#1 pick a time and a place

• Have a special place to paint.

If it's possible, have an area where you can leave your paintings things out. You will be more likely to paint.

• Set aside time to paint.
  

Painters progress rapidly when they paint regularly. Dedicated artists have painted daily for generations.

After you learn how to start a painting, practice.

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paint often

You may have photos you took on your vacation, a photo of your pets or flowers, etc.

• Caution - Photos from a postcard, calendar or a magazine are under copyright laws.

Do not copy them directly without giving credit to the photographer.

Artist's paintings are also copyrighted.

what paint will you use?

Choose your painting media (watercolor, oils or acrylics) and the brushes suitable for the media.

Student paints are less expensive, but professional artist paints contain more pigment.

Artist paints cover better and provide more color than student paints.

watercolor

oil paints

what will you paint on?

Choose a painting support suitable for your media - paper, canvas or panels.

what size will your painting be?

Small things like hummingbirds or butterflies normally go into small sizes.

Landscapes and seascapes are normally painted larger.

wC paper

canvas

• Do some sketches the size of a postcard.

Lay out the composition by sketching the large portions of the painting. Pay close attention to the values. Contrasting values create stunning paintings.

• Draw detailed subject to scale.
  

When you are satisfied with your composition transfer the drawing to your painting surface.

drawings for watercolors

Do your drawing on a separate piece of paper.

Transfer the drawing to your selected painting surface with ad - graphite paper.

Alternately, if you are good at drawing, you may lightly sketch the drawing on the watercolor painting surface.

Use a graphite pencil and do it without erasures, so you don't damage the painting surface.

drawings for oil paintings

If there is a lot of detail, do your drawing on paper first and then transfer to the canvas.

Otherwise, do an outline sketch with thinned yellow paint directly on the canvas. Pale yellow lines are easy to paint over. They will not show in the final painting.

If you don't like a line, rub it out with a rag or a paper towel and paint it again.

• Three to five colors will give you a harmonious painting.
  

It's good when you learning how to start a painting to not use all your colors.

A painting with too many colors is disconcerting. The viewer's eye doesn't know where to go.

Select a color scheme to give cohesiveness and punch to your paintings.

Mix additional colors from your selected colors.

how to paint a painting

• The logic of how to paint

• Guidelines for painting with oils

• How to approach painting with watercolor