Painting Supplies: Discover 3 Important Things to Keep in Mind
Becoming an artist isn’t just about grabbing the paints and scratching something on the medium. Becoming an artist takes a lot of practice and knowledge to express yourself well and get the right results in the painting medium. Having that in mind means that first, you should take into account some important things if you want to become a real artist.
Think About Your Painting Technique
As you may know by now, you can use different painting techniques to allow you to achieve different results. Aside from the old and traditional painting techniques, nowadays, you can choose from the selection of new and modern painting methods that can help you create something completely different from what you can achieve by using traditional techniques. The main reason for this is that not all types of paint can work the same when using a certain painting technique, so it is better to first understand your desires and then choose the needed products.
Choose Quality Art Supplies
Determining your art technique is crucial without a doubt, however, you really shouldn’t forget about choosing quality painting supplies. You should browse through the assortment of painting supplies, go carefully over their quality and pick the ones that will best meet your painting needs. Keep in mind that choosing quality over quantity is crucial if you want to have a successful outcome. Otherwise, you risk investing in a paint tool set that you won’t find useful, and you’ll end up spending more by investing in a new set of art products.
Consider Your Budget
Defining your budget is crucial for knowing how much you can spend on your supplies. Regardless of the amount you can spare to spend, it is best if you choose a few quality products rather than a bunch of lower-quality ones that won’t serve you at all.
Even if you’re a beginner, it’s always best to start with quality products for painting that will make your work easier, then with cheaper and lower-quality ones that will make your job extremely difficult when working with them. Achieving the same effects with high-quality and low-quality painting products isn’t the same for sure.
What Supplies Do You Need to Paint?
Paint Brushes
Well, first things first, the most important thing you’ll need for painting are brushes. They come in a wide variety, and the most commonly used types are acrylic paint brushes. The main reason for this is that those made with natural hair bristles won’t be able to hold the paint so well and you won’t be able to achieve the same effect.
Paint
Just like brushes, paint can also come in different types amongst which oil and acrylic are the most commonly used types. Oil paint has been used for a very long time and it is referred to as a fine art medium. Being based on oil means that it has a slower drying time, however, this allows you to build and layer the paint to achieve the needed hue and effect. The greatest thing of all about oil paints is that they dry to a consistent colour which is great for your art pieces.
Acrylic paint on the other hand dries extremely fast, it is easy to work with and allows for being mixed to achieve the needed shade. Unlike oil, this paint will darken a bit when drying, so you should have this in mind when mixing several colours to achieve the right one.
Mixed Media Pad
If you’re a beginner and don’t know which media is best for you, then you should certainly opt and try to use a mixed media pad. This pad resembles a lot of a sketchbook, containing lots of pages ready to be adorned with some of your paintings.
This book is considered the best for beginners because it allows you to practice as much as you want. If you are a beginner, you really cannot expect to be a pro once you pick up the brush. The truth is that it’ll take up a lot of practice until you become good at what you do.
Canvas
If you already have experience in painting, you can go straight to choosing a canvas. They are available in different types and sizes which allows you to pick just the right types for your needs. You should also know that they can be coated with different primers, which makes them ready to be painted on. However, some can come unprimed, so understanding the difference is essential to make the right choice.
Palette Knives
Aside from the use of brushes, nowadays, more and more artists have decided to use palette knives as well. They are perfect for working with oil paints because they allow for smoother blending. Paintings made with these tools are somehow more eye-catching because they seem to have more texture and colour on them.