Questions about painting (part one)
For beginners
Nobody started in painting as a master. Everybody has started from zero at the beginning, and with talent, studying and practice have reached a personal standard. The purpose of this article is to answer some very common questions
1. Do I need to draw well before I paint In the times of great art, drawing took apprentice painters two to three years before they took to paints. Even the mixing of colours took enough time before they started with brushes. Working with colour will not be a handicap if you haven’t mastered techniques yet. Without drawing you may still have the option of modern art, where drawing is not vital. What is important is to create art
2. What Kind of Paint are there?
You may use paints such as oils, acrylic, watercolour, and pastel. They all have their own personal qualities and none is better or significantly easier to master than the other. Which one is right for you depends to a large extent on how long you are prepared to wait for the colours to dry, or if you allergic to solvents
You may start with acrylics since they dry faster and are cleaned up with water. You may use them on canvas paper, or board, and mistakes may easily be hidden
3. What Brand of Paint Should I Buy?
It depends on how much you are prepared to pay. As a beginner you don’t need to practice with the best quality. When you have reached a good level I would advise you to use the best quality because it will reward you in practice. Try various brands and finally you may decide what brand suits you best. The better of course goes with the more expensive. Some paints are good for painting knives and others are great for glazes
If you mix colour with very cheap paints, you will find the results turn out dull. This is because there is less pigment in such paints and more filler.
4. What mixing medium must I use
There are a lot if different mediums with which we may mix colours and apply them on the canvas. The most popular is linoleum, (somehow yellowish, sometimes drying fast and sometimes slowly), poppy oil,( transparent), stand oil ( like honey, good for finishes), walnut, etc.
