Painting Supplies

Welcome to the wonderful world of painting! This is the place for beginners who want to get into painting and learn about the basics. Check out the articles about choosing paints, brushes, and canvases to get started. Keep in mind that you will also need a few containers  for water to rinse your brushes,  some rags for cleaning up afterward, and a drop cloth  or some type of protective covering for your workspace. Good luck and happy painting!

Before you Start

Before you start you'll want to make sure your painting area is prepped and ready to go. If you are painting on a table or surface that's normally used for something else, put down old newspapers or a drop cloth  to avoid spills. Also grab a disposable or unused cup and fill it with water. You'll want the water available when you start painting with acrylics, gouache, tempera or water paint. If you are using oil paints fill the cup with paint thinner  or turpentine. 

Paints

First decide what type of paint you want to use. acrylics,  gouache,  tempera  and water colors  are all water soluble but oil paints  are not. However, if your goal is to make a realistic painting, oils blend very well whereas something like tempera is good for flat color blocks. For acrylic paints, try Liquitex  paint: it's easy to get a hold of and works well.

Canvas

Some painters prefer canvas while others get more creative with alternative materials. If you're looking at canvas the easiest route to go is a stretched canvas.  For more adventurous painters, stretching your own canvas may be a good route to go. To do it yourself purchase some canvas,  stretchers,  a staple gun  and staples.  For more information on how to put everything together, check out About.com.

Once you get used to working on canvas try using illustration board,  artist metal or wood. 

Related Guides and Products

Paint Brushes	Paints 101	Choosing Canvas	Easels	Painting Palettes

Please visit Painting for Kids if you would like some ideas to buy for aspiring young painters.

External Links

• About.com: Before you buy oil paint supplies.
• Aisling.net: How to take care of your paint brushes.
• 1Art.com: Free art lessons with visuals.
• ArtLex.com: All the vocabulary and terminology you would want to know about art.
• KnowledgeHound.com: An index to many articles and Web sites that deal with all aspects of painting.
• RexArt.com: Some basics about different types and brands of acrylics, as well as some application tips.
• WaterColorPainting.com: Guidance, ideas, and more.