you want to learn how to paint?

Are you eager to learn how to paint 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.

This guide will provide you with the essential tools and inspiration you need from selecting the right beginner's supplies to the fundamentals of color and composition.

Enter the world of painting art!

you can learn how to paint!

It's exciting to complete a painting, but where do we start?

#1 what do we paint?

Finding ideas and inspiration is a fun 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.

Paint the treasures from the seashore or your backyard.

Paint something from your yard.

We may find interesting things to paint in the backyard or on vacation.

The wonders of nature hold endless paintings.

Just one visit to the mountains or the seashore could hold a basket-full of ideas.

Look at things with an artist's eye.

Check out the shape of things and imagine you are drawing their outline.

Notice how the colors look different in light and shadow, how they look up close and how they change farther away.

How to create distance in our paintings.

Look at other's artwork. Go to art shows or look at artwork on-line. See what subjects they painted, the techniques, the colors, and the brush strokes they used.

You'll get lots of ideas. Could you use some of them in your work?

Start a file of ideas.

Keep your eyes open and jot down observations and painting 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.

#2 essential Supplies 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?

Oil paintings may be done on art panels.

Butterfly Fish on Gessobord

What Paint Should We Use?

You may actually try different types of paint to decide which one you prefer.

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

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.

Student quality paints are less expensive and certainly good to begin painting.

Artist paints (professional paints) are actually a better buy. They cost more than student paints because they contain more pigment. So, they cover better and produce more vibrant colors.

What Surface Should We Paint On?

Learn how to paint watercolors on watercolor paper. Later you may try aquaboard or canvas made for watercolor.

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

Linen canvas is more expensive, but it has a fine texture that is perfect for portrait paintings.

Stretched canvas is a good option. 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.

Hardboard panels are another option that has a smooth surface that's good for detail work.

What Are the Recommended Brushes?

Begin with a couple of brushes to get the feel of the brushes and paint. We use different brushes for the three main types of paint.

You can begin with a couple of brushes and add more later. Get the brushes specifically labeled for the medium of your choice.

Watercolor brushes; #7 round and a 1" flat, "labeled for watercolor"

Oil brushes; #8 and #12 flat bristle brushes, hog hair is good. You may also use synthetic oil brushes.

Acrylic brushes; "synthetic" #6 round and a 3/4" flat, natural fiber brushes retain water. Synthetics are best for acrylics.

How Do We Clean the Brushes?

Acrylic and watercolor brushes 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 flat, horizontally to dry.

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

What Can We Use for a Palette?

Artists mix our colors on a palette. There's no need to purchase a palette to begin painting.

Watercolor can be mixed on an old kitchen plate that will wash after painting.

Oil and acrylic artists may use plastic or Styrofoam plates that can be trashed after the painting is complete.

How Do We Store Leftover Paint?

Art 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 to Know?

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.

#3 the fundamentals of art

Paintings are built upon the basic fundamentals of color, composition and values.

These basics serve as the building blocks of your artistic expression. Get a good grasp of them and you'll be well on the road to successful artwork.

While we are learning how to paint, it's a good idea to learn the common art terms artists use when they are talking about their artwork. You can find them in the glossary of art terms.

color: a vital concept for every artist

Have you ever marveled at the vibrancy and harmony of the colors in a beautiful painting?

Color is fun!

A color wheel can be handy when we first begin painting. It can help in identifying colors and selecting pleasing color combinations.

The wise artist uses color temperature in their paintings.

Warm bright colors like red, yellow make objects appear closer. Cool colors like blue, green and purple make objects recede.

Color is a powerful tool in the hands of an artist. Once you understand colors, they will become our precious tool.

An important aspect of color is the emotional effect of colors.

good Composition creates good paintings

Composition is easy.

Composition provides the framework of our artwork. It's how the elements are arranged in the painting.

A well-composed painting is balanced, and each element harmonizes with the rest.

