what do you need to know to begin painting?

Are you eager to begin painting art but unsure where to start? The world of art is awesome!

Whether you're 18 or 80, painting is for everybody, it can be a career, a hobby or a therapeutic activity. Painting reduces stress and provides a sense of accomplishment.

There's nothing like a completed painting.

Let's get you started painting.

Enter the joy of painting art!

What you'll find on this page:

• Ideas to Start Painting
• Painting With The Basics
• Essential Materials
• Painting Techniques: Whether you're drawn to the fluidity of watercolor or the rich textures of oil paint, this guide will equip you with the essential knowledge to start painting these popular mediums. The rules and steps of how to watercolor and how to do oil painting.
• Finding Your Unique Style

ideas to start painting

Finding ideas and inspiration is a part of painting.

Everyday life is full of inspiring ideas for a painting. It could be the dog curled up in front of the fireplace, a cup of steaming hot coffee or the precious face of a small child.

The wonders of nature hold endless paintings.

Treasures from the seashore

The changing seasons, the clouds, a sunset, a tree blowing in the wind, and all the wonderful wildlife provide ideas for our artwork.

Just one visit to the seashore could hold a treasure trove of future paintings.

Observing the shape of the waves, the color of the sand, a crab running to hide and seashells we bring home could spark a myriad of paintings.

Look at things with an artist's eye.

Observe the color of things and how they change in light and shadow. Run your eyes around the shape of things, imagining you are drawing an outline.

Look at other's artwork. Look at the classic artwork in galleries or on-line. See what techniques they used, what colors, what brush strokes. What made them great paintings?

Could you use some of their techniques in your work?

Start a file of ideas. 

Keep your eyes open and jot down observations and ideas for future paintings. If you don't have time to sketch things, we have a handy camera on our phones. We can snap some pictures that will jog our memory later.

begin painting with the Basics

To paint successfully, it's important to understand the foundational elements that make up every great piece of art.

From values and color to composition and focal points, these basics serve as the building blocks of your artistic expression. Using them will elevate the quality of your paintings.

You may link to their pages where they are covered in detail. Take the time to learn and use them in all your artwork. You'll be glad you did.

Easy Composition

The rule of center lines makes easy compositions.

Create a Focal Point

Create a focal point to draw people into your paintings.

Artists Color Wheel

The color wheel is basic for mixing and using color.

Values in Painting

Contrasting values are the backbone of good paintings.

essential materials to begin painting

Quality materials make painting enjoyable and affect the outcome of our paintings. It's obvious we need paint, a brush and something to paint on. So, what do we need to start?

choose your paint

Acrylic paint is popular and relatively inexpensive. It's fast drying and it can be painted on various surfaces. One of my art friends does little landscape scenes on rocks and she sells almost every one.

Oils dry slower, allowing the artist time to blend and rework passages before it dries.

Watercolor is often used for delicate, intricate works. Once their techniques are learned they make wonderful paintings.

Visit an extensive explanation of the 3 popular paint mediums.

what do we paint on?

Butterfly Fish in oils on Gessobord

Acrylic and oil paintings are traditionally painted on cotton or linen canvas.

Linen canvas has a fine texture that is perfect for portrait paintings. It is however more expensive.

Pre-stretched canvases are the best option for beginners. They are convenient and ready for painting.

Canvas boards are less expensive and great for practice and learning to paint. They may however warp over time.

Panels are another option that has a smooth surface making it good for detail work.

Visit the oil painting supply page.

brushes, palette and clean-up

** Get the brushes specifically labeled for your medium of choice. Begin with a couple of brushes to get the feel of the brushes and paint.

Acrylic and watercolors clean-up with water. Swish the brushes in a container of water. Acrylic may require some mild soap the get all the paint out.

Oil paint is cleaned up with odorless mineral spirits. Gamsol is recommended for indoor painting.

** Lay the cleaned brushes horizontally to dry. Don't put them upright to dry, stuff will run down into the ferrule and eventually ruin the brushes.

Artists mix our colors on a palette. There's no need to purchase a palette to begin painting. We can use a plastic or Styrofoam plate and wash it or dispose it after painting.

An easel holds the canvas for oil and acrylic paintings. A lightweight, portable one is suitable. Watercolors are painted flat on a table.

How do we store leftover paint?

Paints keep very well in their original manufactured containers. Out of the sun and in regular household temperatures, they are good for years.

Keep any open, unused paint in a covered palette box between painting sessions. For long periods of time oil or alkyd paint in a palette box can go into the freezer. Take it out of the freezer to thaw, about an hour before painting time.

Tube watercolors may be kept in a covered palette.  Before painting, give the colors you intend to use a spritz of water to freshen the paint.

What more do we need?

Good light and ventilation are a must for painting all mediums. Where is a good place to paint? What furniture do we need? Get tips on setting up your home art studio.

painting techniques

Begin painting with the techniques to fuel your confidence as an artist. These techniques are the foundation that enables you to express your creativity.

In this section, we will explore essential techniques of oil and watercolor painting, with a short demo of each.

Acrylic and alkyd artists use the same techniques as oil painting.

Do we have to draw?

Drawing is a part of painting. Our paintings turn out best, if we have a good idea of what and why we are doing the painting. That includes drawing.

how to do oil painting

Oil painting offers a unique richness and depth that can transform your artwork. If you're eager to begin painting with oil, understanding the essential rules and techniques can make all the difference.

This section will guide you through the crucial steps to create beautiful oil paintings, so you get the most out of this classic medium. Explore Oil Painting Supplies

two rules for oil painting

Oils are painted THIN to THICK and DARK to LIGHT.

