Nine Need-to-Knows for the Beginner Artists

Whether you are a beginner artist who decided to turn your passion for art into a career or a veteran who is keen to explore a new path, determining exactly where and how to begin can be a little challenging.

Although there is no “a-must” in art, here is a little assistance for the confused souls interested in filling the pages with color and their vision but looking for a tip or two. 

Below are the nine need-to-knows for our beginner artists:

 

1. Drawing V/S Painting

If you prefer to use simple lines on papers to creating art, you are more into the drawing; however, if you use more layers of color on top of each other and like blends and smudges, then painting is your preference. 

While Drawings or Sketchings are more concerned with outlines and forms of an object or subject, paintings use smudges or stains. If you use a paintbrush covered with color on your canvas to make lines as the primary form,  your work will be considered drawing. 

Similarly, if you use pastels and crayons or even pencils to art, but smudge them in a way, so the boundaries are not easily discerned, then it will be a painting.

Simply put, the main difference between drawing and painting is more about how the materials are used instead of what materials are used.

 

2. Tools You Need 

Artists use all sorts of different tools for their painting to give it their desired form. But as a beginner, you don’t need to complicate matters more than you need to. Keep it simple and minimalist for a while. Use a few tools you are comfortable with – even a simple pencil and paper is adequate for you to start. 

Many beginners make the mistake of buying a bunch of colors, pencils, papers, and canvases before starting to draw. 

There’s a wide range of alluring tools available out there for creating art, but, according to the nature of art, the required equipment varies.

And if you’re looking to infuse your projects with a burst of color and innovation, don’t miss out on the exceptional range of turbo dork paints found here, ready to take your artistic endeavors to the next level.

So, don’t wait to figure out and collect the right tools and then begin. Instead, start the process, and eventually, you will find out which tools you need for your masterpiece! 

 

3. Essential skills to Focus on

As a beginner artist, whether you are painting or drawing, perspective, edges, angles, and contrast are some essential basic skills to focus on from the very beginning. 

Recognizing the edges, the angles, and the right judgment of light and shadow will give your work a three-dimensional look, making it more aesthetically pleasing. So, learn how to use these skills to determine the horizontal line, choose the vanishing point, or add distance to give depth to your painting or drawing and make it more exciting and livelier.  

4. Using References 

Using references makes it a little easier to draw what you want to, especially for beginners. If you have something in mind that you want to display on your canvas, try to find some relevant reference images to take some idea and learn to come up with your own reference images simultaneously.

 

5. Choosing Medium of paintings

When it comes to art, there’s no right or wrong medium. It’s just a matter of preference. 

While some love to portray their imagination in grayscale and monochrome, many like to make it more vivid and colorful.

You can use oil color, watercolor, acrylic paint, chalk pastel, oil pastel, mixed media, or even pencils to make a painting.

 

6. Conquering the Color Palette  

Practice makes perfect. But practice comes with trial and error. Don’t be afraid to play with colors and see which color palettes and blends portray your imagination better on the canvas. 

Avoid setting the color palette the same way every time. Get some idea about the color palette and hue to boost your painting skills. Try to paint different things if you are confused about what to draw or begin with a process like ‘Painting by Numbers.’ You can check it out first before you start.

7. Carrying Sketch Book

When we talk about artists, we have to talk about sketchbooks! 

You might think it’s too much for an amateur or beginner to carry a drawing book, but, in reality, it’s an effective method of improving your artistic ability. 

So, just keep a sketchbook with you while going anywhere, leave one on your desk, and don’t forget to put one at your bedside to make drafts, doodle or sketch whenever you feel like and whatever catches your eyes as an artist.  You never know what will inspire you, and you need to put it on paper to develop the concept.

8. Creating Your Own Style

Don’t blindly follow others’ paintings and visions. Art should reflect the artist’s imagination, interpretation of reality, soul, and mind. Draw your imagination and find your own unique style and hang some of your masterpieces on the wall for interior decoration!

 
9. Working Hard 

“Art is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do,”- said Edgar Degas. 

The more you go deeper in learning about art, the more you will find out areas to improve. 

But don’t get stressed or overwhelmed! The moment you start to stress, you will begin to lose interest. Don’t give up if you find out that you have a long way to go. 

Go at your own pace and be patient. Anything as good as art demands sacrifice of time, patience, a lot of effort, and concentration. Bear in mind that every artist was once an amateur, but their hard work, enthusiasm, patience, and not to mention their love for art, eventually paid off. 

Finally, do not procrastinate. 

If you have already made up your mind to start as an artist, then do not wait for the right tools or the right moment. There is no better moment to begin than now. Every home has a pencil and a piece of paper. So, grab one and start it right away. 

Trust us. You won’t regret it!