Best painting medium for a new painter

[Amy]

Question for the painters out there ...

I am wondering what kind of painting medium would be advised for a new painter--one who is just getting started exploring the world of painting. It seems to me that watercolor might be the easiest way to start, but that's just through observation. I'd appreciate experienced painters' views on this. Thanks.

amy

[angelakleis]

Hey, Amy!  I've asked this same question of some of the painters in my art guild.  I've gotten different answers from all of them!  

[dns ynko]

if you go by what most art school do it would be acrylics. They tend to have many colors and can be used in many different painting styles-thick thin like watercolors. They dry fast, but you can buy something that makes them dry slower. Many options. I dont go for a specific company just what is usually moderate priced. If you do decide on acrylics, do not get Hues. It is on the tube that you buy. From teachers "hues do not mix with other paint well." The colors tend to not blend well, why I am not entirely sure.

d

[Jesse]

That's good advice.  I've heard acrylics to start.  They are quicker and a little easier to work with.  They don't have the long drying time like oils.  Though that can be a curse or a blessing.

Doing a little internet search on the subject, I was amused to see that Bob Ross starts you out with oils.  "now, we'll just put a pretty little tree right there!"  He's not quite, say, excellent contemporary art, but I do like his how to guides for learning technique.  


http://bobross.com

You know him.  From those PBS painting shows.

So frustrating because he makes it look so easy.

I would be interested to hear an instructors opinion of his thoughts.

[angelakleis]

Happy little clouds!  I loved that show!

[silver]

he always pissed me off...i tried to do it with him one time...mine looked nothing like his.

when i took a painting class in college, we started with acrylics...i think that since they are more challenging to work with, they help build discipline.  

but i would say that oils, acrylics or watercolors are all fine choices...pick one, try for a few months and then try another one...see what works best for you.

[rbartiste]

Hi, in response to your question about what kinds of paints to start with first... did you get the answer you needed?  Have you bought your paints yet?  Here's my opinion.

Every kind of paint has it pros and cons and what you end up sticking with will depend on your preferences.  Watercolor, for example has the least amount of extra "STUFF" that you need to buy besides the acutal colors.  But it is considered the hardest to work with because it is so transparent you rely on control as well as spontenaiety and all of your mistakes are hard to cover up.  When watercolors look overworked, they just don't look as good.  The shape of the brush stroke counts as well as everythings else.

It counts in acrylic and oils too, but with these you get to do and re-do until you're satisfied.  I think acrylics especially need additional mediums to mix into the colors to help the flow and slow down the dring time.  The comments I hear the most from beginners with acrylics is frustration over how fast they dry.  The tendancy is to use acrylics as if they were watercolors, and the result is unsatisfactory.  They will look skimpy if applied too thinly, altho you can use them like watercolors.  (Yes, I know, everytime you say a rule in art is, blah blah blah, in the next breath you have to discount that rule.)

Ok, so oils... I happen to love the smells of linseed oil and turpentines, but a lot of people dont'.  Acrylics clean up with water, oils with turpentine or mineral spirits.  That alone can be a deciding factor.  The slower drying time is luxurious altho it can also be frustrating if you want to hurry up and varnish a new painting and you have to wait 3 months.

There are other factors, but maybe that will be enough to help you decide.  And also, sadly, the more expensive the color, the more quality pigment is in the tube.  What I've done in the past is to get the best earth colors (series 1) that I can afford and scale back from there.  Advice from a landscape painter.  Other painters might suggest you do it the other way around.

Suggestion:
Go to some galleries, look around, see what paintings you like that are executed with which type of paint.  What kind of effect pleases you the most?

Have fun and let me know what you decide to do!
Rebecca

[Amy]

Thank you all for your opinions. It sounds like acrylic is the best way to start.

I like Rebecca's suggestion of going to galleries and seeing the types of paintings/paints I like. I tend to be drawn to paintings with thick, chunky paint. I suppose that effect also depends on the brush strokes used. Can this effect be achieved with oils or acrylics, or both?
Amy

[dns ynko]

thick and gooooopy can be done by either. it will dry much quicker than oils, acrylic-30 minutes tops, oil you will need a drying agent and it could still take days. play and see. dont go buy a hole bunch of paints. a good time to buy is when college semesters start and end, they do good sales. sometimes you can get two tubes for the price of one. if you have a friend in college use thier id to get an extra 5-10% off.

d

[mpeg2tom]

There is another alternative, water-soluble oils.  These are a little harder to find, and don't require the kind of smelly & sometimes toxic solvents that you need to properly use normal oils.  I know a professional artist who swears by them, but as I am not a painter, I can't say from personal experience what they are like.

[Arty4ever]

Acrylics are my paint of choice. I also like to build them up thick and chunky.  (This is starting to sound like a peanut butter commercial)

I personally like the quick drying time of acrylic paint but you can slow it down if you want by adding retarder. I haven't tried water-soluble oils yet but they sound like fun.

[i am kleck]

i'm all for starting with acrylics too!  mainly because you don't have to deal with mixing like the oils.

[Dominic Latella]

I started with gouache. Its water based paint, so use can use water to thin them, it is also a difficult paint to use but it teaches you to mix colors and how to conserve paint. They can be a little expensive but they are beautiful paints to use.

[Arty4ever]

Dominic,
Gouache is a great medium. I love how it smells! It's great for color washes but if you paint to thickly it cracks. So, I that's why I usually stick with acrylics.

Kleck,
I mix acrylic paint all the time. There are lots of great choices ready to go right from the tube... but there are plenty of pre-mixed oils available as well.