you can learn painting

painting is fun!

Learn painting and paint beautiful creations.
Successful paintings in oils, watercolor and acrylics all use the same basic principles.

Learn Painting basic techniques of art with tutorials by the painting artist Carol May

If you teach yourself painting, it is like walking across the United States. If you learn painting with a good teacher, it is like flying across the United States.

Let me share what I have learned.....

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what helped me learn painting?

paint regularly

If someone is learning to play the piano, they practice daily. Many professional artists paint every day.

Paint regularly, no matter whether you paint daily, weekly or monthly - paint regularly.

When you paint on a regular basis, you put your artistic learning into overdrive!

a must have book!

share your paintings

Share with your family and art-oriented people.

Join a local art association. Paint with other artists. Go to classes. Go to art shows. Get feedback.

Sharing and seeing other artwork will encourage you and stimulate you with new ideas.

join your local art association

paint familiar things

The best place the start painting is to paint the things you see around you. You do the best job of painting subjects you understand.

My parents had a wholesale tropical fish business with numerous outdoor fish ponds. When we fed the fish, they would all swarm around the food. So "Koi Feeding" was a natural for me.

Koi Feeding by the painting artist Carol May

Paint what is familiar.

the basics of successful paintings

Freedom, a prophetic painting of a horse by Carol May

Use the basics to create beautiful paintings.

composition

Good composition draws the viewer into the painting.

Composition comes naturally to some people, but it can also be learned.

It's easy to make your paintings draw the viewer in.

Easy Composition

focal point

Focal points attract the viewers into your paintings.

What is the main subject of your painting?

The main subject will be the focal point of your painting.

Focal Point

values

Learn to see and use values in your paintings.

Values are the backbone of good paintings.

Color is fun, but paintings fall flat without the use of contrasting values.

Values

color is the icing on the cake

You are probably anxious to start with color.

Color is probably one of the reasons I'm an artist because I absolutely love color.

Understanding of the color wheel makes it easy to use color.

Color Wheel

what colors should you buy?

Single pigment colors mix beautiful additional colors.

The paint colors on my palette (both watercolor and oil paints) are based on the color wheel.

What are my favorite paint colors?

Choosing Colors

mix paint colors

Color is what makes a painting sing.

We don't have to buy all the beautiful colors from the paint store. We can mix any color from a basic palette.

Save money when you know how to mix paint colors.

Mix Paint Colors

select the colors for your individual paintings

Plan out your colors before you start painting.

A color scheme with a limited number of colors makes a harmonious painting.

The color schemes used in my paintings.

Color Schemes

paint often to speed your learning

While you learn painting, you are going to want to do some of the how-to-paintings.

I snap pictures when I am doing a painting and carefully document all the steps.

The why and how of each step is fully explained. Follow the steps and practice to learn painting.

Use the methods with your own subjects and create your individual paintings.

most importantly - have fun learning to paint!

Home
Learn Painting

concrete tools for learning how to paint

Gorgeous Butterfly Paintings

It’s such a joy doing butterfly paintings. When I see these gorgeous creatures in my flower garden I snap photos for more paintings.
Painting Daily by Carol May

Can painting daily really make you a better artist? You don’t have to paint perfect. Just paint more often. Regular painting will put your art into overdrive!
Color Wheel - The Artists' Best Friend

The color wheel is the artists’ best friend and favorite tool. Use primary, secondary, tertiary, warm, cool and complimentary colors for successful paintings.
Using Values in Our Paintings

It’s fun painting color, but values are the backbone of successful paintings. Use the light and darkness of colors to create strong, attractive paintings.
Artist How to Painting

5 easy steps to confidently start your art paintings. Get ready for the how to painting lessons and to paint your own beautiful creations.