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Taking
up painting/drawing as hobbies is one way to
unleash the Picasso, the Da Vinci or the
Rembrandt in you. Apart from discovering your
talent, painting and drawing are a wonderful way
to relax. By enrolling in an art course you will
be amazed at how rapidly you can polish your
talent with a teacher’s guidance.
You would be surprised to know that each one of
us is blessed with some degree of artistic
talent. Some world-famous people who were also
great artists were Winston Churchill, Adolf
Hitler, Football star David James, singer Tony
Bennet, actors Anthony Quinn and Dennis Hopper
are all recognized for their painting talents.
Getting Started With Your Hobby
It is a good idea to look for a teacher in your
area and enroll for a course in painting and
drawing. Art is something that is possible to
learn and you will have the chance to explore
different media to use, like a pencil, ink and
charcoal. Once you get a feel of this, you can
decide to use the one you are comfortable with.
In your art class you will probably begin to
draw or sketch objects or live models. Some
people prefer painting classes where the
importance of color, texture, line and form is
emphasized. Most people tend to come up with
their own special style of drawing and painting
while some stick to the traditional landscapes.
It is okay to stumble during the learning
process and end up using the eraser a lot. But
as you practice and become better, you will be
proud to produce that masterpiece that will take
up a pride of place in your living room.
Drawing As A Hobby
Remember,
learning to draw well can help you focus your
attention properly on painting and the colors
you use, since it will give you better
perception. When you learn to draw, getting a
good teacher makes a big difference, as you will
know the techniques of expressing your ideas
through your drawing. To be good at painting,
drawing skills are essential. Some people have a
problem with painting when they do not know how
to draw. One great way to practice is to
constantly sketch as you look around you. Your
drawing teacher will teach you the basic forms,
based on which you can practice. Some simple
examples of what you can draw to get a good
perspective is your own room, the things around
you, children playing in a garden, your pet, the
view from your window, and so on. You can try
different types of sketching – you could make
outlines or you could focus on shading and
lighting. If you intend to paint as well as
draw, then you should know that painters have a
different approach when it comes to drawing.
They have a way of converting what they see onto
their easel.
The Importance Of Perspective
Perspective is a vital aspect of drawing as it
enables you to take a three-dimensional
realistic approach making your drawings look
life-like. If you notice, the same object
appears to be of different sizes depending on
the distance you view it from. Therefore, if you
want to master perspective, you must be aware of
the space, the distance and the size in relation
to distance. Perspective lets you give your
drawing or sketch a three dimensional effect on
a two-dimensional surface. Your perspective will
be angular and parallel to enable you produce
depth in your drawing. The whole process can be
a lot of fun. Perspective is especially
important when it comes to drawing landscapes
and seascapes.
Painting
Experts
recommend that for a beginner, oil painting is
the best way to get started. One of the reasons
for this is you can make any changes quickly. If
there are strokes of color that are not
required, you can always scrape them off without
damaging the canvas. Also, you can superimpose
on color on the other. It is a wonderful way to
experiment with various aspects of drawing like
light, shade, proportion, etc. You can take a
break and get back to your painting anytime to
continue with it. Another thing about oils is
that it looks genuine, revealing the brush
strokes and the genius of the artist. You can
closely observe the subtle uses of color and
learn the basic principles that will help you
when you experiment with other media. Of course
there is a lot more to an oil painting that you
will learn after you get familiar with the
basics.
What Will You
Learn When You Learn Painting?
You will learn about the kind of oil painting
colors that are best to use, different qualities
of oil paints, how to select and arrange your
oil colors palette, how to choose your brushes
and how to take care of them. You will also
learn proper care of your equipment, in addition
to tips, tricks and techniques. You will learn
about canvas as a medium, how to choose it,
stretch it and make it ready.
The Artist’s Equipment
Easels
The first thing that comes to mind is an easel,
when you think about taking up drawing and
painting as hobbies. Easels can be studio or
outdoor easels and come with the facility to
tilt them to avoid glare on the canvas fixed to
them. Sketching easels that are used outdoors
are available as portable folding units. You
will also need a paint box, a sketching stool
unless you plan to stand and draw.
Palette Knives
These are required for scraping off paint from
your palette or canvas in case you need to. You
can also use them to mix colors.
Painting Medium
You will need a painting medium that you can
make at home if you wish that will assist you in
varying your paint for different effects and
finishes. You can get them at art supply stores.
Varnish For Retouching
This helps you retouch dull parts of the
painting.
Pencils, Charcoal
You get good soft charcoal pencils that you can
use to make your sketches. Keep some in your
paint box.
You will need cups to hold your medium and one
to hold the turpentine to clean your brush. You
will also need rags to wipe your palette and
brushes.
You will learn various drawing and painting
techniques and styles. As you progress, you can
even think of showing your work in a gallery and
who knows? It could turn out to be a good source
of income from a hobby that you really enjoy.
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