Learning to Paint If you have always wanted to paint but were afraid to try, now is the time!First I suggest that you purchase the book The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards.This book will teach you the right way to see and to draw what you see.After you complete the exercises in this book you will be ready to put pigment and brush to what you draw. Pallette – The purpose of the choice of pigments you use for your personal palette is to be able to mix any color under the rainbow.As you become familiar with your choices, you will begin to know the choices to mix to get the exact shade you desire.It is a good idea to practice mixing any two colors together to see what color you get. There are a multitude of palettes (arrays of paint) to choose from.I will give you one of my favorites and then as you get used to it you may change to other pigments you enjoy using.The one hard and fast rule in art is that there is no hard and fast rule.Your creativity and the way you see and feel is what you are trying to convey on your canvas.Experiment, try different brushes, different brands of paint until you find what you are most comfortable with. Solvents – The preferred solvent for oil paint is Mineral Spirits.This is highly aromatic and over years can cause problems with your sinuses.Several years ago I switched to Gamlin “Gamsol” which is a brand of mineral spirits that is odorless and works quite as well as other solvents.I keep a brush bucket near my palette to rinse off my brushes before washing them in warm soapy water with a good brush cleaner before putting them away.Remember, your brushes are your tools and should be well taken care of.A good solvent is essential to keep them clean and full of spring. Brushes – I prefer a good hog bristle brush as it can handle the viscosity of the oil paint.One of the most versatile of all brushes is the “Filbert”.It has a slightly rounded top and when turned sideways can draw a rather fine line.Other versatile brushes are the “Bright” and “Flat” which have a flat top and are especially useful for painting buildings.Other brushes to have are “Rounds” and “Riggers” for drawing fine lines.When you buy a Filbert, Flat, Bright or Round always check to see that it has spring in the bristles.In other words that it doesn’t flatten out when put on a hard surface.It needs this “spring” to pick up the paint to put it exactly where you want it.I like several brands of brushes, Silver Brush Grand Prix Series is a good value and holds up well.Winsor & Newton Artist’s brushes are also excellent.They come in sizes from 0 to 12 – sometimes higher.It is a good idea to have a range of sizes in each kind of brush.To start, you might want to purchase a 2,4,6,8,10,12 in each kind and fill in later if you need to.This is quite an investment so be sure to take good care of your brushes and clean them properly after use.You should dry them using a spiral brush holder with the brush pointed down in order to dry properly.
Please check back regularly for more art lessons. Meanwhile, get the book and complete the exercises. By the time you finish all of the proposed lessons, you will be able to paint.