Painting is a means by which many people are able to express their feelings and emotions. No experience is required, and if you've ever taken an art course, even just finger painting in elementary school, you've already been introduced to it.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Choose the Type of Paint
Step 1. Evaluate what you want to accomplish
What kind of work do you expect to create? Do you have to spend a lot of time on a single project, or do you prefer to finish a painting in one work session? Do you have a well-ventilated studio where you can work, or do you have a small room where paint vapors could accumulate? How much money can you spend on everything you need? These are all important things you need to consider before committing to a technique.
Step 2. Try the watercolors
They are usually sold in small tubes of paint. If you use them as they are sold, they are thick and dull and do not cover a large area. But when they are diluted with water, they lighten and become translucent. Watercolors are used on a specific paper, not all types of paper are suitable for this technique. These colors do not allow you to create thick layers of paint, but they do give a beautiful translucent effect.
- A set of watercolor paints costs from 20 to over 100 €. To have a quality product and a sufficient number of colors for beginners, expect to spend around € 50-80.
- Since watercolors must be used on a specific paper that does not absorb and does not curl when it comes into contact with water, there is a limit to the supports you can use as a "blank canvas", unlike acrylics and acrylics. oil.
Step 3. Evaluate acrylic paints
They are always water based, dry quickly and emit few dangerous vapors. They are great for those who aim to finish their work in a single day. Multiple layers of color can be overlaid to give a fantastic three dimensional effect, and as they are water soluble they can be wiped off surfaces and washed off clothes easily. The downside is that they dry quickly, so color mixing and wet-on-wet techniques can be difficult.
- The style of painting and the final appearance of the work are very similar to those of oil painting.
- Acrylic paints are usually less expensive than oil paints and require fewer additives. The application technique is a little more intuitive than that of watercolors.
- Acrylic paints are less toxic than oil paints because they do not release vapors or require a particularly airy room. If you work in a small space with children around, acrylic paints are a safer solution than oil paints.
Step 4. Consider oil paints
They are clearly the most advanced of these three techniques. Oil paints dry slowly and lend themselves to dozens of different application techniques. It takes three months before an oil work is completely dry, so these colors are the best choice for those who need or want to spend a lot of time completing the painting. On the other hand they are highly toxic and require a well-ventilated studio to be used.
- Oil paints are the most expensive and require a lot of extra tools and products to use, such as turpentine and gels.
- Oil colors have the widest range of shades of the three techniques presented, and allow you to form new shades by mixing colors together.
Step 5. Buy quality colors
When deciding what kind of colors to use, you need to choose the brand you want to buy. As a beginner, you will be tempted to pick up the cheapest product available. However, you will save time and money (in the long run) if you buy quality products. In high quality tempera there are very pure pigments. This means that you can achieve optimal color intensity and coverage level of the canvas even with a single brushstroke; with cheaper products, however, you need to go over the color 2-3 times. Eventually you will find that a poor quality tube will last you less than a professional one.
Part 2 of 5: Learning the Basics of Painting
Step 1. The use of lines
The baselines in a drawing are the outline ones; they trace to define an object. Some painters mark these outlines, while others prefer to use splashes of color to define shapes. Decide whether or not you want to use these lines within your painting.
Step 2. Learn to build the shapes
Each object that can be painted is the culmination of different forms put together. The biggest challenge for a beginner is learning to see each object as a series of basic and linear shapes connected together. Instead of trying to trace the shape of an object, it tries to break it down into simple geometric figures which can then be connected together.
Step 3. Recognize the level
The layer is what color looks like when it is converted back to grayscale. In practice, how much brightness it has. Level is important when mixing gouache, as a color can be deceptive, unless you think of it in terms of light and dark. Be aware that most colors comprise a range of light colors in the background plane, the middle section of the middle layers, and the foreground of even darker colors.
