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Creating art can be described as a process through which humans give their emotions and imagination a physical form. From its humble beginnings as cave drawings, art evolved into a process that today involves the use of different materials and techniques for the creation of masterpieces. That being said, you have plenty of options to choose from if you want to give art a try.
Drawing with Soft Pastel Pencils
Pastel pencils are a bit softer than the regular coloured drawing pencils we’re all used to. Many artists actually prefer pastel pencils over traditional ones because pastel pencils leave a softer finish on paper. They are a great choice both for subtly detailed works of art and for quick sketches. Pastel pencils come compactly packed, are very easy to use and don’t create a mess.
Most pencil pastels contain fine pigments that provide for a high level of coverage and are resistant to fading when exposed to light. That means that you can create vivid paintings with high-quality soft pastel pencils that won’t suffer changes to their appearance over time. Pastel pencils allow you to have full control when drawing and are ideal for blending and smudging. They can be combined with hard pastels too if you’re aiming towards creating something more complex.
There are no limitations when it comes to creating art with a pastel pencil. You can create amazing vivid portraits and detailed landscapes. Nothing can surpass the velvety finish and smooth transition that pastel pencils create on the canvas.
That said, soft pastel pencils are some of the must-have art products for painting and drawing beginners because they are easy to master. In a way, pastel pencils resemble the pencils we all used for drawing when we were little kids, so it kind of feels natural. With the help of pastel pencils, you can learn the basics and then upgrade your painting technique.
There are a few basic tips you need to remember when it comes to pastel painting. Don’t use too many colours because instead of creating a complex painting you’ll create a mess. It’ll still be artistic but not quite what you’re aiming for. Next, always start off with bright colours and slowly add darker tones to define shapes. Don’t apply too much pressure because you’ll leave markings on the painting surface and destroy the final appearance of the painting. And most importantly, always keep your pencils sharp.
Watercolour and Acrylic Paintings
Painting with watercolours and acrylic paint is a classic. Many of the timeless masterpieces we know and admire today were created using these precise techniques. Watercolours are water-soluble and applied on canvas/paper with the help of a brush. You can get different brush sizes and practice your strokes in order to create intricate paintings. Start from using a small amount of colour and creating light shades and work your way to adding more colour and making vivid layers.
Acrylic paint, on the other hand, has more density and is also water-soluble but becomes water-resistant once it is completely dry. You can apply acrylic paint on many different surfaces starting from canvas and paper to wood and metal. Different colours of acrylic paints can easily be mixed together which allows for a sort of freedom when it comes to painting. The artist can paint in many styles and techniques using acrylic paint which is not always the case with other types of paint. Once finished, acrylic paintings can resemble both watercolour and an oil painting.
Ink Wash Painting
Ink painting includes only the use of black ink. And in order to achieve different shades, you need to include water in the process. This technique originated from China but spread all over the world. It requires the use of a small number of materials but with the right approach, amazing masterpieces can be created.
Water changes the density of the ink, therefore, helps in creating different tones. Different tones and shades can also be achieved by mastering the brushstroke technique and the amount of pressure applied, which for some people takes years of practice but it’s totally worth it. Ink masterpieces can be mind-blowing.
Drawing with Wine and Coffee
Now, if you’re interested in something similar to ink painting but edgier, try painting with wine and coffee. Yes, that exists too. Painting with wine and coffee is considered to be a modern technique that artists started to use recently. Wine and coffee are beverages that naturally have strong colours (especially strong brewed coffee) that leave quite a nice shade on canvas/paper. It’s usually a long process of adding one layer on top of another, but the final results are mesmerizing.
Nothing can even get close to resembling the caramel tones that coffee makes or the deep burgundy and strong purple shades made by wine. So if you want to try something new and exciting, make yourself some coffee and start painting!
Paper and Digital Collages
The term and the technique “collage” dates back to the 20th century and is the invention of the great Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It actually refers to the process of getting all sorts of different materials (canvas, paper, cloth, newspaper etc) glued together on a surface. What looks like random pieces brought together is actually the intention to create a whole new picture out of the mess. And a lot of people and artist do that quite successfully. You can find plenty of vivid collage portraits that are breathtaking.
Now, the interesting part about collages is that you can create them digitally too. It works on the same principle as the traditional collage with the sole difference that you don’t use paper and cloth but instead, you take virtual images, virtual textures and play around with colours and layers to create a digital collage. And the best thing about digital collages is that they are super easy to create. Maybe even easier than traditional ones. You just need to pick an application from the many available (even for free), gather a bunch of images and let your imagination run wild.