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If you are passionate about art and want to start painting, you are probably wondering what kind of painting supplies you’ll need. Shopping for art materials can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time because there are so many different paints, brushes, palettes and other tools you are not familiar with. To simplify all that, here is a list of essential painting supplies every beginner should have.
Before buying any supplies for painting, you need to determine the kind of paint you want to start with. There are oil paints, acrylic paints, watercolours, pastels and many more, so you really don’t need to buy them all at once. You don’t even have to go to the store because nowadays you can find a vast array of paint and paint supplies online for more affordable prices than in your local art store.
Source: earthpigments.com
Different Types of Paint
In general, oil paints dry more slowly than other paints and that is why many beginners choose this type – it gives you time to manipulate with the painting. There are oil paints that can take up even to a year to dry completely. However, a quality oil paint has high pigment content and less filler which means that it retains vivid colours and is more light resistant.
Oil painters use longer lasting and expensive surfaces and the beauty of oil paint is that once the painting dries, if you don’t put it under glass it won’t get damaged and you can even touch it if you want. Oil paint is very malleable so you can easily push it or blend it and thus the transitions will look seamless. So, if you are into realistic-style paintings oil paint should be your choice.
Acrylics are versatile, vibrant and more affordable than oil paints. The advantage of using acrylic paints is that they can be used on paper, wood, metal, canvas and more. They also dry fast so you can “go over” if you’ve made a mistake. However, the disadvantage of the quick drying time is that you need to work very fast and sometimes it can be very difficult to blend colours. Anyway, you can try mixing acrylics with retarder and wetting agent that will extend drying time and increase colour and blendability.
Acrylics are water-based so you can simply use soap and water to clean them up and since they are law in odour, they are perfect if you are painting for a longer period of time. However, you can find acrylics in tubes or jars and you can buy them individually or in acrylic painting sets. When you are choosing acrylic paint, pay attention on things like quality, colour, permanence, viscosity, drying time and brands.
Watercolours are more frequently used in schools and beginner’s lessons for teaching painting. They dry much faster than other types of colours which is good if you want to layer up your painting. They are less pigmented than oil paints which depending on your style, it might be more difficult to achieve high amounts of colour than with other paints.
A watercoloured painting can fade if you expose it to light, so you might consider putting it under glass or hanging it in a darker room. Anyway, since watercolours are water-based, they are easier to get off surfaces, clothes and you can get rid off mistakes without too much hustle.
So, whether you decide to go for oils, acrylics or watercolors, you can start creating very interesting paintings with less colours. It is much easier for beginners to start with a small palette, otherwise it can get very overwhelming. However, there are sets of paint and paint supplies that consist of all necessary colours you need to start your first paintings.
Source: drawpaintacademy.com
Additional Essential Supplies
Painting Paper Pads
If you are using watercolours, the most convenient option would be a pre-stretched pad. And why particularly this kind of pad? Because it helps wet paper to remain flat, preventing paint from pooling. That way, you won’t need to stretch the paper by yourself by soaking each sheet in water and then tapping it till it dries.
If you are using acrylics, you have two choices – heavyweight acrylic paper or canvas. Paper pads are slightly cheaper than canvas and can save you space. However, canvas is stiffer than paper and always stays flat, even if you are painting outdoor. So best choice is to try them both and see which one suits your needs best.
Oil Paint Surface
If you decide to paint in oil you can paint in any surface, from thick paper to wood and pre-stretched canvas. As soon as you treat the surface with gesso, which is a white paint mixture consist of a binder mixed with chalk, gypsum or pigment, you can paint with oil paint anywhere you like. This type of mixture will keep the paint from deteriorating the surface beneath.
Palette
Using a palette is a good way to mix and analyze colours without allowing them to dry out. It is a basic supply that you don’t need to get too spendy for. You can pick up a plastic paint palette suitable for watercolours and acrylics for affordable price. It is practical and easy to wash. Anyway, there is another type of palette that offers more space to mix your colours and makes clean-ups much easier. I am talking about a disposable palette paper. It can help you keep your mixes workable for weeks and when you are done with your painting, you can just tear off the sheet and you will get another white surface ready for new colours.
Source: trembelingart.com
Brushes
For Watercolours
Choosing the right set of brushes can be a very daunting task because there are many different manufacturers that produce brushes in different sizes, with different shapes and handle lengths. Also, there are brushes that go better with watercolours, acrylics or oil.
If you are using watercolours, there are three type of brushes you can count on. If you are using a wash technique, a medium or large sized flat brush will do the work. For general painting it is advisible to use a round brush, size 8, 10 or 14 and for smaller details, a liner brush would be your best choice.
For Acrylics
If you are painting in acrylics, try using these three brushes:
For general painting and smoothing out details, use a filbert brush (for medium size paintings, a size 6 would be perfect);
For backgrounds use a flat wash brush (2,5cm);
For the fine details use a small liner brush.
For Oil Paint
Once you start painting with oil paint, you will quickly learn what sizes and shapes are most suitable to use. You don’t need to break your bank and buy thousands of different brushes, but just a selection of one or two small, medium and large round brushes that will be enough to educate on what your preferences are.
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