PAINTING Haven't a clue

wexhun

Hi, Please excuse my ignorance here, I've always said I'd love to paint, I've sketched for as long as I can remember. I've never taken an art class and at the moment don't have the means to do so. My husband bought me an oil painting set for christmas and a couple of canvases expecting me to get stuck in but I don't know where to start! Any advice would be appreciated r maybe you could recommend a good book/web site to help me out. Thanks.

Fajitas!

Just give it a go really! There should be a simple guide in the set on how to mix the paints etc.

That's the best way to start. Even try painting simple objects, then move onto your hands. And enjoy yourself, don't get frustrated if you can't to it 'right'.

I'd advise that before getting a book anyways!

snorlax

get a good teacher or an art group (even a friend that's good at art) or someone with simliar interests. working on your own can require a lot of motivation/ dedeicationif your not in a group/ doing it on a course and working 9-5.

Funsterdelux

Here the only way to do/learn is just by playing with things. Usually the best solution is the simple one. In other words experiment.

artieanna

I would recomend the artist handbook by ray smith published by DK.
Its not one of those books that tells you how to paint someone elses idea of a picture. It shows you techniques on say how to build up a painting using layers and covers all types of surfaces, tools, and materials. Don't go buying any expensive stuff unless you need and will use it. you can paint on any amount of surfaces and this book shows you how to prepare them. When painting remember light and shade. don't feel precious about the surface you working on this takes away from the pleasure. I would recomend starting on a piece of board painted with 2 coats of gesso - a mix of 50/50 pva glue and ordainary household white emulsion and you wont care if it goes wrong. The beauty of oil paint is you can scrape off any bits (or it all if you wish) you're not happy with and try again. Oil paint can be a slow process as you may need to wait for some of the paint to dry (2-3 days) so you can add more without smudging or ending up with sludge. So dont rush it. if you want to work faster acrylic paint dries in an hour or so.good luck and enjoy
artieanna

shabbyroad

Consider a night class in a local school - most of them are pretty cheap and you'll be in with a lot of like-minded people. I did this a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. I can't draw or paint for **** but love pushing the paint around on a cheap canvas and getting lost in it all. My kids are much better artists than I will ever be. All my stuff is abstract because I just zone out and enjoy myself. Am very tempted to get my fingers dirty sometime :-)

SpitfireIV

Wexhun,

Have you ever seen 'Irish Paint Magic' oh TG4, its on every Thursday evening and presented by a very funny guy, David Willis. He shows you how to paint using the 'wet on wet' system with oil paints, a system devises by Bob Ross. Where as your normal oild painting may takes weeks to finish, with the Bob Ross method you'd have a painting done in 30mins.

Check out David's site below and have a look at some of his work:
http://www.irishpaintmagic.com/

Heres the last oil painting I did using this method:




It is a VERY simple method, I never attemped painting before until I heard of Bob Ross and seen Irish Paint Magic, but believe me, as David says, this type of painting is for everyone!

CroppyBoy1798

wexhun

Wow, croppyboy thats brilliant, Thanks all for the advice, going to just go for it now and hopefully I'll be selling my paintings for millions soon:rolleyes:

smileygal

I'd recommend using different size and shape brushes and a palette knife is great fun with oil paint. Not expensive either.

RotonSan

wexhun wrote: »

Hi, Please excuse my ignorance here, I've always said I'd love to paint, I've sketched for as long as I can remember. I've never taken an art class and at the moment don't have the means to do so. My husband bought me an oil painting set for christmas and a couple of canvases expecting me to get stuck in but I don't know where to start! Any advice would be appreciated r maybe you could recommend a good book/web site to help me out. Thanks.

If you really want to paint you must need an instructor just like we go to school and college and I think there is no greater instructor than Bob Ross at this time. So buy Bob Ross DVD series either from eBay or from artistsupplysource.com along with his painting tolls and you are all set. Enjoy your painting.

Bob Ross, the great artist. Saw this guy when a sky channel 1st broadcast his show back in the late 90s and I tell you this: this guy can truly paint, I mean truly paint. I grew up with his show, and I love watching it. I've always wanted to learn painting and when I found Bob Ross's DVDs and decided this was the time. A lot of times, I just listen to Bob talking in the background while I do something else. He's just so soothing to listen to.

Dramatik

Try painting some mandalas, they're really fun and easy to do. Best thing about them is you can make them as simple or as complex as you like:

http://www.createmixedmedia.com/uncategorized/how-to-draw-a-mandala-using-grids

They're also good for developing your brush control as you'll be painting lots of basic shapes such as circles,squares and triangles.

James DD

Dramatik wrote: »

Try painting some mandalas, they're really fun and easy to do. Best thing about them is you can make them as simple or as complex as you like:

http://www.createmixedmedia.com/uncategorized/how-to-draw-a-mandala-using-grids

They're also good for developing your brush control as you'll be painting lots of basic shapes such as circles,squares and triangles.

There's a excellent lady in cork who teaches painting she has a website can give it over a PM if needed as don't think we can advertise some one here . She teaches step by step easy to understand and working on your own stuff

josephineperry

On Youtube you can find loads of tutorials on painting, watercolour, drawing...I used to watch them to teach myself some techniques and I found them pretty helpful. I can't post a link, but just "search" on youtube painting classes/tutorials and see which one appeals to you most.