Guest Article

Did you buy a bunch of art supplies after scrolling through all the amazing paint content? Good for you! Painting can be a fantastic way to relieve stress, fine-tune your creativity, and bring your imagination to life.

While painting and coloring on paper is something we all can do and have done since we were children, using canvas dials up the notch, and can be a tad intimidating.

The canvas, like paper, is your blank and boundless expanse of creativity, waiting for the touch of a paintbrush to resuscitate your wildest visions and ideas. Today, we have twelve invaluable tips and tricks to make sure your first interaction with a canvas is an absolute resounding success!

From selecting the right materials and setting up your art space, these handy tips can be your trusted companion through this artistic journey. Here’s how you can unlock your artistic potential and let the canvas become your muse with our guide and twelve wonderful tips.

1. Choosing The Right Size

You want a canvas that suits your painting style. Stretched canvases are ready to use, while canvas boards are smaller in size and more portable. Thoroughly consider the size of your canvas that is spacious enough to encapsulate your most incredible fantasies.

Check out this standard sizes for canvases guide to find the perfect canvas size match for your masterpiece!

2. The Shape of Your Canvas

The rectangular and square canvases are the most common shapes you often come across, but there are a lot more shapes available for canvases.

From circles and triangles to even more fancy ones like heart or star-shaped canvases truly tickle the fancy of any artist, whether novice or pro!

You could also try mini, table-top canvases that are definitely the cutest. They even come with their own easels!

3. The Canvas Material and Texture

Choosing the right canvas material and texture is a must to achieve successful painting, whether you’re a beginner or not.
Cotton canvases are economical and user-friendly, they’re great for beginners, while linen canvases are durable and have a smoother texture, which is mostly preferred by professionals.

The canvas textures matter too. A rougher and grainy texture adds depth and character to paintings, favoring expressive styles and a more visceral approach. Smoother surfaces are best if your art has intricate details.

The choice between primed and unprimed canvases influences paint absorption. Primed canvases are pre-coated with gesso for a smoother and seamless finish. Most canvases on the market are unprimed, which is great for beginners and hobby artists.

4. Prepare and Organize Your Art-Space

You must set up a clean, well-lit, and well-ventilated area for painting your masterpiece. Lay down pieces of cloth to protect your surroundings from accidental spills and drops.

Gather all your paints, brushes, palettes, and other supplies in one place in your reach so you don’t have to get up every time you need something.

You might also want to set the mood with soothing music or your favorite
podcast. Or maybe follow your favorite Bob Ross painting tutorial, making little “happy accidents” along the way.

5. Prime The Canvas

If you are planning to create an intricate and detailed vision but have an unprimed canvas, don’t worry! Just apply an even layer of gesso to your canvas to create a smooth and absorbent surface for your paint. Make sure you wait for it to dry before you start painting.

6. Plan The Project

Before you start putting color on the canvas, sketch out your idea or plan of whatever you’re going to paint. Sketching out with a pencil or crayon helps you maintain structure and avoid mistakes when you’re painting. Unless you’re freestyling, then you can enjoy your full reins and go crazy!

7. Start With A Specific Color Palette

If you’re a beginner embarking on your first canvas painting adventure, one of the best strategies is to use a limited color palette. This not only simplifies your choices but also lets you experiment and mix colors properly.

Start with the basics, a set of primary colors like red, blue, green, and yellow, and maybe black and white. Just with these few shades, you can
create a wide spectrum of colors, and by doing so, you gain a deeper understanding of color theory and how colors interact.

This method will also help you master low maintenance when it comes to painting, giving you the ability to paint with however little you may have.

Expand your range with time and progress, but this first limitation will do wonders for your techniques in painting. It will help with things like
composition, shading, colorwork, and detailing, are all skills you have to master if you want to become a good artist.

8. Experiment With Brush Techniques

Experimenting with brush techniques is a great way to unleash your artistry. Start by trying different brush sizes and shapes to discover the effects they create on canvas.

Play around with various techniques, stippling, cross-hatching, or blending to achieve different textures, effects, and styles. Feel free to handle your brush the way you like, with light and heavy pressure, creating feather-like strokes and bolder imprints respectively.

Also, there’s nothing more rewarding than blending and layering your colors and watching them transform before your eyes. This helps create depth and dimension in your pieces, elevating their appeal.

While you should start with having a limited color palette, try collecting different types of paintbrushes. This will help hone and perfect your skills as a painter, and just enjoy the different transformations a simple tool can help bring about to your imagination.

9. Layer, Layer, Layer

Layering colors is a fantastic way to beautify your paintings. Start by applying a base layer of color to your canvas, usually a neutral color that
showcases the overall tone of your project.

Allow the colors to dry completely before layering another color, and as you progress, layer your colors the way you like to build depth and dimension in your composition.

You want to think about how light and shadow interact and create subtle gradients, refining the details and gems of your subject. It’s a patient and
meticulous approach to revamping a flat surface, turning it into a dynamic and captivating visual.

So, as a beginner, embrace the magic of layering, it’s definitely another way to amp up your creativity.

10. Step Back and Take A Moment

A key tip that will help you paint like a pro, is to step back and take a moment when you’re painting. Artists often get too caught up in their work, trying to over-perfect things, and sadly, lose sight of the bigger picture.

Stepping away from the canvas every now and then and viewing your work allows you to get a fresher perspective. It helps you point out areas that need a little more TLC and adjustments.

Doing this encourages you to view from a critical angle throughout your creative process. So whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned artist, remember to take a step back, take a moment, breathe, and let your artwork guide you to a fantastic result!

Mistakes or Happy Accidents, You Choose

As the legendary painter Bob Ross once said, “There are no mistakes in life, just happy accidents.” We couldn’t have said it better! Mistakes are a natural and organic part of the learning process, and they aren’t setbacks.

So, if you make a mistake anywhere in your artwork, let the paint dry and then paint over it. Or do what Bob Ross did and turn them into birds!

12. Patience and Practice

When creating your masterpiece on a canvas, remember that patience and practice are your allies. The canvas is your blank canvas to dive deep into
your depths of artistry and keep at it until you’ve achieved perfection as you see fit. But you know, perfection comes in due time.

Start with a simple vision and a few colors, and let each stroke of your brush be an immersive learning experience for you. Don’t be put off by mistakes, embrace them as vital stepping stones on your journey to greatness.

Allow your skills to evolve naturally, layer by layer, and take the time to observe and assess. Step back, reflect, and appreciate this fantastic journey of self-expression through art. Practice and keep striving for the perfection you seek.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this informative guide on how to make your first time using a canvas to paint a rewarding and satisfying experience for you.

Remember, it’s just you and your canvas, at least for now, so don’t be too hard on yourself, and be open to keep learning and perfecting your craft.

Enjoy the journey and have fun expressing yourself through the magical endeavor that art is, and you too, will be painting like a pro in no time!