Uplift: Painting Techniques for Beginners
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many of us inside our homes. We all attend meetings, go to class, and talk to friends from our couches and kitchens. One of the biggest challenges during this time has been trying to find ways to keep ourselves occupied, whether that is picking up a new hobby, binge-watching the latest show on TV, or trying to improve a new skill. With all this time on our hands, there are many new activities we can pick up; one of those is painting!
Painting comes in all forms, shapes, colors, and sizes. When we see detailed and complex paintings, we are often reminded of some of the greatest artists, from Vincent Van Gogh to Salvador Dali to Leonardo da Vinci. These experts put in years of dedication and hard-work to produce some of the fine work we see today. However, that does not mean you too will need to put in that much work. Painting is for anyone of any age, and regardless of experience level, it can be a fun activity. Perhaps, your final product won’t be hung up in the Louvre, but it will be fantastic to decorate your home or gift to a friend! Read below for some basic beginning painting techniques, and before long, you will be well on your way to creating your very own masterpiece!
Painting also has great benefits for mental health! According to Harvard Health, the ability to paint and create images remains long after people have been affected with dementia, or have lost the ability to talk or understand language (sometime due to certain neurological disorders). Research has also shown that painting can help prevent cognitive conditions when one ages. Painting is also known to relieve stress and improve communication skills. By giving people the ability to express their creative side, painting has shown to improve mental health in many people. Painting also boosts confidence and makes our mind more engaged. People suffering from depression have also reported that painting uplifts their mood. According to the blog site, “TwoInchBrush”, painting sparks a, “newfound energy and invokes feelings of pride and accomplishment in [people]. Feelings which some of these people have not felt in years or never at all”.
Materials Needed:
Paints! (You may use different types of paints for different paintings, but Acrylic paint is easiest to use and is very versatile)
Paint Pad/Canvas Panel or Board/Paper (basically any painting surface)
Paintbrushes - read more below for different types of brushes you may need for different techniques
According to the Blueprint website, “The beauty of acrylic paint is that it can look totally different depending on how you apply it. The more you experiment, the better it gets!”. This post will teach you techniques, but it is up to you and your imagination on how you want to use those techniques to create paintings!
TECHNIQUE #1: BASIC PAINT APPLICATION AND THEIR EFFECTS
One of the first steps you need to know before you get started is the right way to apply paints to your canvas or paper.
Image taken from www.blueprint.com
DRYBRUSH
Drybrush painting is where you apply paint straight from the tube to the canvas. This creates a vibrant stroke of color, but it will be uneven since you did not wet your brush.
Image taken from www.blueprint.com
WASHING
Washing means adding water to your acrylic paint so that it appears translucent, or slightly clear, when you apply it.
Image taken from www.blueprint.com
STIPPLING
Stippling is where paint is applied to a brush (typically one with a flat head) and then patted up and down to create a texture of dots.
Image taken from www.blueprint.com
USING A PALETTE KNIFE
Using a palette knife is like spreading frosting on a cake, but with paint. Using this technique can create a textured surface/painting and is quite easy to learn. Using the palette knife, scrape up paint on the knife directly and apply it to your surface, moving back and forth to create your desired texture. (Note: If you don’t have a palette knife, you can use anything with a handle and a flat surface, as shown in the picture below. A regular plastic card will work as well!)
Image taken from www.blueprint.com
UNDERPAINTING
Underpainting is creating an image of the painting under your final picture to give it texture and dimension. To start, choose a color that contrasts with the main colors of your painting and create a rough sketch using the contrasting paint.
Image taken from www.blueprint.com
USING A SPONGE/DABBING
This simple technique uses a sponge to create dabbed effects. Simply dip your sponge into paint and dab the sponge up and down on your canvas.
Image taken from www.blueprint.com
SPLATTERING
This technique simply uses a brush to splatter paint onto a surface. This can create an illusion of certain textures, or a starry night. It is also great for making abstract art pieces.
These 7 painting techniques will give you the skills to create lots of images! For brushes, you can buy any set of brushes you feel comfortable using. Usually, sets have a range of sizes that will give you control over different types of images you want to create.
SAMPLE PAINTINGS:
Below are some linked YouTube videos using the methods discussed above and Youtube channels that are for beginners. If you are not sure where to start, watch some of the videos and try to recreate their paintings!
YouTube Channels:
VOCABULARY:
Picking Up: A phrase used to say some action is being done (picking up a new hobby means to try a new hobby)
Binge-Watching: To watch a many episodes of a TV show at once (typically 5 or more in one sitting)
On our hands: A phrase used to talk about something that is available (time on our hands means that we have lots of time available/free)
Louvre: a world-famous art gallery located in Paris, France
Cognitive: to be related to the mind/thinking processes
Acrylic: A type of paint most commonly used for painting. They are water-soluble (mix with water easily) but become water-resistant once they dry
Versatile: Something that is very useful or has many uses
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Annik Brar is a student at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. studying International Affairs and Finance. In her free time, she manages a support page for people with Type 1 Diabetes. She also loves photography and traveling and can speak Punjabi and Hindi fluently!