Art is a Soul Therapy

Art is a soul therapy, a form of meditation in itself. There is no right or wrong age at which to feed one’s passion. One can pursue their passion for anything at any point in life. Explore your inner self and it might just surprise you.

Self-taught amateur artists are best, like me we have no expectations. I personally have learned a lot from YouTube, looking at other artists’ work, and spending time in art shops asking the helpers there. I started with acrylic and then started experimenting with oils. I am still learning and have a long way to go.

What are the Basics of Painting? 

Explore what kind of art interests you. For example do you like landscapes, silhouettes, pop art, abstracts or digital art work. There are many more. Find what you like and jump into it.

Types of Painting Mediums

The three most popular painting mediums are watercolor, acrylic or oil.  

Watercolor
This medium tends to be economical yet difficult to master. Paints are diluted with water meaning, a small amount of paint can go a long way. Check out a beginners guide to water color. The basic materials needed are: Watercolor paint, brushes, paper painters tape, paper towel or cloth, pencil for sketching and an eraser. 

Acrylic
Acrylic paints dry quickly and can be diluted with water. Many artists prefer this medium as it is easy to work with and gives quick results. The basic colors needed are red, blue, yellow,  black, white and earthy tones like burnt umber, raw sienna and yellow ochre. Just a tip, acrylic paint dry darker. Know your color wheel for mixing paint colors.

Oil
Oil painting is the oldest form of painting. It is still very popular. It is also my favorite even though more time consuming than acrylic as it takes much longer to dry. It can also be less forgiving.  Supplies can be very expensive. 

The basic supplies are:  

Easel
Canvas
Paint (same colors as acrylic above)
Color chart 
Paint brushes
Colored pencils to sketch with a soft broadtip
Turpentine or mineral spirits
Jar for cleaning brushes
Linseed oil or oil medium
Newsprint or rags
Palette
Drop cloth
Apron
Gloves / mask if one prefers

Explore your inner self! Until next time. Live well, be well.

Minu