How to Get into Painting Art: Realizing Your Dreams

Are you wondering how to get into painting but not sure where to begin?

You don’t need to be born talented or buy a studio full of supplies. Painting is for anyone who wants to create something beautiful with a few simple tools and a little guidance.

This page is Step 1 in your painting adventure. Here you’ll choose a medium, find budget‑friendly supplies, and what to paint, so you can start with confidence.

You can learn how to paint!

You can learn how to paint!

How to Get into Painting

This is your introduction to the essential tools, the best paint, what to paint, how to avoid a common beginner mistake and a couple of tutorials to start painting.

Anyone can start painting regardless of your age or experience.

#1 Choose Your Medium: What's the Best Paint?

Here in the United States the three popular art paints are oil paint, watercolor and acrylic. Each medium has its own characteristics and requires a slightly different approach.

When you have a good teacher, you can learn to paint with any medium.

One type of paint is not better than the others. It just a matter of personal preference.

Oil Paint is Easy to Use

The classic paintings of the old masters were oil. When oil paintings are well cared for, they can last for centuries.

Oils may be painted smooth or textured.

Oils are quite easy to use. 

Myself and my family learned how to get into painting using oil paint. 

Oils are slow drying.

They may be reworked until they are dry. If you don't like something, you can scrape it off and repaint it. You may also, paint over a dried oil painting months later.

What supplies do you need?

You may start oil painting with a couple of brushes, Gamsol odorless mineral spirits and a canvas.

Stretched canvas is best for oil painting, but canvas boards are good for learning. Oil paintings are easy to frame and long lasting.

Budget supplies are listed below.

Alkyd: The Modern 'Oil Paint'

The color pigments in alkyds are mixed with an alkyd resin, instead of oil. That speeds up the drying time to overnight of within 24 hours.

I enjoy painting details with alkyds.

During the 1980s my mother and I were attending a workshop where the instructor introduced us to alkyds.

We tried it so our paintings would be dry for the trip home. I have been using it ever since.

There is plenty of time for blending. But they dry fast enough to paint layers in a short amount of time.

I find their fast dry time makes it easier to paint the finer details.

All the 'oil paintings' on this website are actually alkyd paint. Finished alkyd paintings look exactly like an oil painting.

Alkyd uses the same brushes, solvents, supports and painting techniques as oil.

Look here for oil or alkyd painting supplies.

Watercolor Is Another Easy Paint

It's a light, delicate medium that's great for capturing the subtleties of light and color. As the name implies, it thins and cleans up with water.

Watercolor butterfly art

Watercolors are somewhat unpredictable in the way they move and blend with other colors.

The key is learning is how much water to use. That's the joy of watercolor.

Watercolor paint comes in two forms.

We may get moist watercolor paint in tubes.

Or it comes in dried cubes, called pans. They are portable and favored for painting on location.

We have a choice of 3 supports.

Watercolor paintings are traditionally painted on paper. Watercolors on paper require a mat and they are framed under glass for protection.

Today watercolors can be painted on Aquabord or watercolor canvas. The paint is easier to remove from Aquabord or watercolor canvas.

Dry watercolor paintings on Aquabord or canvas can be sprayed with a fixative. Then the painting is framed without a mat or glass.

You can get into watercolor with paint, water, paper and one or two bushes.

Look for watercolor art supplies here.

Acrylics Are Versatile

Acrylic provides the ability to paint in thin washes like watercolor or thick like oil paint. It thins and cleans-up with water. 

Acrylics are widely available, and considered a good way for beginners to get into painting. It dries very fast and that makes it hard to blend the colors. 

They normally are painted on canvas, but they may be painted on various surfaces like rocks or wood. I painted fruit and flowers on my kitchen cabinet doors and then varnished over the finished paintings for protection.

The colors are bright and durable. They dry to a flat finish, so the finished paintings are often varnished. Acrylic paintings are simple to frame.

Regardless of the medium you choose, learning how to paint requires practice and patience. Let your art be guided by your love of the process and not just the end result.

You may want to explore other painting mediums.

#2 Get Budget-friendly Supplies

Can we begin painting on a budget? How can we get into painting without spending a bundle?

We can spend a lot of money at the art store, but what do we really need?

Basically we need: paint, brushes, a palette, something to paint on and a few clean-up materials.

Begin painting with just a few items.

What Colors Should We Get? 

Learn to paint with the 3 primary colors.

