Want to try your hand at painting? You don't have to be an "artist" to have fun putting color on paper or canvas. Follow the steps below to get started, then let yourself go. And don't you dare utter the words, "I can't"!
Step
I: Choose a painting or drawing medium
See
descriptions of each below if you need help deciding.
Step
II: Select a palette
There are many colors available now, and choosing a palette can be
overwhelming. My suggestions are listed under each medium, but first take
some time to think about what you are most attracted to painting, such
as landscapes, human figures, animals, etc. When you go to select you
palette, look at the colors available and see if there are some you "just
have to have." Once you start painting, you will learn which colors
toward which you gravitate. You can always enhance your palette. If you
can afford it, buy professional grade paints, not student grade. The paint
will be easier to work with, especially in light washes.
Step
III: Choose your brushes
As with choosing a palette, choosing brushes is a very personal activity.
My best advice is to opt for quality over quantity. Soft sable are the
best, but there are very good synthetic and mixed-bristle brushes availble
now. The brushes that come with watercolor boxes, for example, are usually
terrible. You should be able to control the brush, not be controlled by
it. When you buy a brush, make sure the bristles come to a nice clean
point, and spring back when bent. Start with the suggested brushes, then
add a specialized brush, like a fan or blender if you like. There are
varying lengths and widths available. Try to vary the sizes, and choose
brushes that feel comfortable in your hand. CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES OFTEN AND
THOROUGHLY. DO NOT ALLOW PAINT TO DRY ON THEM. While you are working,
keep brushes that are in use dipped in water (acrylic or watercolor) or
turpentine (oil).
Step
IV: The painting surface
For watercolors, you will need watercolor paper, either in
loose sheets or blocks. Blocks are convenient for transporting and dry
flat as you are working. For acrylic and oil painting, you will need canvas.
For beginners, pre-stretched, primed canvas is easiest and not much more
expensive than buying the materials separately. Stretched canvas is preferable
over canvas boards because it will not warp.
Step
IV: Other equipment
You
will need something to store and carry this equipment in, especially if
you plan to work outdoors or take your painting materials on vacation.
A fisherman's tackle box or tool box may work well if you don't like the
choices from your art supply vendor. You may also need a separate wrap
or case for your brushes, especially if you have purchased long-handled
ones. Either buy a case for your brushes that allows them to breath and
dry, or allow them to dry thorougly before storing. Other handy items:
Acrylic
Painting Equipment: Getting Started
Adapted from Introduction to Painting, A Step-by-Step-Guide,
John Henn, 1995 Quintet Publishing Limited, London.
Acrylic paint can be a happy compromise between watercolor and oil. If you use the right medium, acrylic paint can mimic either the transparent qualities of watercolor or the thick, rich qualities of oil paint. Museum curators may argue this point with me, but for me, the environmental and health advantages of acrylic paint far outweigh any minute differences in color depth. Acrylic paint tends to fall between watercolor and oil in cost as well. Acrylic paint comes in tubes or bottles. Start with small-medium sized tubes until you see which colors you will use most.
Suggested colors for the beginner's acrylic palette:
- TitaniumWhite
- Cadmium Red Light
- Alizarin Crimson
- Vermillion (optional)
- Yellow Ochre
- Cadmium Yellow Deep
- Lemon Yellow (optional)
- Earth Green
- Veridian Green
- Cerulean Blue
- Ultramarine Blue
- Raw Sienna
- Burnt Umber (this + Ultramarine Blue = black)
Suggested brushes for the beginner's acrylic set:
As with choosing a palette, choosing brushes is a very personal activity. My best advice is to opt for quality over quantity. Soft sable are the best, but there are very good synthetic and mixed-bristle brushes available now. The brushes that come with watercolor boxes, for example, are usually terrible. You should be able to control the brush, not be controlled by it. When you buy a brush, make sure the bristles come to a nice clean point, and spring back when bent. Start with the suggested brushes, then add other brushes that appeal to you if you like. There are varying lengths and widths available. Try to vary the sizes, and choose brushes that feel comfortable in your hand. CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES OFTEN AND THOROUGHLY. DO NOT ALLOW PAINT TO DRY ON THEM. While you are working, keep brushes that are in use dipped in water.
- 3 Brights in varying sizes (flat)
- 3 Rounds in varying sizes
- 1 fan brush
- 2 Palette knives
Oil
Painting Equipment: Getting Started
Adapted from Introduction to Painting, A Step-by-Step-Guide,
John Henn, 1995 Quintet Publishing Limited, London.
Oil painting has a very long-standing tradition, and if desired, you can even make your own paint using ingredients found in nature. This list, however, should get you stared. In addition to the equipment listed under Acrylic Painting Tips, you will need the following.
- Medium (either 60% purified or cold-pressed linseed oil plus 40% odorless turpentine or Liquin, for convenience and faster drying) used for thinning the paint and adding a nice gloss to the paint
- Odorless Turpentine or White Spirit for clean-up
- If you choose walnut oil paints, which are less toxic, buy the walnut-oil based medium and brush cleaner recommended for use with those paints instead of those listed above
- Oleopasto or modeling paste (optional) for impasto, or thickly-layered work that can be applied with brush or knife
Watercolor
Equipment: Getting Started
Adapted from Introduction to Painting, A Step-by-Step-Guide,
John Henn, 1995 Quintet Publishing Limited, London.
Watercolors are wonderful for travelling and working outdoors. They are light-weight, clean up easily and dry quickly. Watercolor paint comes in pocket sets (dry pans), semi-moist pans that allow replacement of individual colors, bottled (concentrated), or tube form.
Tubes are the most popular, but can be more expensive. Tube watercolor paint allows rich saturation of paint, and the paint can be reactivated if it dries on the palette. Boxed sets, however, offer convenience and usually lower price. When buying tube watercolor, be careful not to confuse these with guache, which is a much brighter, more opaque paint. All of these paints clean up with water. However, do not let the paint dry on your brushes.
Suggested
colors for the beginner's watercolor palette:
- Cadmium Red
- Alizarin Crimson
- Cadmium Yellow
- Lemon Yellow
- Yellow Ochre
- Viridian (green)
- Cobalt Blue
- Prussian Blue
- Burnt Umber
- Payne's Grey
Suggested
brushes for the beginner's watercolor set:
- 1-2 Brights (flat)
- 2 Rounds
- 1 fan brush
Drawing
Equipment: Getting Started
There are many varieties of drawing materials for working in
both color and black and white. here are a few basic suggestions to get
you started. Go to an art supply store and take your time. Trust your
gut, and if you get confused, ask someone there for help. If a certain
material appeals to you, buy it and try it!
- Drawing pencils: 2B, HB, 2H and either 4B or a carbon pencil (extra dark); brand does not matter
- 1 gum eraser
- 1 pencil sharpener or utility knife and sandpaper pad if you want to go "old school"
- Drawing paper: brand does not matter as much as weight. Do not buy paper below 50 lbs. Choose a pad of paper that feels inviting to you. Surfaces can vary from smooth to rough. Start somewhere in the middle, or buy a sampler pack if you can find one.
- Optional: Charcoal: this comes in various types and sizes. A couple of pieces of soft vine charcoal and stick
- Optional: Color charcoal: often called "soft pastels" (these are chalky, whereas oil pastels are more like oil paint in a stick), these come in nice basic sets or individual sticks