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Learn How to Paint

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Learn to Paint

 

Learning to paint can be a highly personal journey. I've heard lots of people tell me they wish they knew how to paint. I think everyone can paint, it's a matter of allowing yourself the freedom to actually do it.

Even artists can feel that fear of making a mark on a clean surface. This is  the fear that the first mark will ruin the possiblies the blank surface offers. Its not a reasonable fear because no one mark, line or brushstroke can irretrivably ruin a painting. But it is a real fear nonetheless.

 

Horse Painting Turtorial by Kim Wyatt 

A work in progress from start to finish!

This is a tutorial starting from a pencil drawing on canvas, all the way through to a completed painting. Not all of my paintings begin as drawings but this drawing actually became about three or four differant finished paintings.

This drawing was made while looking at a horse breeder magazine, I didn't copy any photos (which would be copyright infringement) but I did refine some rough sketches into this composition.

courtship by kimwyatt4000

The pencil outline on canvas. I call this stage "mapping out" ...

courtship1 by kimwyatt4000

The first two colors

courtship2 by kimwyatt4000

A deep red undercoat for the background.

courtship3 by kimwyatt4000

random brushstrokes in three differant reds for texture in the background

courtship4 by kimwyatt4000

Gold outlines around the horses.

courstship5 by kimwyatt4000

Mica power added to the tan colors as a base for next step.

courtship6 by kimwyatt4000

The coat of mica is sealed to allow more vigorous treatment of these areas in th...

courtship7 by kimwyatt4000

A mixture of tan and metallic gold paint is applied over the mica areas and wipe...

courshipnames by kimwyatt4000

Detail of writing incorporated into the brushstrokes under the black horses head...

courtshipw by kimwyatt4000

Detail of the tan wiped away over the metallic layer.

courtshipb by kimwyatt4000

Detail of the black horse and his mane.

A work in process 

The pencil drawing

This is a painting started from a pencil drawing from my sketchbook. Not all of my paintings begin as drawings but this drawing actually became about three or four differant finished paintings.

The original drawing was made while looking at a horse breeder magazine, I didn't copy any photos (which would be copyright infringement) but I did refine some rough sketches into this composition.

Remember, while there are many right and wrong ways to make art, when it comes right down to it, most rules are flexible. If you want to try something, try it.

Art Instruction Sites 

free online art lessons

Now how can you beat that? These are free websites where artists are willingly giving away their knowledge to anyone who wants to learn to paint, draw or otherwise make art!
free art lessons - learn how to draw, sketch and paint
Free art lessons and tutorials for drawing people, sketching faces, wildlife ... Learn how to draw and develop art skills. Commercial Art Video Tutorials also available.
Free Watercolor Painting Tutorials: How to paint, Hints, Tips, Techniques
Watercolor Painting Tutorials: Free Watercolor Lessons. Learn to Paint. Free online Watercolour Classes.
Watercolor Painting
Watercolor can be a tricky medium to master. Here are helpful tips, essential techniques, and step-by-step demonstrations on using watercolors (and watercolor pencils).
Painting With Acrylics
Acrylics have their own advantages, characteristics, and unique possibilities. Here you'll find helpful tips, essential techniques, and step-by-step demonstrations on using acrylic paints for artists of all levels.
Oil Painting -- How to Paint with Oils -- Oil Painting Techniques
Helpful tips, essential techniques, and step-by-step demonstrations on using oil paints for all artists, from beginner to expert.
Watercolor Tutorial Bern Sundell's
This great website shows an artist painting a picture in a slide show.
The ultimate arts learning site!
This free website is wonderful. This is what they have to say for themeselves, "From our humble grass-roots beginnings in 1998, Wet Canvas ! has grown into a veritable gold mine of information, serving painters, sculptors, illustrators, digital artists, photographers, and other visual artists."

Painting on You Tube 

Video painting demonstrations

Watching videos helps a lot of people learn to paint.

Painting: How to Oil Paint

http://www.learn-to-oil-paint.co.uk/free . Learn to oil paint without even being able to draw. Free video lessons online, taking you from start to selling your pictures. Online immediately or free DVD.

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If you need more help getting started painting let me know. I'll be happy to share whatever I've learned with you.

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Basic painting rules 

Some things just don't work

Oil on Top!!!
Oil Paint is oily, therefore waterbased paints like watercolor & acrylic paints will peel & flake off if applied over oil paint.

Oh, and oil paint on paper tends to age badly, eventually the oil will bleed out of the pigment into the paper & you'll get an oily stain on your picture.

Buy the best you can afford
There is nothing worse than trying to learn to paint with cheap paints. Buy decent supplies while they are on sale, liquid watercolor paint, acid free 140lb wieght watercolor paper sold pads or watercolor blocks. Try to avoid the cheap canvas boards which have cardboard in them that swells and bends as the painting ages.

If painting in watercolors get a couple of decent brushes. They make all the differance.
As for acrylic paints, you can use cheep brushes, plastic knives anything you can think of to get the paint on the canvas or paper.
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kimsart

About kimsart

My name is Kim Wyatt, I'm a visual artist with a passion for painting horses. My art is full of bright vibrant color, energy and humor.I studied art at Grossmont Community College in El Cajon California which is in San Diego County and At San Diego State University. I personally belive that the study of art never ends and knows no bounds. Everything I do and think can find it's way into my art. I am an avid reader and I consume vast amounts of knowledge through reading all kinds of materials. I love reading fiction and nonfiction equally.



One of my favorite ways to spend my days is taking my boys to the beach. We have a great time and I fill my sketchbook with studies of the beaches and bays around San Diego, drawings of palm trees, my boys enjoying the ocean, seashells, seagulls, boats, and anything else that catches my eye.

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