Canvas Painting for Beginners

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This Complimentary Ebook Provided By Teresa Thomas Bohannon

 Author of the the Original Regency Romance Novel A Ver  y Merry Chase Very

Prepared for istribution By !ady"eb#s !ady"eb #s $irtual Coffee Table Books

All Rights Reserved%Teresa Thomas Bohannon &''(

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This Complimentary Ebook Provided By Teresa Thomas Bohannon

 Author of the the Original Regency Romance Novel A Ver  y Merry Chase Very

Prepared for istribution By !ady"eb#s !ady"eb #s $irtual Coffee Table Books

All Rights Reserved%Teresa Thomas Bohannon &''(

Table Of Contents

Canvas Painting 101! Beginners )uide To Canvas Painting

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Table of Contents Chapter 1 – Painting 101 Chapter 2 – Understanding Paints Chapter 3 – Choosing Your Brushes Chapter 4 – Color Your World Chapter  – !ight "our#es in Painting Chapter $ – What t%pe of painter are %ou& Chapter ' – Choosing ( "ub)e#t Chapter * – "etting Up Your "tudio Chapter + – (rt "uppl% ,esour#es Chapter 10 – Clean Up Ti-e Chapter 11 – .ree (rt !essons Chapter 12 – Ta/e Care of Your Creation Chapter 13 – Pa% (ttention to etail Chapter 14 – n)o% Your "ub)e#t Chapter 1 – .reuentl% (s/ed uestions Chapter 1$ – (rt "#hools Chapter 1' – useu-s of .ine (rt Chapter 1* – One .inal Word

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Chapter 1 – Painting 101 People have been e*pressing themselves through painting for thousands of years+ Even the cavemen sho,ed great hunts or other events ,ith paints made from berries and plants+ There -ust seems to be an innate need to sho, others our thoughts. feelings. and ideas through pictures+ The phrase / A picture is ,orth a thousand ,ords0 is so very true+ "ith colors and design you can e*press every emotion you feel+ "hether it is a ,oman in a garden ,aiting for her lover or an old barn set in a field of ,ild flo,ers. the sub-ect bring memories and feelings to the fore front of the vie,er#s mind+ All of this being accomplished on a blank canvas ,ith paint+ There are some basics the beginning artist should kno,+ Although you may have been sketching and dra,ing for years. the first time you pick up a brush it ,ill seem foreign to you+ This is fine+ 1ou ,ill become very familiar ,ith each of the brushes and the strokes they can make+ They ,ill soon be as comfortable in your hand as the charcoal pencil you use on the sketch pad+ Paints can add style and creativity to an art piece+ A single tear drop on the face can take on a totally ne, dimension by adding color+ Paints allo, you to do this ,ith ease+ The types of paint you use ,ill also allo, you to be more creative+ 2any artists use the oil paints for e*tend pro-ects+ The oils do not dry as 3uickly and can be re-uvenated ,ith a little turpentine or mineral spirits+ This allo,s the artist to continue the pro-ect another day+ The brushes you use ,ith an oil painting must be cleaned e*tremely ,ell+ 4f you allo, them to sit in the cleaning solution they can loose their shape+ This means you may not be able to use certain brushes to achieve a particular brush stroke+ "hen the artist uses acrylic paints. the dry time is e*tremely fast+ 2any times. a pro-ect ,hich is being done in half an hour or so ,ill be done ,ith acrylic paints because of the ease of use+ Clean up ,ith soap and ,ater is a 3uick task+ The brushes ,ash up 3uickly and cleanly+ Allo,ing them to dry either on a flat surface or standing ,ith bristles up ,ill keep their original shape+ The best thing to do ,hen first beginning canvas painting is to e*periment+ Try using oils+ Become familiar ,ith acrylics+ 1ou ,ill eventually choose ,hich medium you prefer to ,ork ,ith+ By playing ,ith each. you can determine ho, the paints mi*. get a feel for ho, they flo, onto the canvas. and become familiar ,ith blending+ These are all important for the novice artist to consider+  Another factor is the type of canvas you ,ill ,ant to use+ There are stretch canvases. rolled canvas. canvas boards. and canvas mats+ Each one can

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be used for different styles. art,ork. and even paints+ "hich one you use ,ill be determined by ,hich one you feel more comfortable painting upon+ The information can become over,helming ,hen you start painting on canvas+ )etting to kno, the terminology ,ill help clear some things up a little bit+ 5ere are some terms ,e ,ill be using in this book+  Abstract  6 abstract art depicts the sub-ect by using form and color+ 1ou

may see a resemblance to the original piece+ 5o,ever. the sub-ect is generally represented in more geometric shapes than the natural setting+

Above are t,o forms of abstract art+  Accent  6 )iving e*ceptional detail to a certain ob-ect in the painting to bring

attention to it+

A good e*ample of accenting+  Acrylic  6 A type of paint ,hich dries 3uickly+ 4t can easily be cleaned up