A good composition draws the viewers in and guides them throughout the painting.

The rule of thirds makes composition easy. It's a no-brainer when we are learning how to get into painting.

It always creates a good composition, so we can concentrate fully on the process of painting.

Divide the painting surface into nine equal portions.

Place the main elements of the painting along these lines or their intersections.

This automatically creates energy and interest in our paintings.

More ways to use the rule of thirds.

values in painting art

Values are one of the most important keys to painting good art.

Light and dark values create good paintings.

Values make impactful artwork.

Light and dark values are the backbone of our paintings.

Artists can use values to direct the viewers focus, add depth, and increase visual interest.

A painting without sufficient variation in values will look flat and dull.

Artists use different values to make objects look three-dimensional.

Learn to see and use values in your paintings.

There are many other principles of painting. But color, composition and values are the important foundations of successful artwork.

Learn and practice painting with the rules. Later you can bend the rules and find your own style.

#4 learn how to paint

Paint the tutorials and learn at the same time.

Whether you're drawn to the fluidity of watercolor or the rich textures of oil paint, we learn by doing!

Do you want to start oil painting?

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

Learn how to use oils with this fun tutorial.

Paint a "Fun Fish" with oils.

My first paintings were oils and it wasn't hard. Painting is easy with a good teacher.

Most of my paintings are done with a limited palette.

They are painted with only two to five colors. Any additional colors are mixed.

This oil painting tutorial of a "Fun Fish" is done with a limited palette of yellow, red and blue.

The bluish background is painted around the fish. We paint the fish.

Then as a touch, thinned paint colors are blown through a soda straw onto the blue background to simulate seaweed. That's what makes this fish painting "fun".

If you want to learn more about oil painting, How to Oil Paint provides detailed answers to frequent questions about using oils. There is a short demo of painting with the two rules of oil painting.

Incidentally the oil painting techniques can also be used for acrylic.

learn how to paint watercolor

Many people learn how to paint with watercolor.

Watercolor tutorial for beginners

Watercolor is an exciting journey that allows you to explore the delicate interplay of light and color.

You can begin watercolor by painting a Rufous hummingbird visiting a yellow flower.

First there is a discussion about the basics of watercolor. Then, following are the easy steps to begin painting watercolor.

In this beginners' tutorial you will learn what colors to use, the suggested brushes, what you can paint watercolor on, how to keep your colors clean and more.

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

How to Paint Watercolor has a short demonstration on the basics of using watercolor.

#5 how to stay inspired

Share your paintings with others.

It's encouraging to get feedback from friends, family and other artists by sharing.

Join your local art association. Paint with other artists. Go to painting classes, art shows and visit art museums.

Seeing other's artwork and sharing your art will encourage you. It will stimulate you with new ideas. Plus, it's just plain fun to share.

Painting is fun but sometimes you may run into painting block? We all do from time to time. How do we overcome an artist block?

paint Often!

We stay inspired and learn how to paint by painting often.

Practice painting often.

The more we paint, the faster we learn.

It's a good idea to start with small paintings. Large paintings can take a long time to complete.

There's a special joy that comes with completing a painting. It gives us a sense of accomplishment. Plus, then we have something to share with our friends and family.

Include painting in your schedule. No matter whether you paint daily, weekly or monthly - paint regularly.

Many professional artists paint daily.

Painting on a regular basis will put your learning into overdrive!

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 realistic details. The impressionist often uses bold brushwork to create vibrant and dynamic paintings.

Trying different styles expands our horizons and we can discover new ways to express ourselves.

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

Don't hesitate to experiment.

Realism requires patience.

You can paint!

As you explore the different techniques and subjects, focus on the joy of creating and allow each painting to teach you something new.

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

The tutorials are your tools to practice and learn at the same time. Paint some of the popular painting tutorials. Each step contains photos with the details of how to paint each step.

Choose the tutorials that pique your interest and start painting.