Things You'll Need:
- Paint
- Brushes
- Canvas
- Palette and palette knife
- Cleaning supplies
- Other additives to change the paint performance
- Easel
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Step 1
Find a location where you can paint. You want a place where others won't disturb your work in progress but also a place that inspires you to work. Lighting is very important, as is ventilation since the smell of paint and cleaning supplies can quickly overwhelm your senses. Find a painting studio-like area that you can get messy so you don't have to worry about valuable carpet or antiques.
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Step 2
Choose your medium and purchase the needed supplies. The choices are almost unlimited, so investigate with a few before shelling out the big bucks. Consider paint vs. ink and watercolor vs. acrylic vs. oil. Whatever medium you choose will have specific tools that accompany them.
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Step 3
Gather your other supplies. Artist clothing is necessary since you'll be wiping all kinds of goop on them as you work. You also need basic art tools, such as brushes, a palette, a palette knife, some type of canvas or paper, and cleaning supplies.
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Step 4
Take a class to learn the basics. While you don't necessarily need an instructor to tell you how or what to paint, it's helpful for learning how to get started, such as mixing paints, preparing your canvas, and other basic information.
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Step 5
Paint away. Let your imagination go wild as you experiment with colors, shapes and patterns. Don't be inhibited when you first get started since no one expects your first pieces to be masterpieces. Inspiration may hit you while you're in your "experimentation" phase.
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Step 6
Practice your craft and become an expert. Find out what is working in your art and build on that. If you see areas that you don't think you do well, such as using perspective, research how to improve through books or online sites and then incorporate your new knowledge into your work. Stay with your new art and you'll soon find the masterpiece inside you.
