I got a lot of requests from friends who want to learn painting and do not know the a, b, c of painting, for help. I’m going to help you get started.
First you need a surface to paint on. Canvas is the easiest to start with. Now the basic kinds of canvas you need to know about to get started are
- A canvas Board and
- A stretched canvas
for beginners. I recommend starting with a canvas board. Buy a small size canvas board to begin with, maybe a size 10×12 inches.
A canvas board is canvas stuck on a hardboard base.

A Stretched canvas is canvas stretched over a frame and stapled at the back or side of the frame.

Next you need paints. I recommend buying a set of 12 Camel Students Acrylics 20ml tubes and the same in Oil.(this is for Indians, others can buy any basic set of student grade paints available)
You will also need a paint palette and a palette knife for mixing paints.
You will need brushes so I recommend buying a set of round and a set of flat brushes. A set usually includes sizes 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. Make sure you buy taklon bristle brushes. You will need rags or a soft cotton cloth to wipe paint off your brushes before you wash them. You could also use kitchen paper towels.
Some turpentine to wash the brushes is the next thing on the list if you’re working with oil paint. I also used kerosene in place of turpentine only because I had some at home. Don’t forget to wash the brushes with soap after turpentine. Water is enough to wash the paintbrushes if you’re working with acrylic paints and then a little soap too.
One last thing, don’t bring your worries to your canvas. Bring a lot of patience and just have fun.
TIP: Don’t eat while you’re painting especially when you’re working with oil paints.
So, there you are all ready to get started.
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Until next time….