do you want to know how to paint a painting?

Learning how to paint a painting opens the door to creativity with endless possibilities.

Painting allows us to translate our thoughts and emotions into a tangible piece of artwork. Regardless of our background or skill level, we all can all experience the joy of creating.

Let this introductory guide help you with the first steps to begin painting art.

Paint your favorite subjects.

how to paint a painting

Three steps to paint a picture in any medium, oil, watercolor or acrylic.

1. Block in the underpainting.

Cover the painting surface with the general color and value for each area.

2. Paint the second layer.

The second layer is painted with the texture and colors of the finished painting.

3. Detail and finish painting.

Complete the details. Paint the highlights, details and fine tune the darks.

How to paint may vary with different mediums, requiring different techniques. Every artist has their own favorite techniques. One way is not necessarily better than any other, as long as we get to a finished painting.

what do we need to paint a painting?

Start out with the basic materials: paint, palette, a few brushes and a surface to paint on. Begin with the minimum of supplies, try them out and then discover your preferences.

Paint mediums have different qualities. Acrylics are quick drying. Oils offer a rich texture with longer drying times, ideal for blending and detailed color work. Watercolors, known for their transparency, allow for intricate washes and subtle gradations.

Consider which medium aligns with your goals and interests. Each paint type has its own unique qualities, enabling you to develop a wide array of styles and techniques. Find more details on selecting a medium.

Painting is fun!

The surface we paint on depends on what medium we use. Oil and acrylic are normally painted on canvas or panels.

Watercolor most often is painted on paper made specifically for watercolor. The paper is treated to keep the colors and water from sinking into the paper.

Brushes are usually flat or round. Flat brushes work for covering more area, making straight lines and cutting in edges. Round brushes depending on the size are used for large or detail areas.

It's best to use large brushes when we're learning how to paint a painting. That way we don't get bogged down in painting detail.

A palette gives us a place to mix our colors. We may use fancy palettes.

But, to begin painting we can just use a Styrofoam plate, an old kitchen plate or a disposable paper palette. More recommendations to start painting on a budget.

how to paint a painting with oils

There are two general guidelines for using oil paint.

Paint oils dark to light.

Paint fat over lean.

The first layers you paint will be mixed with medium or a thinner like mineral spirits or turpentine. This makes the paint lean, thinner.

The top layers of the painting are painted with little or no medium or thinner, many times just straight paint. Oil paint is fat with the oil it is manufactured with.

Paint dark to light.

It is fairly easy to paint light colors over dark oil paint.

However, it is difficult to paint a dark color over a light oil color. Especially, if the color has been mixed with white.

It is not impossible, but difficult. You may let the light color set up awhile. Then softly paint the dark color on, so you don't pick up the light color from underneath.

Following the dark to light rule is easier.

paint thin, dark colors - then thick, light colors

First, paint the thin, dark colors.

The dark colors were painted and the foam cap areas were left untouched.

Then paint the thick, light colors.

The foam and wavelets were painted with thick, light color paint.

Find out more in the comprehensive guide on using oil paint.

how to paint a watercolor painting

Watercolors are painted the reverse order of oils. They are painted light to dark.

Block in the light colors first. Then glaze another layer on top of the light color or paint the darker colors around the first layer.

You may use transparent colors painted on the top of the first colors. This traditional way of painting watercolor is called glazing.

Last, paint the darkest darks of the composition, erase pencil marks and scratch out highlights, if desired.

paint watercolors light to dark

Painting a second layer to darken the color.

It took a second layer of paint the get the butterfly wing tip dark enough.

Use less water to make your colors darker and/or more vibrant.

Layering darks into the light colors.

The light flower colors were painted first.

While the colors are still damp, add darker or different colors. The colors will softly blend.

Use these guidelines when you are learning how to paint a painting. Artists can bend the rules and do their own thing after they are comfortable with painting.

how to paint a painting: basic fundamentals

The important fundamentals of painting are composition, values and color.

Composition is placing the parts of the picture into a pleasing arrangement. The easiest way to do that is with the Rule of Thirds. That places the subject one third of the way into the painting. That draws the viewer's eye into the painting. If the subject is too close to the edge of the painting, it entices the viewer's eyes to leave the painting.

Paint with just a few colors.

Color makes vivacious, lively paintings. The color wheel is the artist's best friend for learning to mix and use color. It teaches us warm and cool colors, light and dark values and how to use complimentary colors.

Start out with a few colors; we don't need many colors to paint a painting. The primary colors of red, blue, and yellow are the building blocks of the artist's palette. They are the foundation for mastering the technique of mixing colors and creating a broad spectrum of colors.

Values are how light and dark the colors are. Artists use contrasting values to separate items in the painting and make some stand out in comparison to others.

For example, the hummingbird is a darker value than the background behind him. When we look at a subject with squinted eyes, the values are much clearer. Get more tips on using values.

start painting easy subjects in a small format

When I was giving my sister a lesson on how to paint a painting with watercolor, we painted her goldfish named "Speedy and Tuna".

"Speedy and Tuna" Lots of fun!

When we are learning how to paint use just a few colors. We used Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Light and Ultramarine Blue.

This is known as a limited palette. It's easy to handle and great for mixing more colors. You can paint a "Fun Fish" with a limited palette.

techniques for painting a landscape

The logical of how to paint a landscape painting is to paint things behind or underneath first. Paint from the back of the painting to the foreground.

Look at the painting below and imagine yourself painting it in the order of the numbers.

1. Paint the background things like the sky, distant hills or water. In this painting the sky was painted first.

2. Come forward and paint the middle ground items, the distant foliage. It is closer, so it overlaps the background sky.

3. Next, the water was painted before the buildings, boat and bushes because they rise up out of the water.

Paint the background first, then paint forward.

4. Then the buildings were painted. Note how the buildings overlap the foliage of step #2.

5. The boat and its reflection are painted on and into the water.

6. Paint the foreground foliage on the sides of the painting. They overlap the water.

7. Finish the details and make any corrections. The water was highlighted.  Final highlights were put on the foreground bushes. The grasses were darkened at the base to indicate shadows.

Painting from back to front is a good way to start painting landscapes.

After we are familiar with how to paint a painting, we may approach each painting differently. For example, the sky may be the last thing to be painted. It's up to the artist and each individual painting.

techniques for painting close-up subjects

When we are learning how to paint a painting of closeup things like butterflies and people.

Paint the subject first. Then paint the background around the main subject.

The butterfly was painted first.

Then paint background around the subject.

This is my preferred method of painting a close-up subject. If the subject is painted first, then I have a better idea of how to use values and color contrast to highlight the subject.

Many artists do it the other way around. And, sometimes I do paint the background first and the subject second.

Either way is correct. It is just a matter of personal preference.

learning how to paint is a journey

There is freedom in painting.

How long did it take me to learn to paint? Actually, it has taken me a lifetime and I am still learning.

Painting is not a one-time adventure. The more we paint, the better we get and the more we enjoy the art of painting.

It's a privilege sharing my painting experiences with you.

As you explore the different techniques and subjects, focus on the joy of creating while you are learning how to paint a painting.

Allow each painting to teach you something new, and celebrate the privilege of expressing your vision.

You can paint anything from flowers to butterflies, giraffes and ocean by practicing the step-by-step tutorials.

Enjoy your art journey!