Painting will make you feel alive
Remember back in the day when a good session of finger-painting was the best part of your day? Painting used to be one of those activities where you could spend hours of messy fun unleashing your inner artist. Today, however, it’s an activity that too often gets forgotten but for many, it is one of the best mediums to express creativity. Vincent van Gogh famously said, “The only time I feel alive is when I'm painting.” Many artists will tell you it is a great way to relax and observe the world around you as well as deeply satisfying and fulfilling to finish a piece of art but even see yourself reflected in it. Plus, it’s fun playing with colours. We look through the variety of painting techniques so you can decided which one is right for you.
Watercolour
Referring both to the medium and the resulting artwork, watercolours produce a soft luminous painting. Beginners usually start with watercolours because mistakes are less obvious than in other forms. However, that is not to say watercolours cannot create beautiful paintings. Watercolour paints offer a great amount of freedom and limitless creative potential from creating flowing, impressionistic brushstrokes to building vivid colours with layers. And on the plus side, they also offer one of the least expensive ways to paint as a little bit of water is all you need to change the shade of colours.
Acrylic
Acrylics are a simple, fast-drying and versatile paint. They are water-soluble so like watercolours you can manipulate colour shades by adding water and create thin washes or glazes. Unlike watercolours, though, you can layer acrylic to create texture or add other agents to the paint to modify the texture and consistency to create various effects. Many artists love using acrylics as their quick-drying nature means you can see the results of your hard work in a day. However, unlike oil paints, which can be constantly reworked, using acrylics means there is less chance to correct mistakes or change the direction your painting is taking. For beginners and professionals alike, acrylics are the perfect medium to experiment with new techniques and expand creativity.
Oil
Used by the European renaissance artists to create the masterpieces you see hanging in famous art galleries around the world, oil painting is one the oldest and most difficult painting techniques to master. Due to the slow pace at which oil paint dries, this technique is prized by the most accomplished of artists as it allows great flexibility when painting. For instance, you have ample time to make changes to your painting as well as experiment with different textures and colours until satisfied. Additionally, oils are versatile as you can create flat, hard-edged, textured or glazed paintings. Painting in this style can range to include minute detail through to a freer flowing look. While oils have a reputation for being the hardest technique to master, oil painting is also great for beginners. The slow drying nature means oils are very forgiving and rich colours make it easy to create striking pieces.
Pastel
While there is a raging debate in the art world whether pastels constitutes drawing or painting, one thing for sure is that they’re certainly fun to use. Unlike the other forms where you use a paint brush, with pastels you either use pastel pencils or oil pastels. Pastels allows a varied style – rich or vibrant or soft and subtle. It is easy to create different strokes, layer colours and blend to create textures. Pastels are great to use as there is no need to wait for them to dry and the colours do not fade or crack over time.
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Want to learn more about painting?
Open Universities Australia offers a Painting: Strategies and Materials course, which will take you through all the necessary skills, techniques, methods and processes of painting.
The course covers…
- Identify methods and processes appropriate to a chosen visual art specialism.
- Apply skills and techniques central to a chosen visual art specialism.
- Effectively communicate the research process to a group of peers using art specific technical terms.
- Originate and critically analyse responses to set projects.
To find out more about Painting: Strategies and Materials visit the Open Universities Australia website here.