How to Paint With Acrylics

Well first of all you are going to have to pick the right kinds of materials such as brushes, paints, stretched canvas etc. You need to buy the right kind of materials and also the best kind of materials. Then you have to buy brushes. Choose brushes that are suitable for acrylic paint, they should be either flat or round. Try buying brushes with natural hair, they will do much better in the long run and they will not leave bristles on the canvas. Look around and see if you can find good bargains in your local art supplier store. Again if you don't know what your art supplier store is, just Google Michael's or Joanne and check out their nearest location to your zip code. If you need inspiration or want to look at some sort of example of acrylic or oil art, check out paintings of flowers, abstract art, landscape and fantasy fineart, etc.

Okay now buy some acrylic paints, you also need to know your color wheel generally well before you start. Just know your basics such as yellow and blue make green etc. and you can figure out the rest by doing. Experimenting with colors will take a while but your results will be great in the end. Use good quality paints so the colors on your artwork will be vibrant. Also choose a good canvas. If you want a good piece or art you should probably try and find a stretched canvas that will maintain its look. You can also learn to stretch your own canvas, but that's a huge hassle so just buy one from the store (they're not that expensive especially if you find a good sale).

Decide what to paint. This is the most important part of the process. Again check out the type of original fine art that you like. For inspiration you can also look at some Contemporary Abstract Art Prints. Find a bright place with natural light. It should be somewhere in the basement or outside, a place that you are willing to get messy in. If not put newspapers on the ground but again my suggestion is using a place that you don't mind getting dirty because accidents always happen. Also get a palette or a paper plate (the cheaper way) to mix all your colors as you paint. It's much better to mix them on the plate before you put them on the canvas. Sketch basic main parts of the art work you are thinking of creating. Also start with your background first, paint your sky, wood, fields first before you concentrate on the details (back to front technique). Wait a while for those to dry a bit and then begin on the details (acrylic paints dry much faster than oil). In the end make sure you clean your brushes right away! If not the paint will dry and destroy those brushes.

These are first steps in the journey of painting Abstract ART with acrylic!

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How To Choose Works Of Art For Private Residences

When browsing through countless artwork online with the aim of choosing a selection to put on display in your own home, you may feel a certain amount of confusion as to which to actually purchase. Trying to decide which would look best in a dominant position in your dining room, brightening your living room walls, and hung in your bedroom is not easy. No matter what type of decor currently dominates your residence, the tips put forth below should help you make a selection that you come to love and cherish.

You should begin by defining your space. What this means is that you should think about exactly where you will hang the art that you buy. It is likely that there will be many different color schemes and styles that could fit each of your rooms. Choosing the right selection is a subjective process that involves analyzing the space and surrounding decor and considering what activities will take place in the rooms in question.

For example, when searching for the perfect painting for your bedroom, think about what type of piece would be most effective at creating a harmonious and relaxing atmosphere. Popular choices for bedrooms include beautiful scenery and subtle abstract works. Always keep in mind that the goal should be to strengthen the bond between you and the living space.

You should think carefully about color. The aim should be for the artwork you pick to create a contrast between the colors used by the artist and those featured in the rest of the room's decor. If you have white walls, choosing a suitable picture will be easier than if they are a different shade. To get an idea as to what colors would work best, try printing out a sheet of paper that features different shades and ask yourself which suits the style of the room the most.

The current decor in your home may adhere to a certain theme, popular choices today include contemporary, minimalist, and rustic styles. Consider what type of subjects could be depicted in paintings which would help to add to the ambiance you have already created. Think of your home's decor theme like a story, and a new picture adds to the tale.

On a final note, choose the right size of oil paintings. The dimensions should be large enough so that the artist's skills can be appreciated, but not so big that the picture becomes over dominant.

You can find details about the things to consider before buying oil paintings and view our selection of animal paintings at http://www.artpaintking.com.au/ now.

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Easy Paint Your Own Pottery Ideas - Spots and Dots Designs

Teapots, mugs, plates covered in spots and dots are extremely stylish and popular at the moment. Emma Bridgewater has her Polka Dot design and visit any household section of department stores you will see lots of spotty and dotty pottery designs. But did you know there are several very simple ways suitable for all ages and abilities to of paint your own pottery with a dotty or spotty design.

Finger print spots

Your fingers make some of the best dots on pottery and ceramics, plus it is something even the youngest child with a bit of help can do. The only thing you need to do before starting your finger print dots is to make sure is that your fingers are clean and free of any grease. When you change colours make sure you clean your fingers well. A damp sponge to wipe your fingers on works quite well. The spots created with your fingers may not be perfectly round but they are unique, stylish and completely personal.

Round Stickers

You can buy round stickers in various sizes easily and cheaply from stationers and they can be used to create lovely pottery with white spots on a coloured background. All you need to do is stick your round stickers all over the surface your dry and clean bisque (unpainted, unglazed pottery) in a random pattern. Rub the stickers to make sure they are securely attached to the pottery. Then paint all the surface area in your chosen colour, this can be done with a paintbrush or sponge. To get a nice solid even colour at least two coats of ceramic paint are recommended. Once the paint is completely dry peel off the stickers and your pottery is ready for glazing and firing. If you can't get manage to lift the stickers at the edge a good tip is to take a pin and stick it in the sticker and lift.

To get coloured spots on a white background you can use ring binder reinforcement ring stickers. Again these are also readily and cheaply available from stationers. Just stick the reinforcement rings all over your pot, but instead of painting the background carefully paint the hole in the middle of the ring binder stickers and then peel the rings off when the paint is dry before glazing and firing.

Stamping your Spots and Dots

Instead of using your fingers at a stamp for dots and spots, your could use other round objects by immersing them in paint and dabbing them on your pottery. At craft shops you can buy various sponge tools called dabbers and daubers which also make round spots. Other household items you could use to stamp spots on your pottery are cotton wool buds, the end of your paint brush or the flat end of a pencil. The object does need to be clean and free from grease for starting each colour. With the cotton wool buds it is best to use a new one for each colour.

Use Round Objects as Stencils

Using a felt tip pen or soft pencil draw around round objects to create a spotty or circle design on your pottery. All pencil and felt tip lines when you paint your own pottery will disappear when your pottery is fired. This is because the professional firing is done at over 1000C causing the pencil and/or felt tip to burn off. You can then either paint inside the circles or leave the circles unpainted and paint the background. Areas not painted will go a creamy white when fired, how white the background is will depend on the type of glaze and bisque used. You can buy stencils with lots of different sized circles but you don't need these, you could just draw round some pots, bottles or lids that you have in the cupboard at home.

With these simple ideas anyone can paint their own pottery and create some stylish unique spotty, dotty and polka dot gifts to keep or give to family and friends. Examples of all of these spotty and dotty paint your own pottery ideas can be seen at www.potsoffun.co.uk.

About the Author

Gillian Groom set up a mobile pottery painting company in 2001, since then she has painted 1000's of children's hands and feet on pottery. She now offers a mail order service so parents or children's groups can create their own pottery masterpieces and keepsakes. For more information on Gillian's paint at home pottery kits visit http://www.potsoffun.co.uk/

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