• Cadmium Light Yellow
• Cadmium Red 
• Ultramarine Blue 

Other colors are easy to mix from these colors. Get comfortable mixing and using the primary colors before buying other colors.

Later you may add other colors for an extended palette.

Should We Use Student Paint?

When we're getting into painting "student paint" is enticing because it costs less.

What's the best paint to buy?

Is student paint a better buy?

All paints are made with color pigments mixed with other ingredients.

We have to use more student paint to get the same vibrant colors of artist paints.

Why? Because student paint contains less color pigment and more other ingredients.

For me, one of the great joys of painting is color, so I always enjoy using artists paints.

If you do opt for student paints, Winsor Newton paint is excellent.

Their student oils are labeled "Winton", and student watercolor is "Cotman".

Winsor Newton student paints contain more color pigments than many other student paints, so they produce good colors.

What Do We Paint On?

The surface we paint on is called a "support".

Most watercolor artists start on 140 lb. watercolor paper.

Later you may try aquaboard or canvas made especially for watercolor. Originally, I painted watercolor on paper, then I switched. Why did I change to 'Aquabord'.

Oil and acrylic are traditionally painted on canvas.

• Stretched cotton canvas is convenient and ready to paint on.
• Canvas boards are less expensive and great for practice and learning. (They may warp over time.) You may also use a tablet of canvas paper.
• Hardboard panels have a smooth surface that’s wonderful for detail and special pieces you plan to keep or gift.

As you paint more, you’ll find the materials you like the most and what suits the type of artwork you like to create.

Checklist: How to Get into Painting on a Budget

Keep this list of items in stock, so you'll be ready to paint at any time.

The most expensive products are not always necessary. The best approach is to stick to the basics and then slowly build your collection as you progress.

Once you have the basics supplies, you’re ready to look at:

Learn How to Paint – Beginner’s Guide. Here in Step 2, I’ll show you how to use these simple supplies with easy fundamentals, quick‑start exercises, and step‑by‑step tutorials so you can complete your first paintings.

#3 Painting Ideas: What Should We Paint?

Now comes the fun part of getting into painting - deciding what to paint!

The best place to begin painting is the things around us.

We do the best job of painting things we know. Paintings are personal; they are like a part of ourselves.

Paint things familiar to you.

When I was giving my sister a painting lesson, we painted her two goldfish named "Speedy and Tuna".

We used a simple palette of red, yellow and blue.

First, we painted the fish. Then we painted the background around the fish.

We sprinkled salt into the wet background paint to add texture.

Painting is lots of fun and the joy we find in painting will inevitably reflect in our artwork.

What Makes It Easier to Learn Painting?

Start painting simple subjects in a small format.

Start with small paintings.

A piece of fruit, a cup of coffee or a simple landscape scene would make a good start.

Small paintings, like a 5x8, 6x6, or sometimes an 8x10 inch can be done in an hour or two.

Finishing a painting in one session is encouraging. It makes you want to do another one.

As you progress and build confidence, then start painting larger and more complex subjects.

You may want to explore more painting ideas for beginners.

Do We Begin Painting from Life or Photos?

When we actually see the subject, we can do a better job of painting it.

Many artists enjoy painting from life. You may not have goldfish to paint and the birds and bees don't stay still long enough for us to paint them. So, what do we do?

We can also paint from photos.

Paint from your own photos or copyright free images. Look for public domain images or creative commons images have no copyrights attached. Pixabay.com is a good place to find public domain and CCO images.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Keep a tablet to jot down ideas and sketch things to paint. 

#4 Explore the Fundamentals

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 the fundamentals and you'll be well on the road to successful artwork.

This is a brief introduction to values, color and composition so you can start noticing them. For step-by-step exercises and practice, follow the Beginner’s Guide in Learn How to Paint.

What Is a Common Beginner Mistake?

Values - the lightness or darkness of colors - are a key to painting good art.

Values make impactful artwork.

A very common beginner mistake is simply ignoring values.

When all the colors in a painting are close to the same value, the picture looks flat and dull, no matter how pretty the colors are.

When you use a range of light, medium, and dark values, your paintings become more interesting and impactful.

Values are used to suggest depth and distance, make objects look three-dimensional, and place one object in front of another.

As you learning to paint, begin training your eye to notice light and dark values, not just colors. Learn how to see and use values in your paintings.

How Do We Mix and Use Colors?

Have you ever marveled at the vibrancy and harmony of colors in a beautiful painting? Using color is one of the real joys of painting.

Color is fun!

