Things You'll Need:
- Canvas of your choice (stretched canvas is easiest to start with)
- Paints
- Paintbrushes
- Various detailing tools
- Primer/Gesso
- Top coat
- Tarps or trash bags
-
Step 1
Decide what type of paint to use and what image you are going to paint. Common paints to use on canvas are oils, acrylics and watercolors. Oil and acrylic paints have been used for centuries to paint landscapes, portraits and still life pieces. While watercolors are mostly used for still life work or landscapes. Using oil paints requires careful precision and attention to detail, while watercolors can be easily blended together with hardly any detail.
-
Step 2
Purchase the size canvas you need. Canvas sizes range from 4-by-4 inches to 10-by-10 feet. If you want to use heavy paints such as oils with lots of layering, heavy linen canvases are an efficient choice. Cotton canvases have weak short threads that are ideal for watercolor and acrylic paint.
-
Step 3
Choose an area to pain your canvas. It should be a large floor area or a cleared off table top. Cover this area with a canvas tarp, or taped together trash bags. Make sure that all areas are covered, as you do not want to get paint on tile, carpet, walls or other places in your household. It can be very difficult to remove.
-
Step 4
Use a large paintbrush to apply primer to the canvas before you paint anything else on it. Use wide brush strokes evenly across the canvas. Before applying, shake the bottle very well. A typical primer for oils and acrylics is called a "gesso" and can be obtained at any art supply store where you purchase a canvas. This will help prep the canvas in order for the paint to adhere better and more smoothly.
-
Step 5
Apply one layer of gesso for a rough finish and multiple layers for a smoother finish under the paint layers. If you decide to apply multiple coats, pour the gesso out of the bottle and mix it with equal parts water and gloss medium (this can be obtained where you purchase the gesso and a canvas). Let it dry thoroughly.
-
Step 6
Sketch your figure, landscape or pattern out onto the canvas if necessary or desired. It may help you shape the painting better. But sometimes it is easier to paint without a base sketch, painting one part at a time.
-
Step 7
Start by painting a base coat over the entire canvas, from corner to corner of your background paint. Many people choose white or black for this, or else another solid color. Let dry. Depending upon the medium you choose, this could range from a couple hours (acrylics and watercolors) to a week and a half (oils).
-
Step 8
Layer on the images you wish to paint, letting the layers dry each time you are finished with that section. Sometimes layering wet paints creates a unique effect if you are painting filtering sunlight, water or shadows, so keep this in mind for what image you decide to paint.
-
Step 9
Use tools to create details and precision in your painting. Sharp tools such as toothpicks, knives and paint carvers can help etch detail such as facial features into the paint. Soft tools such as Q-tips, fingers and clothes can help create softer shadows blend in lines. Large tools such as sponges, tissues and cotton balls help blend entire paintings and create texture in the paint by pressing them onto the canvas lightly and quickly.
-
Step 10
Let your canvas dry after you have completed the painting. Place it high up where it will not be touched and will not be in sunlight or damp air. Depending on the medium you use, it could take weeks to dry. Once it is dry, paint a glossy topcoat over the paint on the canvas to help preserve it and create a professional shine.
