Step-by-Step Guide for Beginner Painters: How to Get Started

If you haven’t painted since fifth grade, then that’s okay! Paint and Sip LIVE welcomes guests with all levels of experience.

In fact, most guests have zero recent painting experience. They’re just looking for a fun night out with friends.

If you want to impress your friends or flex your skills, however, then it helps to learn basic things about painting.

Today, we’re highlighting some of the most important things a complete beginner should know to start painting.

Step 1) Picking a Medium

There are three main media for painting, including acrylics, oils, and watercolors.

Acrylics are the beginner’s choice. They’re easy to use and don’t require special supplies. They can work with mixed media works. They’re easy to clean up. And they’re affordable. Paint dries quickly and colors can darken, but acrylics are ideal for beginners.

Oils are what professional painters used. They’re more versatile. It’s what the masters used. It adds greater complexity to your work. They’re relatively easy to start using – but difficult to master.

Watercolors are the least beginner-friendly medium. You’re working with water, which can be messy. If you’ve tried acrylics and oils already and didn’t like the feel, then consider trying watercolors – but get ready to make mistakes.

If you’re starting to paint for the first time, start with acrylics or oils.

Step 2) Gather Supplies

We can ship a beginner painting kit to your address before any Paint and Sip LIVE painting party.

However, if you don’t want a beginner kit, then you’ll need the following basic supplies:

• An easel to hold your artwork

• A canvas (if painting with acrylics or oils) or paper (for watercolors)

• A palette and a palette knife for mixing colors

• Brushes

• Paints

• Palette knives

• Paper towels and a water cup (for cleaning)

Step 3) Understand the Fundamentals of Painting for Beginners

You don’t need to take a professional painting class to start painting. However, some fundamentals to consider include:

Color: Color, obviously, is crucial for painting. The hue, saturation, and value of your colors matters. These terms refer to where the color is found on the color wheel. Red and yellow are different hues, while deep blue and light blue are different levels of saturation, lightness, or darkness. You don’t need to memorize this, but it helps prepare you when people start talking about colors.

Value: Colors don’t tell the full story of your work. It’s the relationship between colors that matters. If you removed color from your painting, then it should still make sense because of the relative value between colors.

Composition and Focus Point: As a beginner painter, you don’t need to worry much about composition and focus point – but it’s something to consider as you get more experienced. You’ll hear people talk about focal point, rule of thirds, golden mean, leading lines, horizon line, and other rules when setting up your painting. If you’re like most beginner painters, you’ll put your subject in the center of the canvas – and that’s fine.

Step 4) Pick a Subject

Here’s the fun part: picking a subject. Find something you like to paint.

Maybe it’s your pet cat or dog.

Maybe it’s a favorite landscape – or a photo from your recent vacation.

Generally, simple objects or landscapes are best for beginners. More complex objects – like people – can be challenging.

Step 5) Visualize your Piece

Some beginners just start painting – and that’s okay.

However, we recommend taking a few minutes to visualize your piece. Create a basic plan for how you want your painting to look. Are you painting a landscape or a self-portrait? Consider tracing light details of the subject onto the canvas or paper.

Step 6) Start Painting – And Get Ready to Make Mistakes

You’re ready to start painting.

The most important thing to remember is that you will make mistakes – and that’s okay.

If you enjoy painting, then you’ll inevitably get better at it over time. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step – and you’ve just taken the first step. You’ll get better.

If you decide painting isn’t’ for you, then that’s okay too. Painting flexes your brain in unique ways. You’ve learned a new skill and exercised your brain’s creative muscle – great job!

We Can Ship a Beginner Painting Kit to your House Before your Painting Party

Don’t have painting supplies at home? That’s okay! Most of our guests are beginners, which is why we ship painting kits across the US.

Our painting kit comes with everything you need to participate in a painting class. We can ship a kit to your address ASAP.

Check our virtual painting party schedule online today. Sign up for a class – and see what the hype is about.

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