What Options to Consider Before Buying a Field Easel

The majority of field easels available from art suppliers today vary from all shapes and sizes, but because there are so many available nowadays it can get a tiny bit confusing if you are a budding artist looking to start out and gather your materials needed for hobbies such as outdoor painting. You want to get the best out of your hobby or indeed profession so choosing the right options to suit your needs will help you enjoy and settle into your artwork much more productively.

When considering field work, and an easel to accompany you bear in mind the medium you may be working in as for paints that don't dry too hastily you will have to think about transportation and storage when you are finished up. For most watercolours and acrylics that dry out fairly quickly, you'll only have to consider what size of field easel you require. If you are looking at producing larger pieces of work outdoors then it's generally advisable to opt for a more heavy duty easel that won't topple at the tiniest hint of wind.

You have to consider where you might use your field easel and what type of environments you might encounter. If you are looking at painting vast landscapes or views you might prefer to choose an easel that is lightweight and portable. Most art supplies overcome this by offering metal lightweight alternatives to the more traditional wooden easels that conjure images in one's mind. An easel with adjustable legs that is adaptable to any ground surface is also great in more rural circumstances.

Another important factor is that of the sturdiness of the field easel you choose. This ties in with the earlier suggestion of weight consideration. If your personal methods of making art are delicate and intricate then again a lightweight easel might be perfect for you. In contrast if you are very direct with your surface, using larger brushes and applying quite a lot of layering and pressure to the surface you might be best considering a more robust easel to withstand the pressure and ensure you achieve the best results.

Obviously if you are a frequent or professional artist then it's pivotal that you consider the best quality long term option coupled with the highest quality materials, your easel could potentially last a very long time if you are prepared to spend a fair amount of money on it. Alternatively students and individuals new to art might want to try a less expensive easel and see how they get on before indulging in something which might be a bit to specialised for them.

iArtSupplies are established suppliers of high quality field easels and other art materials.

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Do I Need to Know How to Draw Before I Begin Painting?

I am often asked by beginning artists: Do I need to know how to draw first, before I learn how to paint oil paintings? A great question and here is my answer...

Learning how to oil paint is much different than learning how to draw, although both enhance and benefit the other. As with all skills, the art of oil painting and learning all the different nuances of using oil paint as your medium takes time, effort and practice, as do learning how to draw.

Drawing in and of itself is an 'art' and many times my art patrons have requested commission works of a 'graphite' rendering, which once done I can then turn into an oil painting, if I choose. The basis of that painting will be drawn from the work that was done in pencil or graphite; something of a color version of the black and white rendering. But there are many times that the preliminary work that is done in creating an oil painting doesn't necessarily have a pre-requisite of a drawing or even a sketch.

Depending on your skill level, many artists just simply see something they want to paint and begin! But, other times the oil painting that you wish to create is more complex or the desire is to work out a specific composition that maybe problematic.

Sometimes, it can be beneficial to render a loose drawing of the subject of your painting, thus allowing you the opportunity to fine tune some of the more intricate details of the subject matter. Other times the artist may want to work out the best composition, this is often done when drawing your inspiration from real life. It is helpful to eliminate the frills of the surrounding area of your subject matter and make the composition more simple and less cluttered to allow the subject of the oil painting to be seen in it's clarity. This type of drawing is often thumb nail size and without attention to detail. The point is to get all the objects in your painting in the right location, size and perspective and even a sense of the light and dark that maybe used, thus giving the artist a sense of where the placement of things should go on the canvas.

I find that many artists drawing skills are not as good as their painting skills, but most of us are fairly decent. I think it helps to know how to draw, but is not always a pre-requisite nor does it always make for a better painter. However, learning to draw is a skill that should be mastered as it can definitely enhance your skill as an oil painter!

Morris, J is an award winning self taught artist and invites you to get our free e-book on 'Element of Drawing' by John Ruskin just for joining us at:

http://paintinginstructions.net/

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Essential Materials To Have Before Starting To Paint

Before embarking on any art mission, it is significant that you have all the painting necessities, such as, painting easels, brushes and all of the paints you are going to need before you begin. Additionally, you will want a definite vision of what course your painting is heading, and what style it'll be in, especially if you are a beginner artist.

You could find painting necessities in a wide range of arts and crafts shops. For extra special tools, it's possible you'll need to order online. It is well worth investing in a very good set of brushes if you begin painting, as you'll get a lot better result. Additionally, you won't have to replace them on such an everyday basis. One great brand of paintbrush is the Kolonok brand, created from Kolinsky tail hair. All the time, ensure that you clear your brushes thoroughly and make sure that all paint is removed and that the paint brushes are dried appropriately after each use to avoid ruining your prime quality handmade brushes.

If you are lacking inspiration, you might want to research the work of some popular artists online to be able to get a few tips you want to take in to your paintings. One example you might want to check out are Kandinsky paintings which are based mostly in music and spirituality, making use of geometric shapes to assemble unique pieces.