,ith mineral spirits+  Alla Prima 6 2eaning /at the first0 in 4talian. this phrase means the painting

is completed ,ith -ust one sitting+ Cool colors 6 Colors associated ,ith the cold such as blue+

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Color Wheel  6 Any full spectrum circular diagram ,hich represents the

relationships of colors+

This allo,s the colors to be compared for contrast+ Composition 6 The arrangement of the elements in an art piece+

Medium 6 The type of pain being used to create a ,ork of art+ 4t can also

mean the binder. usually an oil+ Palette 6 The painter#s board ,here colors can be mi*ed and and different

hues can be created+

A before and after shot+ Perspective 6 Being able to reproduce the same height. depth. and

distance perception in a t,o dimensional medium that the human eye ,ould perceive+   This photograph is a good representation of perspective+ Pigment  6 The colored substance created by natural elements and

synthetic ones ,hich are mi*ed ,ith certain binders to create paints+ Primary colors  6 A color ,hich can not be created by mi*ing other colors+

The only three primary colors are red. blue. and yello,+ "ith these three all other colors can be created+ 7"hite is not a color+ 4t is the absence of color+ Black is the combination of all colors+8 Secondary colors 6 Any color ,hich can be created from mi*ing the

primary colors. such as violet. green. and orange+ Warm colors 6 5ues ,hich represent ,armth such as orange. red. yello,+

No, that you kno, some of the language. let#s step into the art studio+

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Chapter 2 – Understanding Paints There are t,o types of paints ,hich ,ork ,ell on canvas+ One is oil and the other is acrylic+ 1ou need to choose ,hich painting medium you ,ill be using+ 9ome people prefer the oils to the acrylics+ There are several differences bet,een the t,o paints+ The oil can take days to dry completely+ This allo,s the artist to continue ,ith the painting for days after the original sitting+ The acrylics are not so forgiving+ These paints can dry ,ithin hours+ 4f you think you can make a mistake and go back later to fi* it. you are ,rong+ Oil paints are made up of pigment and oils+ A simple paint can be made from dried saffron and peanut oil+ 2i*ed properly you can use this formula to create a ,onderful shade of yello, ,hich you could also eat+ 2ost of the oil paints on the market are poisonous. so al,ays keep them out of the hands of children+ "hen oil paints are made from three things+ This is pigment. oil. and some type of drying agent+ The latter ,as added because the oils took too long to dry+ rying agents can be things like a paint thinner+  Although the primary colors can be formulated into any other color in the spectrum. there is no need to try creating the same color every time you paint+ Oil paints come in any shade or hue you can think of. from black to ,hite+ Each color can be blended ,ith another to add even more combinations+ There is literally no color you can not reproduce on the canvas ,ith oil paints+ Oil paints can be used to create te*tures+ They can be spread on thick or thin+ One thing you ,ill learn is the more thick you have the paint the longer it ,ill take to dry+ Also. a thick layer of oil paint ,ill crack as it dries+ This is not good for the painting+ The best thing to do ,hen ,orking ,ith oils is to create the ,ork in layers+ This ,ill allo, the paint to dry evenly and prevent cracking+ This is one reason ,hy some artists spend days creating an art piece instead of rushing through alla prima+  Acrylics are synthetic paints designed to mi* and blend -ust like the oils+ The main difference is the dry time+ "hile oils can take days. acrylics can take only hours+ There are advantages to using acrylics over oils+ "hen you need the pro-ect done 3uickly. the acrylics are up to the task+ By

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having a faster dry time. the painting can have layers added in hours instead of days+ "ith acrylics. the artist can be assured of a straight line for hori:ons or other needs+ 1ou can actually apply masking tape to dried acrylic paint+ "hen you peel the tape off. there is no danger of lifting the paint off the canvas+ This ensures clean. precise lines every time+ "ith oils. you ,ould have to use an edger and still take the chance of smearing the paints+ 9ome artists prefer acrylics+ 9ome prefer oils+ There are those ,ho go back and forth bet,een the t,o. depending on the pro-ect+ 4t is advisable to learn about each one+ 1ou should e*periment ,ith at least the primary colors to see ,hich you prefer+ Everyone should learn all there is to art+ By e*perimenting ,ith the different mediums. you can learn 3uite a bit+

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Chapter 3 – Choosing Your Brushes 1ou cannot do very much painting ,ithout a brush+ Although some people ,ould argue ,ith that statement. for no, ,e ,ill assume you ,ill be using a standard artist#s brush+ There are as many brushes on the market as there are paints+ 9ome are made better than others+ o not fall under the misconception that more e*pensive is better+ This is not al,ays the case+ 4 have spent ;&' on a brush to have the bristles fall out during my first session+ 4 have one brush 4 have used for four years no, that 4 paid ;or the oils. you can cover them ,ith plastic as ,ell+ 1ou can also submerge them in ,ater for later use+

