Learning How to Paint is Easy

Picasso, Monet, Bosch, Cezanne, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Da Vinci. Any of these names sound familiar? Yes, they are among the most well-known painters in the world, all having contributed masterpieces of art for the rest of mankind to enjoy. But just like with any other master wielding expert skills in whatever field, they weren't born masters. They may have had an early start at painting and may also have had an edge among their other painter peers, but they all had to begin somewhere and that is learning first how to paint.

You too can be an artist. Although you are completely free to do so, there is absolutely no need to pay for and undergo painting classes. After all, man did not start painting during the 19th century but even when our ancestors still lived in caves. They etched animal and human outlines on the walls, depicting their hunting and other rituals, improving in their artistic methods as they went along. And it's pretty certain they did not learn how to paint or carve or sculpt through classes. They just started painting, carving, and sculpting. And that's what you also need to do.

If you study painting you'll find out there is a myriad of styles you can employ in your artwork, both from the West and the East. From the West there are realism, abstract, surrealism, baroque, impressionism, cubism, and more, with several other -isms among them. From the east there are ink-and-wash, emakimono, and Tanjore, to name a few. But probably the most familiar style to everyone, even to someone with no background in painting, is abstract. It's most forgiving too, because, well, anything goes! So this is probably the best style to employ if you want to learn how to paint.

Get a sheet of paper primed for acrylics, or any thick piece of paper you can use as canvas, acrylic paint (or alternatively, watercolor, but not oil because it doesn't dry quickly and therefore you cannot paint over it for an abstract painting), a paintbrush, sponge or your fingers. If you don't have anything to paint in mind, no problem; that's actually perfect. Just dab your paintbrush into your palette, picking any color you feel like using, and make streaks or dots or any other shape on your canvas. Add more color; add more shapes. Don't think. With abstract art, spontaneity is king. You could think of scenery, the nirvana of being in love, base your painting on a dream you had, but let your paintbrush take control and bring out whatever your mind wants to subconsciously express. Don't be a perfectionist; you're not painting to outshine The Last Supper, or The Starry Night, or Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, more popularly known as Mona Lisa.

Learning how to paint is not difficult. Just start painting, don't overanalyze, and also equally important, complete your artwork. Then step back and gaze at your first painting while enjoying a glass of juice. And after a while, move on to your next masterpiece.