How to Learn Painting at Home for Beginners

Learning to paint might seem challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. For aspiring artists out there, we list the steps for you to enjoy painting at home as beginners.

Creativity 10 min read Aug 03, 2022
How to Learn Painting at Home for Beginners


Welcome to the wonderful world of painting! Whether you’re just starting out as a painter or want to pick up at home after taking an art class, this article will show you how to enjoy painting at home. We list some first steps to take and basic techniques that you can use right away, plus a few advanced tips for those who are dedicated to improving their craft.

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Learn Painting at Home in 5 Steps

Paintings are some of the most cherished items in any home. Whether it’s a painting of flowers or rustic art, paintings are the perfect way to decorate your home beautifully. If you’re only starting out as a painter, the possibilities are endless, but only if you get your fundamentals right. If you want a personal approach, learning how to paint at home as a beginner can be the way forward.


Step 1: Set Up Your Workspace

An easel is the single most important tool in your painting kit. It doesn’t matter whether you are using oil, watercolour, or pencils; if you want to get better at what you do, you must invest in a proper easel. There are many reasonably priced and well-made options out there, the biggest difference being in how adjustable the height is. This is so you can stand up or sit down while painting without having to move the easel and canvas around.

A good easel starts with a sturdy base. It shouldn’t wiggle too much once you’ve got it set up and when you lift it, it should feel solid. You’ll thank yourself every time you sit down to paint, because it makes the entire creation process easier and more ergonomic. If you’re a beginner, get yourself a sturdy metal tripod. Having three legs keeps the whole thing steady, so you can move it around as needed without worrying about knocking over your paint. Plus, the whole thing folds up easily when you want to store it away.

Use a table for your paints and brushes

It can be tempting to spread out your stuff and get immersed in your artwork as you start a new painting. Before you know it, you’ve lost track of time and ended up with drips of paint all over the floor. Keeping things organised on a table or countertop dedicated to your art supplies will save you a lot of cleanup time and prevent small children or pets from getting into your paints.

Besides keeping things less messy in general, assigning different sections of your workspace for each type of paint or paper also prevents cross-contamination. Bonus benefit: By having a designated space, you’ll be more likely to work in one place and get into your creative mood faster!


Get high quality brushes and canvas if possible

If you’re only starting to discover painting as an adult, know that a good painter is only as good as their tools. Don’t skimp here! If it’s possible to get high quality brushes and canvas, do it. You’ll thank yourself later.

Using high-quality brushes and canvas can make all the difference in your painting experience. Paint will go on smoother and more consistently. They also last longer, so you don’t have to replace them so often. Cheap materials, on the other hand, will result in poor work, no matter how much time you spend practising or what techniques you learn from art classes and workshops.

Brushes come in different sizes, shapes, and materials. Some have synthetic bristles while others have natural ones like sable or mongoose hair. For oil painting, choose natural hair brushes because they hold more paint and give me more control over the shape of your strokes. For acrylics or watercolour painting, where you don’t need as much pigment retention as with oil paints, there are some good, inexpensive synthetic brushes out there.


Step 2: Decide What to Paint

One of the ways new artists learn how to paint is by copying a painting by another artist or from an image in art books. Sure, this can help you to get your bearings, by letting you focus on the technical side of things rather than worrying about originality. However, if you want to grow as a painter, focus on finding your own original style. Don’t be afraid to experiment!


You might have an idea in mind already; maybe an inspiring still life or something fun like flowers or animals. Or perhaps, you are thinking of a more abstract style, like splatter art or pointillism (painting with dots). If you want to paint landscapes instead, look up photos of landscapes online, choose one that inspires you, and give it your own spin. Or pick one of your favourite places in real life and recreate it on paper or canvas.

If you’re interested in painting people, maybe you can try making your own portrait. You may find that it’s easier than you think. Even if your portrait doesn’t turn out well at first, don’t worry! The more often you paint yourself (or other people), the better you’ll get at capturing realistic features in your creations. And as you practise with different subjects, the more you will learn about how colours interact with each other, which can help you decide on colour schemes in your future artworks.

