Read the following article about the equipment you need when learning to paint, and then answer the questions on the opposite page.
Starting to Paint
Taking up a new hobby usually means that you have to buy some basic equipment to get started. If you have decided that you want to learn how to paint, then you will need to know a little bit about what you have to buy and how to choose what you need.
Choosing the Paint
Learning to paint is similar to learning a new language: both require practice and patience. First, you have to choose which paint you are going to use. Acrylic paints are good to start with as they are quick-drying. Acrylic paints are excellent for achieving smooth, plain colours and are quite easy to use on their own without the need to mix them. If you do want to mix the
paints, however, there can be problems. By the time the mixture is made, the paint may be too dry to be used. Oil paint, on the other hand, provides a deeper colour, but is much more difficult to use. It takes a long time to dry, simply because the paint is oil-based rather than water-based. You should also remember that each colour has a different drying rate.
Mixing the paint
You need an easy-to-clean surface on which to mix the paint and you will find a wide variety of mixing surfaces available. These are called palettes. It’s best to mix paint with a palette knife, as it is specially designed for this purpose. It is not a good idea to mix paint with brushes because they absorb some of it and you will not have enough paint left to work with.
Brushes
There are four main shapes of brush to choose from. ‘Rounds’ have bristles which come to a point so that you can create precise lines. ‘Flats’ are good for applying areas of colour and for creating straight edges. ‘Filberts’ are tongue-shaped and allow you to create broad or narrow marks that can be curved. Finally, ‘Brights’ are short and useful for applying short strokes of thick colour.
Painting surfaces
Deciding what surface you want to paint on is important. At the beginning it is probably best to start with paper because it is cheap and easy to prepare. It’s best to buy blocks of paper that have been specially prepared so that the paper doesn’t change shape when wet and then cause the paint to crack. When you are more confident you can begin to consider painting on other surfaces such as canvas and wood.