Unless there are strong contrasts, the layers in your painting should be quite similar
Step 4. Use the space effectively
Since you work on a flat surface, you need to give the illusion of depth by wisely using the space available. To maintain a flat effect, draw objects of the same size and spaced apart. To give a sense of depth overlap the shapes and outline the smaller and smaller objects as they move away from the observer.
Step 5. Learn to give body to images
For things that look like they can be touched, you have to give the illusion of texture. To do this you have to use different types of brush strokes and move the canvas. Quick, short strokes give the impression of fur, while long strokes make the surface appear smooth and soft. You can also make actual piles of paint to achieve different effects.
Step 6. Give the painting some movement
Movement is a bit like texture, but on a large scale. You can recreate it by repeating the same texture over and over for the entire canvas. Not all paintings require a motion effect, but if you want to make a realistic one, motion is an important element to incorporate.
Step 7. Check the work as a whole
The arrangement of objects is called composition. To create an interesting composition, the figures must be placed in such a position that the observer is induced to look at the whole picture, passing from one object to another. Avoid putting a single figure in the center of the canvas, it is too basic a composition. Give more interest by placing a single figure at the insertion of the various floors or by adding background objects.
Part 3 of 5: Creating your own Painting
Step 1. Choose a subject
The biggest decision is what to paint. For beginners, the simplest thing is to choose a (flat) image and reproduce it, rather than grappling with a three-dimensional object. To start, find something with a basic shape, without too many colors, to test your artistic skills. The most common subjects for starters are:
- A bowl of fruit.
- A vase of flowers.
- A stack of books.
Step 2. Make a draft
While not always necessary, many painters find it helpful to draw a preliminary draft of the figures on the canvas before painting. Use a light pencil and roughly outline the shapes. You will be able to paint over these lines without respecting them, although having a model, even if rough, helps you to respect the composition.
Step 3. Find the light source
The color mix and the position of the colors on the canvas all depend on one important thing: where the light comes from. Look at your subject and determine which are the lightest and darkest areas. Mix the colors with this arrangement in mind and create different shades, different tones and even pure colors if necessary.
Step 4. Start by painting the background
When painting the best thing is to start from the bottom and come forward. This helps you position objects correctly and overlap colors to create some depth. Use one color at a time, go back and add the color you are currently using to a previously painted object. The background should be painted first, so that you can then add the closest objects on top of it.
Step 5. Insert the subject into the painting
When you're happy with the background, add the objects and shapes. Work with layers of paint, exactly as you did with the background. If the subject is central, it is important to take a lot of time to fill in all the details. Check it out from all perspectives or focus on recreating the various shapes instead of the full figure.
- If you are having difficulty with a subject, turn the canvas over. Forcing the eye to evaluate shapes from another point of view helps you to be more accurate and more realistic, and prevents you from drawing the idea of the object you have in your mind instead of the object as it actually is.
- Start with the lighter colors, then move on to the darker ones.
Step 6. Add the details
When you're almost done, it's time to add the background and figure details. Most of the time it is a matter of recreating the texture of the surfaces with the brush, diluting one color or strengthening another, adding small and intricate overlapping figures. This is the time when you really need to pay attention to the tweaks.
Step 7. Clean the brushes
With the addition of the details and the final touches, your work is complete! Eliminate mistakes, sign in the corner and clean your gear. It is very important to clean your brushes thoroughly to keep them in top condition for the next works. Recover all the paints that you have not used by putting them in the containers and put everything away.
Part 4 of 5: Purchase the Rest of the Equipment
Step 1. Choose the brushes
There are two main things to pay attention to when buying brushes: the shape of the bristles and their material. There are three forms of bristles: round (with a cylindrical tip), flat and almond-shaped (looks like a flat brush, but the tip is rounded). The bristles can be made of marten, pig, squirrel, synthetic or a mix of synthetic and natural.
- For watercolors the best brushes are marten or squirrel with a round tip.
- For acrylics, flat brushes in synthetic or synthetic-natural fiber are more suitable.
- For oil colors we recommend synthetic or pork fibers with an almond tip.
