On this page, you will find a brief overview of questions such as how I learned to paint, what supplies I use, and more.
The journey to successful painting is as varied as the number of artists who paint, so this is just me sharing my journey as opposed to saying this is the only way to do it (far from it!). I have included this in the hopes that if you, too, want to learn how to paint, perhaps I can save you a little time! Painting has brought me great enjoyment, and perhaps you will find that for yourself.
What About the Fumes; is painting bad for your health?
This is actually where I started. The last thing I wanted in my retirement years was to have a hobby that would cause health problems.
With just a little bit of research, I was able to learn that, yes, there are ways to paint that are safe.
My biggest concern was mineral spirits; even odorless mineral spirits have chemical properties that are far from healthful. However, I learned how to clean the brushes without them (several options: bar soap, liquid dish soap, Lavender, and Citrus Brush Cleaners by Chelsea). In fact, the entire line of Chelsea products is designed to be safe.
I wear gloves when I paint, as I tend to get my fingers in the paint. A few paints should be handled carefully. But other than that, if you are careful, it isn’t messy (or dangerous) at all. And the only fumes are lavender!
Now that I knew that, I needed to figure out how to paint and how to use things like “mediums!”
Learning to Paint
I’ll share other places where I learned a lot before I found this option, but Evolve, an online school where you will learn how to do everything you need to paint and paint well, is the fastest point from A to Z for any age group, whatever your goals. It’s an amazing community of instructors, resources, and fellow students, and I highly recommend it. Depending upon the amount of time you put in, most students take a year+ for the basic study. Should you decide to continue, another 2+ years.
Evolve students are now beginning to open brick-and-mortar art instruction studios with the support of the Evolve resources behind them; if this interests you, check to see if there is one near you.
Prior to finding the Evolve program, I started with a purchased course by Florent Farges. It was a great place to start for me at that time.
In addition, Dianne Mize on YouTube and her website offer both free and paid instruction; I have utilized both. Her methods are excellent, and what you learn from her is solid teaching.
As with other artists, I purchased other “how-to” instructional videos and watched many YouTube videos on a variety of subjects, learning a little from each. But that’s a long way to get to where you want to go. Had I known then what I know now, I would have started with Evolve.
Materials and Where to Buy
I have painted long enough now that I have opinions about what I like and what I don’t. And these are just opinions!
Brushes: Rosemary brushes. Many art stores carry these, too. If I were starting out, I’d start with Ivory Filberts, sizes 0 to 8.
Paint: Use artist-grade paint only (no student grade). I haven’t found any artist grades paints that I don’t like.
Canvas: If you are just learning, Frederix Cantone Canvas pads (grey) are a cost effective place to start. As you want to do an actual painting, you’ll need to do research into the various options available to you.
Where to buy: If you have a local art store, by all means support it.
Online resources: Jerry’s Artarama, Dick Blick, and Jackson Art (located in the UK but has some unique supplies).
Mediums: You don’t need to use mediums. However, they can do a variety of things for you: speed up drying time, slow down drying time, and more. You’ll need to do some research to understand all this. For now, if you want to extend your paint time a little, a drop or two of linseed oil is a good place to start. This is what I use for most of my painting.
Additional information can be found on Richard Schmid’s site. He has incredible books that detail materials and methods and his website is a joy and inspiration.