Painting / learning to paint (or teaching yourself)

I've got back into it recently too, my latest handywork:-

http://www.mullsports.com/images/everythingsbottom.jpg

This was done using Corel Essentials, with an a5 wacom pen tablet. i still prefer a good old sharp pencil on scrap paper though.

so what are you going to paint first?

I did a REALLY shitty portrait of Bob the kitten in oils the other Sunday, but I've never painted in oils before and did it on really shitty notepaper. Bad idea. Em stuck it on the fridge, though.

That's really cool, btw. I've never got into the idea of doing art on a computer in any way, and I guess what I want now is things I can hang on walls.

I find this a good resource

I painted this one on the computer and now i've printed it and it hangs on my wall

http://www.lolrider.com/silly/honour.jpg

I was trying to paint in as close to a realistic style I could get. I was pretty decent-ish but I didn't enjoy it and painting just felt like painting was a real chore rather than something I dug. I wasn't especially happy with the results either (tho this isn't uncommon among artists).

A while ago I started painting on way bigger canvases: in the past I had used usually 18x24", now I'm using 36x48", and just doing impasto shit of nothing in particular with colors I really like in big, fat curvy strokes. I have a lot more pleasure doing it and I like the results better.

Moral: try playing around until you figure out what you LIKE doing rather than what you think you should probably do.

and whatever style you eventually get into, your first ever painting should always be one of wayne from the so not gonna happen thread.

Drawing comes easily for me. Even brush-an-ink washes seem pretty obvious and natural.

Paint, otoh, seems to be very tricky stuff and I have never spent the time required to learn it. I think you just have to spend a lot of time mucking around with it. If canvas is too expensive for you, try heavy cardboard until you start to produce work you want to keep a long time. Put the money into paint and brushes first.

I have no further or better advice. Now listen to someone other than me who knows more.

Any advice for buying supplies for a beginning oil painter? Was thinking it'd make a good Xmas present

I was recommended the Grumbacher "Academy" line of paints by an art teacher. Academy is their student line, so it's a bit cheaper than the better paints. He said anything cheaper (other brands) will be frustrating to a student.

oil paint learning curve is VERY steep; make sure the person is into it vs watercolor

^^^ this

but if you're looking for a gift set, the more comprehensive it is the better.
It should have some spectrum colors, some earth colors, B&W (with a big tube of white)
3-6 bristle brushes (flats, filberts, brights), 2-4 sable-type brushes (rounds & filberts)
a bottle of refined linseed oil
a bottle of odorless mineral spirits
2 pallet knives- a big spade and a butter knife style
some rags
a silicoil jar
a pad of pallet paper
a tub of Masters Brush Cleaner

for surfaces a couple of smallish canvases- 14x18, 16x20, maybe an Artboard product like Gessoboard.

the biggest hurdle to taking up oil painting @ home is the mess it makes. It is hard to control, and cleanup is a process that takes some planning and followthrough.

I would even include some very small canvases, like the 4" x 6" size. Much less intimidating when starting (and use much less paint, take much less time to finish, etc.).

I came at it from the opposite end-- that trying to paint on 4 x 6 you'd run out of space very quickly and get frustrated, but it could go either way.

Arches now makes this product, which comes in a variety of sizes and is actually very cool:

http://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2012/04/26/new-arches-oil-painting-paper/

esp for people like me who when not painting with oils are using watercolors

alt art supplies that cld be fun are linography. think potato stamps that dont go bad

I think picking the right subject is the key to painting on small canvases. I have a 4x4 painting that's just a single olive on a flat surface (I didn't do it). It seems like a good choice because it's one object, a simple shape, limited color palette, and the kind of shading that beginners will be used to if they're done any drawing (a sphere).

I'm a little paintings person- I rarely get bigger than 24" in any direction, and have a whole bunch that are around 7 x 9". I did a group a long while ago that were 5x5" square, designed to sit on a shelf.

great! thanks everyone.

I started writing (and lost) a long detailed post about setting up a beginning pallet. If anyone cares I'd be happy to keep at it. I truly love talking about oil paint.

I feel compelled to point out that I've only painted something once (and I traced the subject on the board before applying paint) so my advice is to be taken with a grain of salt. I used some very cheap paints from Michael's, $5 for a dozen tubes (can't remember if they were oil or acrylic). I've taken a few drawing classes and am trying to sign up for an oil painting class, but the last few times it's been filled when I go to sign up.