Discover Your Inner Artist Through Art Painting

Art painting is something that goes back nearly to the beginning of time, when early painters used items like berries to bring color to surfaces. Today there are many choices of mediums and canvases that you can select from if you decide to try your own creative flair at art painting. However, before you take a brush to your canvas, there are a few basics that you might want to know.

Step One: What to Paint?

As basic as this might sound, the first step in art painting is to decide what you want to paint. Will your subject be a colorful sunset, or a majestic mountain scene? Do you prefer a babbling brook or the fluffy clouds in a blue sky?

Whatever subject you select for your art painting, it is a good idea to make a sketch of your picture prior to actually painting it. This will give you an idea of scale and composition prior to working on a full-scale piece of canvas. You can also photograph the scene that you would like to create so that you have a consistent model to work with.

Step Two: What to Use?

Once you have selected a subject, you can proceed to the type of medium that you would like to use for your art painting. This is not just about choosing a type of paint – you will also decide how to use the paint in your art painting. For example, acrylic paints can be used in their primary thick state, or they can be thinned with water all the way to the consistency of a watercolor.

A good idea as well is to think about the type of effect you want to achieve in your picture, and select your paint accordingly. Once you have chosen paint for your art painting, you will also want to find the appropriate canvas to put your paint to. Make sure that the canvas of choice is compatible with the paint that you are using. When in doubt, ask someone at your art supply store for advice and help in collecting the proper supplies.

Step Three: Awaken the Artist

You have your paint. Your canvas is waiting. Now it is time to don your artist’s cap and paint your art painting to your heart’s content. There are many classes and instructional manuals that can get you on your way to creating your very own masterpieces. But the most important step in awakening your inner artist is to simply paint. Practice will bring you to a level where you can really enjoy your art through your painting. So grab your brushes and canvas and see what creativity lurks inside of you!