Color is a vital concept for every artist.

A simple color wheel can be very helpful when we first begin painting.

It helps us identify colors, select pleasing color combinations, and choose colors for mixing.

Color is a powerful tool in the hands of an artist. It can become one of your most precious tools.

Learn the ins-and-outs of How to Mix Colors.

How Do We Make Good Paintings?

Composition provides the framework of our artwork and creates pleasing paintings.   

Composition is easy.

It's how the elements are arranged in the painting.

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

The composition draws the viewers in and guides them throughout the painting.

The rule of thirds makes composition easy for the beginner.

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

The painting surface is divided into nine equal portions. The main subject is placed on the lines or intersections.

This automatically creates balance and interest in our artwork. Get more information on how to use the Rule of Thirds for good composition.

Do I Need to Know How to Draw?

Some people are naturals at drawing. Others like me, learn drawing as they paint. 

You do NOT have to be “good at drawing” to get into painting. Just start painting. Painting familiarizes you with the shape and proportion of things and that improves your drawing skills over time.

The beginning tutorials provide an easy way to get into painting without fine drawing skills.

In some tutorials you can trace the outline from the finished painting like in this dog painting tutorial.

In others, like the butterfly tutorial, I guide you step by step through a very simple drawing.

So don’t let drawing hold you back. Start painting, and let your drawing skills develop along the way.

For another tip on learning to paint even if you can’t draw, see the Can I learn to paint if I can’t draw? section in my Beginner's Guide

Where Do I Start First?

It's not necessary to learn all the fundamentals of art, like values, how to mix colors or creating a composition before you begin painting.

Get you materials and start painting - get the feel of your paint and brushes.

You'll pick up the basic fundamentals along the way while you are painting.

The painting tutorials all have the composition, colors, and values figured out, so you all you have to is start painting.

If you want more about fundamentals, How to Paint Good Art has simple exercises to practice, composition, color and values.

#5 Do Your First Painting

The best way to get into painting is by actually painting.

The tutorials are your tools to begin painting and learn at the same time.

Each tutorial contains the step-by-step details of how to do the painting.

Choose the tutorials that interest you and start painting. That way you can paint and learn at the same time.

Do You Want to Start Oil Painting?

Oil painting is easy. Painting with any medium is easy with a good teacher.

A "Fun Fish" oil painting tutorial

Most of my paintings are done with a limited palette.

A limited palette consists of only one 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 first, around the fish; then we paint the fish.

Thinned paint colors are blown through a straw onto the background to simulate seaweed. That makes this a "fun" painting.

You Can Begin Painting Watercolor

Many people get into painting with watercolor.

Paint a watercolor hummingbird.

Start painting watercolor with this hummingbird tutorial.

Get important tips on:

• The #1 rule of painting watercolor.
• Painting wet into wet.
• Painting wet into dry areas.
• How to gradate the colors.
• A tip on correcting mistakes.

Then you can use the same steps and tips to do a watercolor painting of any subject.

Check out the full Guide to the Painting Tutorials for more beginner's lessons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here's some questions you may have been wondering about.

What is The Best Place to Paint?

What's a good place for painting art?

If we have a place to leave our painting stuff out ready to go, we are more likely to paint.

How do we store our supplies?

I started out storing my paint and brushes in a fishing tackle box. Different things work for different people.

What about lighting and ventilation in your painting area?

What is the best type of light bulbs for painting art?

Get the answers with more ideas for your Home Art Studio.

Painting Is a Joy!

The joys of painting

It's fun learning something new. And who doesn't like a challenge?

Get involved, that's how to get into painting.

When I was learning to paint, my full concentration would be on painting.

One time, everything else slipped my mind, like cooking dinner. Late in the afternoon my husband asked, "Are we having dinner tonight?"

Oh my, I was so engrossed in painting that I completely forgot about dinner and my hungry husband.

So, the painting had to stop and get finished after dinner and dishes.

How did I start painting? - About Artist Carol May.

Review How to Get into Painting

You’ve taken the first steps to start painting. You are equipped with essential tips on selecting the right supplies, what to paint, the fundamentals, and how to stay inspired.

• You have found your medium, got your budget supplies from the checklist, thought about what to paint, and explored the fundamentals. 
• You may or may not have start painting the tutorials. Either way is fine.
• Go to Step 2 - Learn How to Paint for more info and practice exercises to start painting.

The real joy of painting is in expressing ourselves and enjoying the process!

Explore More About Painting