So you are just about to start your journey into the fascinating world of art and are thinking about taking painting lessons? Like most new skills, it can be a little daunting at first knowing where and how to start, particularly if you don’t have someone to help guide you through the first steps. This article will hopefully provide you with a few tips and ideas to get you started.
Organizing Your Painting Studio
When you first start out, you will more than likely not have the use of a professional art studio, however you should try and create a productive environment around you where you can concentrate on the job in hand and relax! Most importantly, try and find a space in your home that is free from noise and distraction. That’s not always easy I know! At least set up your art studio where you will not be constantly disturbed.
Lighting
Where possible, find a room in your house that has some space and plenty of natural sunlight. A Conservatory is a great place to start, or a room that has lots of windows. If natural sunlight is not possible, you will have to use artificial light. There are special lights or bulbs called “Full Spectrum”, that are made to emulate natural sunlight. They do a descent job, but nothing compares to natural sunlight.
Art Painting Brushes
As with paint colours, choosing your brush selection is purely a matter of personal choice. I have experimented over the years with numerous different brush types and now mainly choose to use flats and filberts of varying sizes. My brush selection mainly consists of No.2, No.5, and No.10 Filberts and No2, No5, and No10 Flats, which are all made from hog hair, which are very strong, flexible and great to use with oils.
Artist Palette
You will see every artist using one of these if you are not familiar with the term. The Palette is basically the surface that you will use to layout and mix all your colours on. There are a variety of different palettes available. They can be made from wood, plastic or glass and they come in a variety of sizes. I usually use a palette made from wood, however you will need to seal it first as the wood is porous. This is very easy to do. All you need is some mineral or linseed oil and then wipe the surface of your palette to coat the surface. Wipe off any excess oil and you’re ready to go!
The size of your palette is also down to personal choice. I use a folding palette that is about 10×14 inches. My glass palette is 4×8 inches and largest is my wooden palette, which is 12×16 inches. I also sometimes use an old glass dish from an old microwave oven!
Which Paint Colors Should I Use?
Many artists develop a basic list of colors that they will always use when creating art work. These colours form the basis of most artists colour palette, although it is down to personal choice in the end. It is purely a matter of preference as to which colours you choose to put on your palette as there are no right or wrong answers. You will definitely develop those preferences over time as your experience and artistic skills develop. In the mean time, I can share with you the colours that I often use:
• Alizarin Crimson
• Burnt Sienna
• Burnt Umber
• Cadmium Orange
• Cadmium Red Light
• Cadmium Yellow Light
• Cobolt Blue
• Ivory Black
• Raw Umber
• Thalo Blue
• Thalo Green
• Thalo Yellow Green
• Titanium White
• Yellow Ochre
TIP: Avoid using paint that has the word “hue” on the label. These paints may be more economical and cost slightly less, however they are usually of very low quality when compared to the real colour. Hue paints are created from artificial pigments and do not behave the same as the real pigment!
Oil Painting Supplies and Materials
Before you start to learn new painting techniques, you will first need to source your initial art supplier. Don’t worry! This shouldn’t cost you too much initially! Sourcing your painting supplier may seem simple, but many beginners are lost and confused when they first step foot into an art supply store. There are so many different materials to choose from and if you are not familiar with what you need, you may spend too much on supplies you don’t need, or wind up not buying enough. You should also do a little research on the internet as there are lots of art suppliers out there to get you started!
Other Paint Supplies
Some other supplies you will need are rags for wiping and cleaning, a palette knife for mixing your paints, a medium for thinning your paint and an easel.
Supports
There are a variety of painting surfaces, or “supports”, that you can use to paint on. Stretched canvas, canvas panels, canvas paper and even wood are all possibilities. I use canvas panels and paper for studies or practice and stretched canvas for my finished paintings. Again, this is purely down to personal preference and you are free to explore on your own.
Caring For You Painting Brushes – Very Important!
Learning how to properly care for your brushes is one of the most important aspects of oil painting. Many artists use solvents like turpentine, but this is not the most effective way to clean them and can be dangerous for your health. I personally use baby oil!
All you need to do is place a generous amount of baby oil in a container and let the brushes soak for a few minutes. Then agitate the brushes in the oil for a few minutes and then wipe with a clean cloth, you can then repeat as required. Finally, rinse with clean warm water to remove the oil and let the brushes air-dry. This method works great for me so it should work fine for you also!
If you wind up with a little bit of color on your brushes after cleaning them with the baby oil, don’t worry! This doesn’t worry me because the baby oil will keep them from drying out! However, if you want your brushes to be spotless, you can just finish up by cleaning the residue out with soap and water. Then if you want, you can wrap them in a paper towel and reshape the bristles to dry. .
Organizing Your Palette
One of the mistakes I made when first starting out was to squeeze out only small amounts of paint on to my palette and was constantly having to squeeze out more paint; this really disturbs your flow and reduces your productivity. So, make sure you put a decent amount of paint on your palette!
Make sure you have a clean and well organized palette and lay out all your paints exactly the same way every time you paint. This will help you as you progress forward. Also make sure that you leave enough space in the centre for mixing. When you have finished, clean your palette but make sure you do not fully clean the spots on your palette where you placed the colours. This will help you tell where to put the different paint colours in the same spots next time. Simple, but worth remembering!
Starting Your First Painting
So, you should now have a general understanding of the materials you need, which colors to start with, which brushes to use, what palette to choose, and a general idea on how to organize your studio, now it’s time to starting thinking about your first painting.
Finding Painting Ideas
Most artists when they first start to paint have specific interest and topics/hobbies. As they develop their artistic skills they may then choose to paint specific styles.
Most artists will know what they are going to do before they start the painting – I suggest that you do the same at first.
Coming up with an idea for a painting can be a frustrating task. To help you get started, choose something you are passionate about and that you have an interest in. As with writing, you will find it much easier to start with topics/interests that you know something about. For example, if you like the outdoors, why not start painting landscapes, trees and scenery!
Every artist has an influence, whether it is another artist, a place or thing. You will also have influences that can help you decide what you want to paint. You may love animals and wildlife, so spend some time outdoors at the places that inspire you. Take along a sketchpad and digital camera and record the scenes that catch your eye. If you have a particular artist that you admire, spend time studying his or her artwork to get a basic feel for the style and composition. You can even try replicating their paintings to get you started.
Finally, don’t get artists block and pontificate for hours on end as to what you should paint. Practice makes perfect, so the more you paint the more accomplished you will become. If you are really stuck, go and sit in your garden and try and replicate what you see, or take a drive to one of your favourite spots and make a sketch of the scenery, take a digital photograph and then, when you get home, use your sketch and photograph and start painting.
Serious About Taking Painting Lessons?
If you are serious about taking painting lessons, there are a variety of different ways you can learn to paint! You can buy any number of text books and magazine’s that will teach you the basics, there are free lessons available on the internet, although the quality of the painting lessons can vary quite considerably. You can also take private painting lessons from a qualified art teacher, however this can be a very expensive method and does require a certain level of commitment as you will have to attend lessons at specific times.
You can also find some good online painting courses. One course in particular is the new Learn and Master Painting Course that has been created by Legacy Learning Systems. The course will teach you how to paint using oil and acrylic painting techniques and covers many different painting styles from beginner to advanced standard. The course instructor is Gayle Levée who comes from a long line of distinguished teaching artists.
You can find out more about online painting lessons for beginners and advanced artists here!