Step 2. The canvases
Stretched canvases are the best choice; they are relatively inexpensive and are suitable for all three types of colors described so far. Thick drawing paper, watercolor paper, and canvas cardboard are all great alternatives, however. Oil paints and acrylics can be used on most smooth surfaces, including wood and plastic. Watercolors should only be used on specific paper, canvas or fabric.
- Do not use ordinary printer paper or other thin papers for painting. The paint is too heavy and will cause the sheet to curl and roll.
- If you want to color plastic or wood, you must first give a primer base for the paint to set on the material.
Step 3. Purchase the rest of the material
In addition to these basic products, you need a palette, cans of water (two are enough), a rag, and an old shirt or apron to wear. There are other specific products you need to purchase if you use oil paints. It would also be useful to use plaster, as it is an excellent primer to prepare any surface (paper and canvas included), in order to be able to create magnificent works.
It is not necessary for all types of painting, but an easel is very useful for setting up your painting. Alternatively, any flat, stable surface is fine for painting
Part 5 of 5: Mixing the Colors
Step 1. Get familiar with the color wheel
This is a colormap that shows you how to create the various shades. There are three color classes: primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary ones are: red, blue and yellow. These are the colors that come directly from the tempera tube and cannot be created by combining other shades. The secondary colors (purple, green and orange) derive from the union of the primary colors. The tertiary colors, on the wheel, are found between the primary and tertiary colors (think peach or teal).
- Red + Yellow = Orange
- Yellow + Blue = Green
- Red + Blue = Purple
Step 2. Mix the colors
There is nothing wrong with creating a painting with colors as they come out of the tube, but mixing them together allows you new variations. Combine two primary colors in equal parts to get a bright color, or try different aspect ratios. For example, blending red with a larger amount of blue creates a bluish indigo rather than a perfect purple, while a larger amount of red gives you a dark brown.
Step 3. Create different shades
Add small amounts of white to each color to make it lighter by varying its saturation. The colors as they come out of the tube are bright and vibrant, and you can make them more "pastel" by adding white.
It's harder to add white to color, so try the opposite: add color to white. This way you have to use less color to get the desired result
Step 4. Merge the shades
Unlike shades, shades are obtained by combining black with color. This obviously makes the color darker, for example red becomes burgundy and blue becomes navy. In this case it is easier to add small amounts of black to the color (rather than color to black). When experimenting with these blends the "little is better" rule is always the best: start with small amounts of gouache to avoid drastically different colors.
Step 5. Create several tones
If a color is too bright, combine it with its complementary to tone it down. This alters the pure color to a lower tone. A complementary color to another is the one that is diametrically on the other side on the color wheel. For example, red is green, purple is yellow, and blue is orange.
Advice
- Getting the skin color is not difficult, but if you mix orange and white for a peach color, you will notice that the skin will look flat and unrealistic. Look at your skin. The underlying veins significantly change the color. For lighter skin tones add a little green, and for darker skin, a drop of blue.
- Befriend other painters. In some painting schools or courses there are study sessions open to artists who share the workspace. Talk to others about their favorite methods and styles, watch others work to understand what else you can do.
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Watch art movies, such as:
- "The Girl with a Pearl Earring", which tells the art of Vermeer. Many scenes deal with color theory and painting techniques.
- "Frida", which narrates the life and art of Frida Kahlo; offers great examples of how to illustrate visions and expressions and painting techniques.
- Be spontaneous, if you have no idea what to paint, randomly dip the brush in the colors and brush the canvas; you may be surprised at the result, it may be pure passion hidden in your subconscious.
- See the works of the most famous painters, such as Pablo Picasso, Johannes Vermeer, Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock, Edvard Munch, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. They will give you an idea of the different painting styles.
- Visit a museum in your area. If you can't get to a museum, visit the art departments of universities and schools to see if they exhibit any works. Some big-city art galleries have a high-resolution online tour on their website.
