How to Create Beautiful Paintings from Start to Finish

Walk into an art gallery and you’ll see abstract art, seascapes, self-portraits and even paintings that contain objects embedded in them. If you understand the creative process, you can make paintings that you would be proud to have displayed in your home and even in public. First, you’ll have to visit an art supply store so that you can get all of the necessary painting essentials, but from there you’ll allowed to let your imagination run wild. You can use your fingers to create interesting images, use a rag to blend your colors, or stick with a standard paintbrush to create brush strokes that move and inspire. Learn how to paint like a professional by following these steps for creating beautiful looking paintings.

Assembling Your Canvas

If you’re in a crunch for time or don’t want to spend a lot of money creating your first few pieces of artwork you can always use a pre-made canvas. On the other hand, the surface may not be that great depending on the type of paint you choose to use. Pre-made canvases tend to suck up acrylic paint while oil paints don’t move across them very smoothly. With some wooden stretcher bars, a staple gun, canvas fabric, and a medium used to provide a smooth surface you can start painting like a professional. Assemble the stretcher bars so your canvas is the right size for you. Pull the fabric so that it covers one side of the frame you have made, staple each side and then you can start applying the medium.

Choosing Your Color Palette

You may not know exactly what you’re going to paint when you sit down and get to work but you should always choose a selection of colors that you’re certain are going to appear in the finished product. Having a color palette will make it easier for you to know what you should paint as well as how to go about creating shadows, pinpointing your light source and creating a piece that is composed well. The paintings that you find for sale often include contrasting colors as well as related hues as it is easier to make objects look three dimensional when the artist makes great use of color.

Defining the Subject Matter

The subjects that you paint can consist of mythical beasts, famous figures, landscapes, or be completely funky and abstract. As you paint different subjects you’ll begin to define your style, which can often be just as interesting as the things that you choose to depict. You can create a series of paintings that tell a story when they’re all put together, or use each individual canvas to pour out your heart and soul within a single piece.

Gather up your paint, put on a smock and really focus on the process itself if you’re going to create some really stunning paintings. Even if you don’t think your work is that great, you simply need to keep producing more paintings. Art is about practice as much as it is talent, so you will be able to make art that meets your standards if you keep repeating the process over and over again.