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WHY START…
Painting is excellent therapy and very good for your mental health in general. It’s also great fun and it gives you something to hang on your walls….or other people’s walls if you get good enough for others to want to buy your work!
SUMMARY
Painting is a fantastic, fun and wonderfully therapeutic hobby that can take up as much or as little time as you like. There is a wide range of different media to choose from, the most common of which are watercolours, acrylics and oils.
As soon as you’ve got your materials together you can get started and if you need help, there is lots and lots available online and in real life. Join a painting meetup group or enrol in a class. Group classes can be very reasonably priced indeed and increase the social element if that’s important to you.
It’s advisable to do a little every day, so always have an easel set up with something you’re working on so that you can dip in whenever the inspiration takes you. (Although you should also paint when you don’t feel inspired. If you’re going to get good, you need to practise, and it will take a while before you see improvements. Stick at it.)
Why Start?
The state of concentration painting requires is good for both your brain and body. It can be compared to meditation, playing music and even being in love. Painters report that worries and even physical pain simply melts away when they’re in the zone.
Who is it for?
Painting is for anyone who has a fascination with the world and a desire to express themselves creatively.
Are there any prerequisites?
All you need is time and the desire to learn, experiment and observe the world around you.
What are the benefits?
There are many benefits for your mind, body and soul. Painting is pure creativity, which means it’s relaxing, fun and incredibly therapeutic.
How much will it cost?
You can actually get started for not very much money at all, but the more you spend, the better your materials and ultimately, the better your finished work. So you could probably get started for £30 or £40, but if you’re prepared to spend more then you’ll be able to work with better quality materials and become more immersed in the hobby.
Can I take it to another level?
The best way to take your painting forward is to share it. You can easily set up a portfolio site online and join an online art community. From there, who knows where it will lead? Many people have forged new careers by learning painting and discovering they have a flair for it.
What Equipment do I need?
The best way to take your painting forward is to share it. You can easily set up a portfolio site online and join an online art community. From there, who knows where it will lead? Many people have forged new careers by learning painting and discovering they have a flair for it.
Where can I take part?
You can paint pretty much anywhere — a room in your house, your back garden, a nice spot in the town where you live, anywhere. Or of course you can join a local painting class.
Top Tips
- Practise drawing first. Drawing skills are at the heart of good painting. If you’re already comfortable sketching in pencil, painting will come a lot easier to you. (Although it’s not essential).
- Buy the best quality materials you can afford. The cheapest paints are often watered down and of poor quality.
- Look at as much art as you can. Examine how the effects you appreciate are achieved. Think a lot about shadow.
- There are lots and lots of helpful videos and tutorials online.
- Taking classes is probably the best way to learn and you’ll be with other people who are also learning, which is always fun.
- Check out available online art communities here: http://artprompts.org/the-best-online-art-communities/
Facts & Stats
- Prior to the 1860s, both artists and house painters used to have to grind up their own pigment in a mortar and pestle in order to make the paint they would use. This is why painting used to be a much more expensive business and not many people had their houses painted.
- The most expensive painting ever sold is believed to be Cezanne’s The Card Players which was sold for over $250 million in 2011 to the Qatar royal family. http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/469027/Top-10-facts-about-painting
- The only painting Van Gogh sold during his lifetime was The Red Vineyard which was bought by the Belgian artist Anna Boch. http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/570443/Top-10-art
Did you know…
Painting is believed to have great benefits for Alzheimer’s patients, in some cases vastly improving cognitive function and the quality of daily life. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-doctors-making-art-combat-alzheimers
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