+5 What are the benefits of acrylic paints?  Acrylic paints have a

3uick drying time+ This means you can actually start. finish. and possibly frame a painting all in one day+ "ith oils it can take days for the paint to dry+ Acrylics can blend and mi* -ust as ,ell as the oil paints+ 9ome artists prefer the acrylics to the oils and vice versa+ The acrylics can also be built up+ This can actually give you an almost three dimensional look on the canvas+ 105 "oes it matter how thic! I put the paint on the canvas? 1ou

should never put more paint on a canvas than you need to+ The paint has to dry bet,een layers or you could have problems ,ith flaking and cracking+ The painting can be built up to generate the look you ,ant+ 115 Why did my painting crac!? The more paint you have on a canvas

means the more space the paint has to cover+ As an artist layers paint on the rule of /fat over lean0 applies+ This means the paint has more medium mi*ed in ,ith it as each layer is added+ The addition of the oil makes the paint more fle*ible+ This means there is less chance of the painting cracking as it dries+ 125 Is there a way to seal my painting after it is done? "hen you

have completed a painting you ,ill ,ant to seal it to make sure smoke. dust. and other foreign matter does not damage it+ 1ou can varnish the painting+ 1ou need to make sure the painting is completely cured before sealing+ Also. the varnish should be a very thin coat of clear varnish+ A thick coat can cause the paint to appear yello,ed as time goes by+ 135 Why don#t my paintings loo! natural? "e see things in three

dimensions+ The painting should reflect this+ 4n order to achieve this. as in a landscape. start ,ith the background first+ This means the entire background. from the sky to the grass+ Then you ,ould go in and add the mountains or distant tree line+ 1ou al,ays need to ,ork from the back to the front to give the painting more realism+

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Chapter 1" – Art &)hoos There are colleges every,here that have an art program+ Each one can offer great instruction+ 4f you are planning to attend a school for their art program al,ays determine ,hat the curriculum is and ,hat degree you can earn+ 9ome only offer an associateJs degree ,hile others can offer much more+ 1ou ,ill have to make the choice as to ,hat you ,ant from the school+ 5ere is a list of art schools to consider+ The Art 4nstitute of Pittsburgh The Art 4nstitute of Chicago To find other art instituteJs you can go to the ART 4nstitute ,eb site+ There are many all over the country and in Canada+ =niversity of Te*asK College of >ine Arts Carnegie 2ellon#s College of >ine Arts There are many other fine art schools available both ,ith campus learning or on line classes+ Each one offers financial aid to its students+ The ability to further your education is possible+ 9peak ,ith a campus advisor to determine your needs+

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Chapter 1% – Museums o# -ine Art Throughout the ,orld there are many places to see some of the greatest ,orks of art ever produced+ 1ou could spend days in these fantastic e*hibition halls studying the styles and techni3ues of some of the greatest artists ,ho ever painted+ 5ere are a fe, to get you started+ 2useum of >ine Arts. Boston Philadelphia 2useum of Art The 2etropolitan 2useum of Art The 2useum of >ine Arts 5ouston 2any of the fine arts museums offer partial sho,ings of their e*hibits on the 4nternet+ 1ou can appreciate the beauty of the paintings at home+ This also allo,s you to vie, more museums ,hich may not be as close to you+

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Chapter 1* – 5ne -ina !ord There are many people all over the ,orld ,ho have aspired to become great artists+ 2any have succeeded+ None have failed+ >or each person in their o,n uni3ue ,ay is an artist+ "hether you create the picture ,ith paint. pencil. or computer graphics the point is you are creating+ 1ou are e*pressing yourself in a ,ay that is en-oyable to you+ Others may find great inspiration in your ,ork+ Criticism ,ill al,ays come. ,hether it be from others or even yourself+ o not let it bother you+  Art is a ,ay of e*pressing our thoughts. feelings. and emotions+ "e can sho, ,ho ,e really are by ,hat ,e put on the blank canvas+ This can sometimes be e*tremely thought provoking+ 4t can be comical or ,himsical+ The point is that it e*presses something+ 1ou capture the essence of ,ho you are ,hen you begin to paint+ Even if you cannot afford to make a living out of painting. do it for the -oy of it+ o it because you find a love for painting+ o it every day+ This is your time to shine+ !et everyone kno, you painted that picture on your ,all+ Tell them you ,ere the master artist ,hen they ask ,here you got it+ !et them kno, you can tell your story by the pictures you create+

Painting is a ,ay of loving ,hat you do and doing ,hat you love+ Remember. a picture is ,orth a thousand ,ords. no matter ho, it is displayed+

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