The New Year is approaching and you have decided that this coming year you will learn how to paint.
Which is exactly how I got started 5 years ago.
But where do you start? Maybe your someone who has never picked up a paint brush and has zero ounce of creativity ( see my other post How to Expand Your Creativity for help in that area)
If so, you may feel like learning to paint just isn't for you. Which is exactly what I went through my mind when I was writing out my new years resolution 5 years ago. But here I am, sitting inside my art studio, surrounded by my artwork, writing to let YOU know this is possible.
Below I have created a resource list with everything you need to start learning how to paint today.
Choose your Medium
Before you began your journey you need to decide what medium you want to paint in. Oil, acrylic, or watercolor.
Oil ( my favorite) - has a slower drying time, making it easy to bend, and allows you to take your time. Oil paint can be sort of tricky when you are first starting out. So I recommend reading my blog post Oil Painting Tips for Beginners if you choose to go this route.
Acrylic - This medium has a much faster drying time then oil. It is also a great choose for beginners.
Watercolor - For some, watercolor is extremely easy, others it takes a bit to get the hang of but once you do it can be super fun! Its also the the most budget friendly.
Once you decided on a medium its time to get your supplies.
Materials
easel ( OPTIONAL)
Primary Paint Colors or a beginner paint set.
You don't have to get every shade of blue before you began to paint. Just get the basics, red, blue, yellow, white and black. You can then mix those colors together to create purple, yellow, orange, and other beautiful shades. Learning how to mix paint is a huge step in learning how to paint.
Now that you got your supplies your ready to start learning!
I was in High school at the time and had lucked up and was able to to get my schedule changed to take some painting classes where I had the absolute best teacher any one could ever as for. BUT, if you don't have to be in school to learn how to paint. There are plenty of opportunities to learn to paint and expand your skills TODAY.
Ways To learn: YouTube:
There are so many talented artist on YouTube who have created fun easy to follow along videos teaching you how to paint.
Some of my favorite are:
Skill Share:
Skill share is place for creatives to learn and connect with others. The instructors go into great detail and typically have fun assignments for you to complete.
Pinterest:
Pinterest is great for finding inspiration and easy to follow step by step graphics showing you how to paint different subjects.
Additional Advice:
Don't compare your work to others. Every artist is different.
Take your time and have fun with it. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to art.
Remember, if you feel you made a mistake you can always paint over it so don't stress.
It takes time.
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