If you want to paint, do you need talent or can it be learned? Painting is a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned and developed over time. Talent is always a good thing, of course, but it alone won’t make you a new Picasso. The only proven way to improve a skill, and remember – painting is a skill, is through practice. In this article we will take a look at the essential skills that every painter should have.
#1 Colors – Understanding color and color combinations is a basic step in becoming a good painter. Mixing colors can be quite challenging, especially if you’re a beginner. You should understand the basic color relationships and learn how to mix them properly. With only ten to twelve basic colors you can actually mix virtually any color you wish.
#2 Brushwork techniques – for every beginner painter, it’s absolutely essential to master the basic brushwork techniques. You should learn how to hold the brush (and also how not to hold it), how to load the paint correctly, various stroke techniques, how to use different techniques for different effects, and more. This is very important.
#3 Understanding composition – good composition is crucial to creating good paintings. When composition is done badly, people notice it. Maybe not directly, but they notice something out of place, something that makes the painting feel awkward. That is why it’s extremely important to know how to arrange elements in your painting, how to create symmetry, balance, how to place the focal point, and more.
#4 Understanding perspective – if you want to paint believable three-dimensional objects, you have to understand perspective. From how to create distance and depth in your paintings, to what is the difference between one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective, what is a vanishing point and how to create a horizon line. Perspective is very important.
These are the four basic skills that every painter should develop. Taking the time to learn them will unquestionably push your painting abilities to a much higher level. Just remember, practice and patience makes perfect.