Patrick’s Free Art Course – Lesson 04 Painting – Exercise A

For this first exercise we are going to do the same value scale as from lesson A of the shading course.  And we are going to it on your palette so you can a palette of grayscale. Now keep in mind you will not be painting yet so we only want a tiny tiny bit on each space. Just enough so you can see the value of it. And of course put them on in order from black to white across the edge of your pelette. this will give you a little practice in mixing your paints. When you are done clean your palette and your brushes.

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Patrick’s Free Art Course – Lesson 04 Painting – Introduction

Well it is now the time in the art work to introduce you to painting. By now you will have seen the limitations of pencil, charcoal, pastels and other related media probably. And you will be wanted something where you can do more. And the logical next step is painting. So get ready to learn the joys of painting:)

Now like the other chapters this introduction will first guide you to the wealth of books/DVDs both free and ones you can buy to help you get started. I will also list the basic art painting supplies you need.  Then the next lesson will get you started with basic painting exercises.

Free Painting books etc.

The Painter in Oil by Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst

The Famous Artists Course (sections on painting)

Landscape painting; with twenty-four reproductions of representative pictures (1910)

The practice of oil painting and of drawing as associated with it (1911)

And you can find more books on painting here art the main site for my art course.  www.ArtPhotoFilm.com

Not so free books and DVDs.

Alla Prima: Everything I know about Painting Richard Schmid – If you are going to buy a book on painting I recommend this one. And the DVDs by the same Artist are nice to have. You can get them on the same site.  And you can also rend them from SmartFlix.com.

For more painting videos you can rent them from SmartFlix.

The Materials of the Artist and Their Use in Painting: With Notes on the Techniques of the Old Masters This is an important book to have. If you are going to be a painter you really need to understand the materials you are using. And at only $7 for a used one on Amazon there is no excuse not to get it.  Also of note there are a few things in this book where thought on them has now changed. But it is still a very good book to have.

I will probably add to the above list but its more than enough to get you going:)

Art supplies.

You can see a list of supplies I suggest on the main art course site.

Brushes:  Brushes depend somewhat on personal taste and style. I tend to use 4, 6 and 8 filberts of a good quality most of the time. But a have a very large selection of other brushes. I always try and pick them up when they are on sale or when I find used ones on Craigslist and ebay etc.  But you will need at least a hand full of good quality brushes to start this lesson correctly. I normally buy synthetic brushes now. And I you want brushes that are firm enough for oils (they are normally marked for oils) and with a nice spring to them. And you want something that will retain its shape. Also get the brushes with the long handles.  You can read more about what brushes you need here.

Canvas’s, Panels and Paper etc: Next you will need something to paint on. I personally like painting on panel like high quality plywood or masonite that I prime with gesso myself.  Many people love to work on canvas. And some people paint on other things like paper. So you will have to do some experimenting and reading to see what you like. But you will need something to paint on.  If you would like to paint on panels you can go to Home Depot Or Lowes and by masonite it does not cost much. And you can have them cut it for you smaller sizes if you like also. Oh and they sell it  precute already in 3 or 4 sizes.  Then take it home and gesso it. When you gesso it you can alternate the direction you apply the layers to give it a nice texture. Or you can thin the gesso a little more when applying it and then sand  it down in between layers to get a nice smooth surface.

Gesso. Gesso is the primer you put on canvas or panel etc so that you have a surface to take the paint. Most people today use an acrylic gesso.You can get it here.

Paint: For this lesson we are going to be painting in oils. Oils are the gold standard of painting and I suggest using them over acrylics. But of course you can make good paitnings in either one:) Any way for this lesson all you need is black and white since we are going to be only working in grayscale at first. Now first lets talk about the black. There is more than one black and they are not all the same. First you can make your own black by mixing  Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue. Or you can by one of the blacks like Ivory, Lamp or Mars black. They all have slightly different hues, tinting strength and mixing properties. But to get started I think Ivory Black would be best.

For white there are also several kinds but I think Zinc works best. You can read more about them here.  Or in the book on materials I recommend above.

Other items: You will also need something to thin your oil to make it easier to paint with. I suggest you use pure walnut oil. Walnut Oil has been used interchangeably with linseed oil for over a thousand years. It flows more freely, and has less tendency to crack or yellow. It also does not need have turpentine added to it so you can use it in doors safely without lots of ventilation. You can buy it at health food stores. (just make sure it does not have any additives to make last longer etc). Or you can order it from DickBlick.com.

Now if you use Walnut oil the brushes are not to hard to clean.  Normally get them as clean as possible with a little walnut oil and some soap and water. Then outside you can get the final bit off with a little Turpentine (You can get it here.). And if you wash them one more time with soap and water you will have no terpentine smell at all when you bring them back in. And remember Turpentine is both flammable and toxic including the fumes. That is why I now use only a little in cleaning and out doors.

Rags: You will always need rags for cleaning your things etc.

Rag safety! Did you know rags soaked in oil can catch on fire by themselves? Well they can. So you need to take proper safety measures when using rags and oil.  I would suggest you do your own research on this as I am not expert. Any way be safe  and here is what one website says…
“One rare but potentially severe hazard with oil painting is spontaneous combustion. Drying oils, under rare circumstances, can generate enough heat when drying (oxidizing) to catch on fire. That’s not a concern on the surface of a painting or in a closed container, but in a closed space that allows oxygen to enter, such as a trash bin, a pile of rags or paper towels soaked in oil or oil paint can combust. It is best to either have a fire retardant trash can, or throw rags into a container half full of water. I sometimes allow painting rags to collect in in the open on a counter. When it’s time to throw them away I put them into a plastic grocery bag, soak them in water, and put them into the trash for pickup the next day.” more.

Easel: Next you will need an easel. For most students I suggest starting out with a french easel. That way you can store it in a small place and you can use it to paint out side or to move to what ever location you need without to much trouble. You can get them here.

Palette:You will also need a palette to mix your paint on. You can choose a traditional palette.  And you can make this yourself by cutting it out of say masonite or you can order one cheaply online. You can also use a surface on a small table with a palette on top. For example glass where you can clean all of the paint off when done each time without a problem, or plastic etc.

Palette Knife: You will also need a Palette knife to mix your paint etc.

Oil-Cup: You will also need some kind of oil cup.

Mahl Stick: You will also need a Mahl Stick.

So now you can get started on your grand adventure of painting.

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