Paint brushes - synthetic or natural hair brushes with a range of thin to thick bristles. Some artists suggest using natural hair brushes for better effects but for beginners artificial hair brushes are economical and can be used. How thin the brush must be depends on how detailed the painting would be. In case of portraits or landscapes with human figures, detailed shadows,clouds,water etc. thin brushes are excellent. In case of colour mixing as in modern arts thicker brushes are preferred.
Colours - The paints being used can vary from water colour, oil paints, pastels to acrylic. It is recommended that beginners use water colours to begin learning. Then proceed to oil or acrylic. However shading and mixing is a lot easier in case of oil paints as compared to water colours. But requires more time and techniques. The ease in blending of colours is dependent on the quality of colours being used. They need not be expensive but not the cheapest either. Find a balance to suit.
Palette - The colours to be added to the palette depend upon the picture being made and the basic colours required for it should be added first. The different shades required can be mixed thereafter.
Water or Oil - Depending on the colours you use, choose water for water, pastel and acrylic colours whereas oil for oil paints.
Basic Steps to Follow :
- Do not begin with complicated or extremely detailed paintings. One may either copy a painting or picture or paint their own imagination. Begin with the former and then proceed to the latter.The size of support should not be huge either. Begin with a medium or small sized support. The support can be paper or canvas.
- An easy way would be drawing outlines of the picture being made with the help of a pencil (preferred grades - 2B, 4B or 6B. Avoid HB and charcoal pencils) and then filling in the colours OR begin painting directly with an estimate of what lies where.
- A brush is not held the way we hold a pencil or a pen. It's held at a distance above the ferrule. Move it in a single direction and not random directions to give a neat appearance. While dipping the brush in water or oil keep it minimal for thick colouring and yet not more than a quarter of a drop for easy spreading of paint.
- Begin painting and if it does not turn out to be what you had planned when it's finished then don't sulk. Try again!
A good painting practice as told by most teachers is "Always work from top to bottom of the page and hold the brush straight up."
