A beginner's guide to painting
Social distancing and self-isolation has left many of us with much more time on our hands than normal. While no one should feel under pressure to achieve anything under the circumstances, the unexpected free time can also be a good chance to get started on the hobby you’ve always been meaning to try.
Whether it’s painting, drawing or colouring, art is a wonderful activity to take up during lockdown. Not only is it very mindful, helping to ease symptoms of anxiety that the coronavirus news cycle might bring about, but there’s also something lovely about the creative aspect. The satisfaction of having something you’ve painted in front of you, no matter how ‘good’ it is, is truly empowering.
Here’s everything you need to know about taking up art, including how to get started, where to get inspiration from and the tips on doing it from home.
Art for beginners: why learn to paint?
Whether you think of yourself as creative person or not, you should give learning to paint a chance.
“Creative pursuits like painting have massive potential to promote positive mental health, especially at times like these,” says Alice-May, a professional painter and ex NHS worker from Hampshire. “While I would always recommend that anyone with specific mental health issues should seek professional medical advice, on a more general day-to-day basis, building such a creative activity into our schedule enables us to process the stresses and strains around us much more successfully, which ultimately brings a sense of inner peace and well-being.”
“Given what is happening in the world today I am a huge advocate of giving ourselves permission to look after ourselves in this way,” she continues.
It might also be a welcome distraction. “Painting relaxes you, and if you immerse yourself in the creativity it'll give you a chance to focus on something else,” says Jonjo Elliot, an artist from Leicester. “At a time like this we all need a distraction.”
Art for beginners: how to get started
When it comes to paints, there are many different types you can choose from. The three main ones are watercolours, oils or acrylics. So where do you begin?
“It’s all about what works for you and your situation,” says Alice-May, who advocates trial and error. “If one doesn’t work for you and you have the flexibility, then don’t stress about it; simply move on and try another one.”
“Some people prefer oils, some acrylic but until you try them you won't know,” Jonjo agrees. “Oils do tend to be more expensive though, so if you're budgeting I'd recommend acrylics or water colours.”
You’ll need a set of paint brushes, so when you look online, try to get a variety of sizes. It's also recommended to use art paper rather than printing paper, which tends to be quite thin. "Making sure you are working with the right paper can make a difference, especially with watercolours, but these days you can buy pads of mixed-media paper which simplifies things," explains Alice-May.
Have a look at the description of the pad of paper you are buying to make sure it suits the set of paints you’re working with.
Art for beginners: where to get inspiration from
Once you’ve got all the relevant materials, putting paintbrush to paper might still seem a daunting task if you don’t know what to create.
“Inspiration can come from everywhere; from the vase of flowers on your window to the view you see everyday,” says Jonjo. “Choose something simple and go for it.”
“Usually, I would say that nature is the best place for inspiration, although I appreciate that many people are currently restricted to their homes so, this might be tricky,” adds Alice-May. “However, if you have access to a garden, then flowers, trees, squirrels and birds are rather good subjects.”
“If you are completely restricted in your choices, then a classic still-life composition [such as your fruit bowl] can be very restful,” she continues, “but I would advocate choosing something nice and colourful.”
Scrolling through your camera roll might provide some inspiration too, or even just seeing where you paint brush takes you can be fun!
Art for beginners: how to paint at home
Given that for the time being, our art work needs to be done from home, make some space somewhere comfortable. “Painting at home is great and doesn't take up much space as you can use the kitchen table or even the floor to work on,” says Jonjo.
“Make sure you have somewhere that you can leave your work to dry – remember watercolours, in particular, will need to lie flat for a while,” adds Alice-May.
Adapt to what you have around you at home already. If you don’t have paints, then you can always stick to sketching for the time being. Alice-May says that might mean borrowing a pencil out of your kids’ pencil cases, and tearing a page out of the back of a notebook, it doesn’t matter. It’s a place to start, and you can always go back and add paint to your drawings at a later date.
Art for beginners: what happens when you don’t get it right
Painting might be harder than it looks, but it’s about creativity, not perfection. If what you’re working on doesn’t come out the way you want it to, don’t beat yourself up about it.
“The final painting is not really that important,” says Alice-May. “The critical factor is how you feel as you create it. If you enjoy it, then it is very successful indeed and can never be considered ‘rubbish’. If it doesn’t quite work out how you intend, then consider it a first draft and therefore part of a work-in-progress.”
“Painting is a challenge and takes time to learn but theres no wrong or right in art, every artwork is different and unique,” adds Jonjo. “Keep persisting and I guarantee you'll improve.
"However, don't put too much pressure on yourself to begin with. Painting is relaxing, comforting and a good hobby to concentrate on.”
Art for beginners: best free resources online
A number of people are offering free resources for all those who want to get into artistic hobbies. These include:
Alice-May is running free painting tutorials on her YouTube channel, here.
Hobbycraft is running a daily kids' craft club on the Ideas hub of their website, here.
SkillShare has plenty of learn to paint videos, here.
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