1. Thinly underpaint the dark colors.
2. Paint the medium values with medium thickness.
3. Highlights and details are painted last with thick, light paint.

These rules are also used for alkyd and acrylic paintings.

oil painting demo

Phthalo Blue and white were used in this demo. You could also use a dark brown, black or Prussian Blue. The painting was done on a small 8x10" stretched canvas with a small bristle brush. Either a flat or bright brush is ideal for painting the edges of the mountains.

A good way to paint a landscape is to start at the top of the canvas and paint down toward the bottom. This enables the closer items to overlap those behind them, thus creating the illusion of distance in the painting.

Other paintings may be done in a different order. More tips on how to paint a painting.

sketch the large shapes

Outline the large shapes with thin paint.

Thin the paint with solvent.

While you're outlining, it's easy to make a change by wiping off the thin paint.

1. thinly paint the darks

Paint the mountains from the back to the front with THIN, DARK paint, each one is darker.

They are darker at the top and lighter at the base to simulate mistiness.

2. paint medium values

Lay in the sky, darker at the top and lighter toward the horizon.

Paint the reflections in the water. The dark reflections are slightly lighter and the light reflections are a little darker.

3. highlights and details

Finish painting the sky and make any other final adjustments you desire.

Load your brush with THICK, LIGHT color for the water highlights. Stroke the highlights on horizontally.

do you want to start oil painting?

A dog oil painting tutorial

Practice the same oil painting rules you just learned with this fun dog tutorial:

• Paint dark to light.
• Paint thin to thick.

The painting uses a simple color scheme with only three colors and white.

Black, grey and brown are not included in the three colors.

You get to use the easy method of mixing black, brown and grey from the original colors.

begin painting more oils

Paint with the rules of oil painting.

This exciting tutorial is for intermediate artists. It uses the rules of classic oil painting.

Paint dark to light. Paint thin to thick.

First you underpaint by blocking in the dark colors of the horse. Then block in the background water and paint the sky.

Then painting thicker and lighter, complete the beach and the ocean waves.

After the sky is dry, highlight and detail the horse.

how to watercolor

Begin painting watercolor, it's an exciting journey that allows you to explore the delicate interplay of light and color. To paint watercolor, we use opposite techniques from oil painting.

In this section, we’ll cover the step-by-step process that will help you create stunning watercolors with ease.

the essentials of watercolor

Paint watercolor from LIGHT to DARK.

Do a light pencil sketch, then begin painting.

1. Start with light washes of color.
2. Glaze the washes darker where applicable and paint the dark colors.
3. Detail and finish; scratching out highlights, darken where needed, any small brushwork, etc.

watercolor demo

This example used the primary colors of yellow, red and blue. It was done using a Black Velvet watercolor brush in a small watercolor tablet that's ideal for practice. Watercolor Supplies

do a light pencil sketch

In a landscape painting, it is not necessary to draw every little detail.

Go for the big shapes. Good composition places the waterline above or below the center.

Sketch the outline of the two big rock formations. The fore-ground rocks are painted in later.

1. start with light washes

Wet the entire paper except for the big rock.

A. Turn the paper upside-down. Start painting at the horizon line with yellow, red, then blue.

B. Turn the paper upright and paint yellow, red and blue down to the bottom edge. The wet paper blends colors as you paint.

2. paint the darks

Mix a dark rock color with a combination of red, blue and yellow.

The three primary colors always mix to make neutral colors that harmonize with the rest of the painting.

3. detail and finish

Glaze dark colors on the rocks and in the water. More about glazing watercolor.

Mistakes can be corrected. I pulled some yellow off the distant water with a damp brush and then added a bit of blue.

paint an easy watercolor

Paint this step-by-step watercolor.

Many people begin painting with watercolor.

You can paint this watercolor Angelfish.

You are provided with the reference photos, how to get ready to paint with tips for doing any watercolor painting.

Using just a few colors creates a harmonious piece of artwork.

What do we do if the watercolor paper is wavy after we paint on it?

There's an easy way to solve the problem of wavy paper.

more about how to watercolor

Refine your watercolor techniques.

Learn more about painting watercolor with this captivating tutorial.

Review the basics of how to use watercolor, what supplies and colors are recommended for watercolor painting.

Draw and paint this feisty Rufous Hummingbird who doesn't mind at all sitting on such a thorny branch.

Start painting with the light colors. Then when they are dry, glaze on the darker colors and shadows.

This painting uses only three colors, yellow, orange and blue.

Green is not included so you get to practice a bit of mixing colors.

finding your unique style

Experimenting with different painting styles is part of finding our personal artistic voice. From realism to abstract, and impressionism understanding the styles can enrich our artwork.

Realism depicts subjects as they are in real life. It takes sharp observation, technical skills a lot of time and patience. It's a challenge, but it can be very rewarding.

Abstract art works with shapes, colors, and forms, that may or may not represent real-life subjects. It conveys emotions and ideas rather than discernible objects.

Impressionism emphasizes light and color, instead of detailed realism. The impressionist often uses bold brushwork to create vibrant and dynamic paintings.

Don't hesitate to experiment.

Realistic painting requires patience.

Trying different styles expands our horizons and we can discover new ways to express ourselves. Experimenting is part of growing as an artist.

Our artwork may not be a specific style, but it will be uniquely ours.

let your creativity flow

We know where to look for painting ideas, the basics of good paintings, essential materials and the rules and techniques to begin painting oils and watercolor.

Don’t hesitate to experiment, express yourself and find your style. That's the joy of painting.

As you continue to develop your skills, explore additional pages on Art by Carol May to deepen your understanding and passion for painting art.