acrylic & oil) or paper (watercolor) - which may depend on the paint medium you choose.
- A palette and a palette knife - to make color mixing easier
- A set of brushes- for your selected medium
- Paint - To help you understand the importance of color mixing, it’s suggested you purchase the 5 primary colors first
- Paper towels - helps in cleaning your painting station and your brushes
- Water - helps with paint solubility if needed
These items can be found online. However, if you’re a beginner who isn’t accustomed to the basics of painting yet, it’s best to go to your local art store and quality check them yourself. On top of that, you may also ask for product recommendations personally.
Learn the Techniques of Chosen Medium
After you purchased your materials, now comes the technical part of painting. It’s composed of the fundamentals namely technique, composition, brushwork, edges, color, and value.
These are the important core pillars that you should get familiar with. Doing so will help you once you start painting, and will greatly increase your understanding of what’s going on.
Make Your First Painting
The final thing you need to consider is choosing a subject. As a beginner, you should focus more on learning the basics of painting, so pick something you’re comfortable with that’s easy to handle.
Lastly, after you’ve created your very first painting, it’s time to review your work and look for areas you can improve on. Never hesitate to experiment and try new things! Painting and art in itself is a fun opportunity to unleash your true colors, so paint something that inspires you!
Is There Another Way For Me To Try The Basics of Painting Without Too Many Decisions?
Of course! If you want to try the basics of painting at your own pace, Paint by Numbers can give you that experience. Its pre-outlined templates give you the capacity to focus more on your brush skills first without the pressure of a blank canvas.
The MiiCreative Store can even customize your canvas with the photo of your choice, so you have more creative control in choosing your subject without starting from scratch. Once you’re ready, head over to our store and let your painting journey commence!
