Acquire art supplies

After you decide on your medium, do make sure that you have the right supplies with you. Brushes suitable to the medium chosen, paints, a palette etc. Without the right kind of brushes, it will be difficult to proceed.

Choose a range of brushes – A large flat brush for bigger strokes and backgrounds is mandatory. A number 9 round brush can be used for blending. A few flat and round brushes ranging from 2 to 6 will help with smaller details.

Brushes are available either in packets or individually. Make sure the bristles are smooth and soft but not brittle.

With regard to paints, choose good quality paints. It is always better to buy bigger tubes of the colours you prefer to use as you will run out of them pretty soon as your painting progresses.

Choose your subject

This can be a bit tricky if you are aiming for something original. A good way to start would be to choose a photo clicked by you that has a good composition, and try to get something similar on to your paper or canvas. Get a basic drawing done with your pencil on the canvas. Do not draw details as it would get covered with paint anyway.

When working with abstract themes, remember that it has more to do with colours, balance and composition. Line, texture, shape, form, colour, and value are the basic principles upon which we can build up an abstract artwork.

A realistic image can be converted into an abstract picture by only representing the light and dark colours that you see without actually drawing the shapes. Or, shapes can be simplified into simple geometric shapes differentiated only by colour or size. Yayoi Kusama’s or Wassily Kandinsky’s art is an excellent example of how to create dynamic art from geometric shapes.

Brush strokes can be used

in

Layering

With acrylic painting or oil painting, the richness of the colour will only come through with a number of layers. Start with a basic coat of each area of the canvas. Once your whole canvas is covered with the basic coat, add a couple of thick layers or build up the image with a number of thin layers to achieve the effect that you want. Start with dark shades, then and add lighter colours. Once you have finished with the lower basic coats, the upper coats can be more detailed .

Be decisive

Wavering lines or vague images will not get your idea or thought across to the audience. Therefore, be firm in what you aim to represent. Try to make your lines and colours distinct. Your painting should convey your intent.

Correct errors

An important tip is to keep taking pictures of your work as it progresses. Looking at your painting through the camera will give you a different perspective to spot errors. Always walk away from your painting and look at it from a distance or turn your painting upside down and take a look. This helps in detecting and correcting mistakes.