It is very important have a superb quality painting easel to use in your work, to make sure balance and to protect your painting from damage in the duration of making it. The use of art easels is also common among moms and dads trying to get their children into art work as they assist in forestalling a lot of mess related to the children's work.

It is especially necessary for almost all paintings utilizing oil as a base coat to have an excellent painting easel to forestall the accumulation of particles throughout the painting piece. While acrylic paints might not require an artistic easel, it is still a perfect merchandise to buy as the painting easel sets the artwork in position.

As touched on above, the type of gear you will want to have is largely dictated by the design you might be planning to make use of, for instance, watercolor would require a completely different set of brushes compared to acrylics or oil based paints. At all times be sure to know precisely what you will to do before you order your artistic materials. Additionally, never take the risk ruining your equipment by making use of the improper kind of paint.

In sum, when going forward with an artistic challenge, you will need to think ahead and to organize your things in order to forestall accidents afterwards, like when you don't have the paints you need on hand.

Justin Cooke is an author, business investor, and social media promoter. In addition to running TryBPO, a company in the Philippines primarily focused on back-end SEO and Operational support to medium sized businesses, he also creates niche sites about diverse topics like painting easels and Kandinsky paintings.

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What Is Essential Before Starting To Paint Pictures?

Painting is a very attractive pastime -- even employment. It is quite satisfying and gives enormous pleasure. Even the initial attraction can be very great, so great that we give in to the temptation to "jump straight in" and get started right away.

Why not? Well, we can, but that would be a mistake. There are two really important precursors that we should see to first. And, in fact, both can be very enjoyable themselves: sketching and understanding colour.

SKETCHING
Painting a picture means painting shapes of one kind or another. So we need to consider where these shapes are going to come from. Unless we are happy buying a colouring book, they can only come from one's self. Hence, before we can paint we need to be able to draw.

Some people throw the possibility of the whole process into the rubbish bin by saying "I can't even draw a straight line". Freehand, it is extremely difficult even for a professional artist to draw a straight line -- but there is always a rule that can be used!

Most people can draw to some degree, but certainly some learning will always be necessary to progress to a better level. This probably means either attending art classes or buying a book. If the first is an option and we have both the time and money, no more need be said. If we don't have one or both, buying an instruction book is potentially very attractive.

SELECTING BOOKS
The market is full of "how to draw" books, although some are better than others. Buying from somewhere like Amazon is often useful because there are frequently assessments from previous readers. But wherever you buy from, don't be tempted to start with specialised books like "How To Draw Water" or "...Trees", or"...People", etc. Buy a general one, for two reasons. First, you will get a reasonably comprehensive introduction across a wide range of topics and images. Secondly, you will find out you are better at drawing some things than others. The "other" must not be ignored, but the information about your self is important.

So which general introductory book? You can pay from next to nothing to a considerable price. But what you want is something appropriate. You would not begin studying, say, economics by enrolling on a degree course. So you need something at an introductory level. Even so, you tend to "get what you pay for", so it pays to shop around a little first. Buying off the Internet can bring some real bargains, but do look at readers ratings first. Alternatively, buying from an actual shop may cost more, but it does give you the chance to look inside the book to make your own assessment.

One book I would be prepared to recommend can be purchased in either way. This is "Drawing With The Right Side On The Brain" by Betty Edwards. You could go a long way before getting a better starter.

EQUIPMENT
Apart from the book or tuition, it costs little to get going in drawing. You will need a drawing pad, or a couple of different sizes, one being small enough to take out with you for drawing on the spot whenever you see something of interest. Then you will need some pencils. These are usually graded according to hardness or softness. An "HB" is a middle value, a "B" softer, a "2B" softer still. etc, while an "H" is harder than "HB" and "2H" even harder, etc.

The stuff that makes marks on the paper can be lead, or graphite or charcoal. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages depending what and how you are drawing. Try one of each. In many cases you will need to sketch out the subject matter first, though in some case this may not be necessary. Or, alternatively, it may be enough just to outline the shapes with a weak wash of paint. When using pencil of one sort or another, you will also need a rubber. Get a softish one to start with. Drawing may turn out to be much more interesting and exciting than you imagine. It can be an end in itself.

COLOUR
Once you have gained some expertise in drawing, you may consider yourself ready to begin painting - but hold on for a little while longer and a little more tuition, because it will be of great advantage to find out something about colour first.

How to use colour may seem an obvious thing: some colours go well together and some don't. What else is there to know? Well, quite a lot and it's a really good idea to get some basic information before you start painting. Again, there are many good books around and, again, Betty Edwards has an excellent introduction with "Color. A course in mastering the art of mixing color". This will give you a good grounding if you are prepared to work through all the exercises.

After that, you should be ready to go!

AUTHOR: A K Whitehead
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Web site: http://www.paintingsinoil.co.uk/
where quality paintings have free frames and free UK delivery.

A K Whitehead paints in a traditional manner, making especial use of glazing and impasto techniques. His work covers landscapes, waterscapes, snowscapes and seascapes. He is a member of the Association of All Artists. Original images are for sale at realistic prices that include frames and delivery.

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