Last Updated on July 22, 2023 by Kimberly Crawford
This new era of self-isolation and social distancing can create mental stress. Staying locked down for too many weeks is undoubtedly frustrating. Every time you log into social media or tune in TV channels, COVID-19 news is everywhere to put you in further depression.
Sleeping long hours and scrolling Facebook all night is not helping in the long run. You are finding desolation in the air. When will we get out of these pandemic days? Well, no good news of vaccines for the next couple of months. So, You have to endure some more lockdown days.
Some of us are scratching heads and trying to find something practical. How can we utilize these pandemic days? Skills acquisition can be a great help to develop yourself. You can learn cooking, painting, or playing different musical instruments in lockdown days.
Painting can be the perfect blend of entertainment and skill acquisition. It diversifies your talents and opportunities. There is much to experiment with and way more chances to express your thoughts. How do beginners make a way in painting, especially when there is a lockdown?
1. Start With a Dream
The best paintings are often the results of the best imagination. So, you have to dream about what you want to paint. Imagination power is a strong stimulus that forces you for better creation. Sometimes, as a beginner, we don’t really understand how to start.
For improved imagination, you can see some best painting works online or order some paintings for the home. Also, you can try homemade paint by number kits. These allow you to paint by numbers and edit professionally. The more you indulge in art, the more you learn about the secrets of drawing.
2. Choose your Medium
The superior choice for paintings are acrylics, oils, and watercolors. As a beginner, most people start with an acrylic medium. Oils and watercolors need a master touch. Acrylics are also a good option as they are easy to clean up and budget-friendly. The only thing that can bother you is that acrylic dries too fast on canvas. So, you have to be prompt in response.
3. Bring in Supplies
It’s time to bring all the necessary supplies to start your painting. Some of the essential painting supplies include-
- An easel for artwork holding.
- Palette and palette knives for color mixing.
- Canvas
- A box of color pencils.
- A box acrylic paints.
- Paper towels.
- Sharpener.
- Eraser.
- Different size paint brushes.
As a beginner, it is better to go with a palette with primary colors like red, blue, green, and white.
4. Learn the Fundamentals of Art
If you don’t know the fundamentals of art like color, composition, brushwork, value, edges, and technique, then hours of effort can be futile. You must be clear about these fundamentals before your stroke on a canvas.
Color
When it comes to painting, you have to understand colors with three different terms – hue, saturation, and value. Hue is the regular color on the color wheel like blue, red, green, yellow, etc. Saturation refers to color intensity, and value denotes how light or dark is that color.
Composition
Composition relies on two punchlines- what do you want to say, and how you are going to say it. Think about a concept and plan shapes, lines, strokes, colors, and texture according to that. Other than that, study some basic concepts of composition. These include-
- Horizontal line.
- Leading line.
- Focal point.
- Rule of thirds.
- Golden mean.
- Movement.
- Harmony.
- Rhythm.
- Balance.
You will find tons of posts and videos on social media like Facebook and Youtube. Clarify these for a better art piece.
Value
You will find different shades of the same color in painting. This is where value comes into play. Value is adding black and white colors with other colors like red, green, blue, purple, etc. to make the painting more lively and meaningful.
Brushwork
You will grow more ideas of brushwork as you start practicing art. Brush works are physical marks with a brush, fingers, or palette knife. This adds more life to artwork, and it is one of the best fundamentals of traditional art.
Edge
Edge is used to separate two different shapes. Edges are of two types- soft and hard edges. Soft edges have smooth transitions where hard edges are clearly visible between shapes. There is another term called a lost edge, which you barely can detect in any artwork.
Technique
Techniques develop with experience. Understanding the position of brush and variation in strokes will take time. Your practice will develop these sensations.
5. Decide Before You Paint
It is absolutely useful if you waste a few minutes on deciding what you are going to paint. As a newbie, you can do some pencil sketches before you apply colors. Apply compositions and plan values for your painting.
In most cases, beginners fall into a dilemma to pick topics. Pick anything easy that inspires you. You can choose hill tracks to sunny beaches or any natural scenario that amazes you.
6. Let’s Start Painting
Don’t expect a masterpiece in the first run. However, using an easy paint by numbers kit might get you a great result. There are some basic tips on paint by numbers that you can follow that will give you the guidance you need. Think simple and try to focus on basics. First and foremost, identify primary colors and shapes in your picture. Mark compositions and put the dark colors first. Make sure you are using one color at a time.
Do not jump from dark to light colors directly. Try to gradually decrease the color intensity in painting. Also, start coloring from the edges but not from the corner of your canvas. When you are using white colors, it is better to use them in the end. It provides better complexion as a final touch.
7. Review to Improve
The first time you will have a lot of mistakes. So, you need to figure out what went wrong. Did you capture the perspective accurately? Or, what went wrong in composition. Rectifying these mistakes will improve your painting.
Beginners Tips For Painting
- Do not regret your artwork. Try to be open-minded with learning.
- Try to experiment with more new things.
- Keep the focus on fundamentals.
- Don’t even listen to what people say about it.
- Try to engage in art communities.
Final Verdict
Life throws opportunities at you disguised as problems. No wonder, these pandemic days are tough times for all of us. However, learning new skills like artwork can open new windows for you. It is your chance to explore your hidden talents. Who knows these small efforts can make you famous tomorrow.