After drawing comes painting. Painting is the flesh that goes over an artwork’s skeleton – its bones – that is – its drawing – the picture’s ‘underdrawing’. But what paint should be used in a painting? Should you use the usual painting mediums, or can other mediums be used?
Painting mediums
Pictures can be painted in a range of mediums, and the most commonly used painting mediums are acrylic paint, oil paint and watercolour paint.
Acrylic, oil and watercolour paint are generally applied to paper or canvas, which may, or may not have been primed.
But are these the only mediums to use in a painting?
Other painting mediums?
A number of other mediums can be used to paint, and they are not limited to paper or canvas surfaces.
It is possible to paint with an airbrush on fabric, paper or metal. You can also paint on fabric with fabric paint.
How about painting on fabric with regular acrylic paint? This can be done by using a textile medium to help the paint adhere to the fabric.
What about painting on glass with glass paint?
Examples of other mediums
I have used a few other mediums to paint. For example, I paint on glass jars. I also paint egg tempera on smooth chalked boards. I tried watercolour painting when learning botanical illustration.
You can see an example of a jar I painted with Pebeo glass paint below. The jar is decorated with ribbon around the jar lip, and I put a few green and gold beads on the wire handle.
You can even make your own paint by using dry pigments. Egg tempera is a paint medium usually applied to a smooth white chalked board.
You can see an example of an egg tempera painting I painted on a chalk board I prepared below.
As well, oil sticks can be used on either fabric or paper.
Resists can be used to block the paint from permeating the surface on which you are painting.
There are a number of other mediums and surfaces that can be used to paint and it’s exciting to find out what to use.
Where to learn to paint?
You can improve your painting skills by taking some courses which are delivered both online and in person.
Yet you may find that you are more comfortable with one training format than another.
It is possible to learn to paint in online courses. You can also learn in local classes.
I recommend that you use your search engine and undertake a search for ‘local painting class’. A list of local providers will then be shown. Contact them direct to see if they have courses to suit your needs.
Join me here as I paint with supplies found in my stash (and some new ones), on surfaces found in my stash (and some new ones), with knowledge I have gathered along my journey (and some new ones). I share with you my understanding of colour combinations, and how to use colour relationships in your paintings (that can also be applied to other art and craft projects).