Begin Your Journey With Paint.
When we begin a journey of any sort it can be overwhelming and stops us from pursuing our dreams. Here I have put my experience of painting to the test and asked myself, what would I need to begin my journey with paint? I believe in keeping things as simple as possible and costs to a minimum. So with all that in mind, here is some information to whet your appetite and get you curious.
Deciding on what medium you want to work in is the first decision - Watercolour, Acrylic or Oils. Each medium has its pros and cons and it is only through using them out that you will find your preferred medium. That being said, it may be best to just choose one and get started. There are some great online art suppliers in Ireland with a very quick turn around, Cork Art Supplies and Evan’s Art Supplies being just two of them. I will try my best to outline the properties of the main mediums, Watercolour, Acrylic and Oils..
Starting with Watercolour.....
What you need;
A small set of watercolour pans (a travel set is perfect), some brushes (sometimes sold as a set) which are soft and should be capable of holding sufficient water, and of course, paper, at least 140lbs in weight. Just remember when using watercolour it is just that, water with some colour! It can be an unforgiving medium as mistakes are difficult to rectify. On the plus side, it can be a very relaxing medium to use. It is very portable, so you can take it just about anywhere with you. Perfect for a painting trip!
Next onto Acrylic....
Acrylic is a water based medium. It is very versatile and durable. Often preferred by students attending class as it dries very quickly and is easy to transport. The good thing about acrylic is that it dries so fast....and the downside of acrylic is that it dries so fast!! There are a couple of tricks on how to keep your paint wet for longer. For example using a staywet palette. In simple terms, an airtight container that has moisture below (dampened paper towels) and (light spray of water) above the paint.
What you need;
Paint; it is possible to buy starter sets of acrylic paint, although you will most likely find there are some colours you will never use. There are some basic colours I would suggest, and a few more optional ones.
Basic Palette: Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, Sap Green, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Naples Yellow and White. Most of these colours are considered Warm Colours
Optional extras: Alizarin Crimson, Lemon Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Phthalo Blue, Viridian or Phthalo Green. Most of these colours are considered Cool Colours.
You may notice I have not mentioned Black. I like to mix my own Black, in a couple of different ways. The most popular being Ultramarine Blue and either Burnt Umber or Burnt Sienna, plus white for a grey. Experimenting is the name of the game.
Brushes; Most art shops sell sets of acrylic brushes that have a combination of flats, rounds and filberts. It is only by trying out different brushes that you find what works for you. Different situations call for different brushes. It is also useful to have a set of smaller brushes for finer detailing in your painting…if this is your style. Again, it is in the doing that this will become evident.
Palette Knife; These are useful for mixing paint or for applying paint directly to your canvas rather than using brushes. They can be purchased as a set or individually.
Palette; Tear off palettes are available in most art shops. Grease proof paper can also work. These can be put into your staywet container.
Supports; Acrylic is such a versatile medium and can be painted onto many supports, from paper, timber, canvas boards, stretched canvas, and more! It’s all about priming, to avoid that first coat of paint being absorbed into the surface. Primer, Gesso, can come in white or stained for a coloured ground on the surface.
Last but not least,
Oils....
As the name suggests, these are oil based paints. Therefore, they do NOT mix with water. They need solvents and oils to help give them fluidity.
What you need;
For health reasons I suggest using an odour free solvent for cleaning brushes and thinning your paint rather than turpentine. Liquin also helps to give fluidity to the paint and speeds up drying time. It is also useful to increase transparency. Linseed Oil slows the drying time of oil paint and also allows for glazing and is very useful when using the technique of glazing.
Oil painting uses the technique of fat over lean, meaning a painting is built up from thin to thicker paint. If a painting is done alla prima then this method does not apply as the painting is completed in one session.
The list of Paints, Brushes, Palettes/Knifes given in the Acrylic section also applies to oils. With the exception of a palette. My preferred palette is a glass one, placed over a grey (neutral) surface to make it easier to decipher the colour mix.
Stretched Canvas or Canvas boards are the most used supports for oils.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, but a good starting point. We cover all of these mediums in our weekly art classes, and we are always learning new things from each other and in the doing.