Essential painting techniques for artists

This post points out seven of the most essential painting techniques involving knowledge of tone, color, texture, brushwork and composition that will have you painting like a pro in no time.

1. Underpainting: Try to avoid working from white, especially while using oils or acrylics, instead create an underpainting in acrylic(and hence quick-drying and permanent) burnt umber or burnt sienna which help establish shadows and values. Also remember to work with thinner paint initially and gradually move to thicker paints and similarly add your brightest highlights gradually too.

2. Blocking: Different brushes provide different results on a painting because of their shapes, fibers and medium used. The trick is to try a few different kinds in your painting so as to get familiar with their effect on different papers so that you can get results that align best with your vision.

3. Building up texture: Texture is a very fun way to make your painting interesting. I tend to use a lot of texture and see brush marks. There are ready made texture media available that provide wooden, sanded, grainy, matte etc. effects but almost anything from an old toothbrush to egg shells can be used to add interesting textures to your work.

4. Dry brushing: In this method we essentially apply color that only partially covers an underlying dried layer of paint by adding very little paint to our brush and applying it with smaller directional strokes. It works well especially when applying light paint over a darker color.

5. Sgraffito: Sgraffito is the term used for when you scratch away paint while it's wet to expose the underpainting. This removal of paint can be as important as applying it especially when depicting hair, grass or scratches.

6. Glazing: Glazing is the process of laying a coat of almost-transparent paint over a dry area used to add depth to a flat-looking area and modulating color.

7. Painting with mediums: Mediums when paired with your colors make is much easier to control the consistency, drying time and texture. Mediums can also be used to seal papers and board to prevent the color from soaking in.

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