Step 3: Start with a Simple Drawing

Many beginners who want to learn painting at home would love to just pick up a brush and a canvas and go, but are not sure how to start. There are many different types of painting techniques, but it is often great to begin with a simple drawing. We list some great ideas here and here.

Drawing is the foundation of learning any type of art because it will teach you how to see things. When you draw an object, you have to break it down into simple shapes that can be easily represented on paper. This process helps you to see those shapes in real life and apply them in your art.


For example, when you look at a vase on a table in front of you, you are actually looking at several different shapes: rounded edges, straight lines on the top and bottom, a concave shape for the opening, etc. These shapes can be drawn in pencil very simply but as soon as you add colour or paint them with watercolours, then they begin to come alive.

Learning how to draw shapes properly is the key to creating successful artwork. It will give you an understanding of colour, value, contrast, and composition, which will help as you progress into more advanced techniques.

Step 4: Learn to Mix and Blend Colours

When you’re just learning how to paint at home, one of the first things you’ll want to learn are the basics of colour mixing and blending. There are three primary colours – red, blue, and yellow – that you mix together to create virtually any other colour you’d like.

Mixing two primary colours together creates what’s called a secondary colour: red + yellow = orange; blue + yellow = green; red + blue = purple._ Tertiary colours_ – yellow-green, red-violet and blue-green – are made by mixing secondary hues together at equal proportions so that they become lighter versions of themselves with more subtle saturation levels than their parent hues.

The best way to learn how to combine and harmonise colours in your artwork is by using the colour wheel, a visual tool that shows the relationships between colours 12 main in an easy-to-view circle. This diagram will be your best friend as a beginner learning to paint at home! Use it to expand your knowledge of paint colour combinations and come up with some ideas! For example, you can create a monochromatic scheme by working with different shades, tints, and tones of a single colour.


The next step is understanding complementary colours: those opposite each other on the colour wheel, like reds and greens, blues and oranges. When painted side-by-side, their brightness will intensify and appear even bolder than before. These opposites work well for creating contrast and helping certain objects stand out more than they might otherwise look against a background or on their own.

Step 5: Try Different Painting Techniques

As you learn painting at home, experiment with different materials and methods to see what works best for you and produces the results that you want. Remember that there is no right or wrong, or good or bad, way to paint. Using different techniques like watercolour, oil and acrylic is the easiest and fastest way to learn painting!

Watercolour painting

Watercolour painting is suitable for those who don’t have much experience yet. Essentially, you are combining dyes with water and applying the mixture onto a surface. Unlike other types of paints, watercolour is transparent; it doesn’t have any colour of its own, so the resulting painting is highly dependent on what’s underneath the paint. That’s why it’s important to choose the right surface or your painting will look dull.

Watercolour paper is made from cotton fibres that absorb water, which means it’ll let your paint blend smoothly and easily over the page. It comes in a range of different textures that you can choose from depending on what look you’re going for in your end product. Watercolour paper isn’t expensive either, which makes this an easy hobby to try out if you’re just getting started.


Oil painting

Probably the most popular technique in the world, oil painting has been used by masters and professional painters for centuries. Oil paints are made with pigments and different materials to give the paint different textures and colours. It is also known as “mixed media” because it’s not just using pure oil paint, but mixing it with other types of mediums like linseed oil, turpentine, or drying agents.

Oil paint is thick and has a slow drying time, which makes it great for blending colours. There are different types of paints you can use but for beginners, it’s best to start with alkyd-oil because it’s easy to mix with other mediums and has the least amount of odour compared to the others.


The best thing about oil painting is that you don’t need any special equipment to start painting at home; just some simple materials and the right technique, and you’ll be able to create your own beautiful artworks at home. It can also be used to create beautiful glazes, by layering one colour over another one.

Acrylic painting

Acrylic painting is a great hobby for people with any degree of artistic talent. Acrylics dry almost immediately on the surface, so you don’t have to wait long for your work to dry before you can continue with the next step. You can even finish an entire painting in one sitting, if you want to! And since they are available in every colour imaginable, you can create anything you can imagine.

Acrylic paint is made by mixing together pigments, acrylic resins, solvents and additives. It is a very versatile material and can be used on almost any kind of surface. Some artists prefer using a brush with acrylic, while others paint with a spray gun, but you can make great art even with just a sponge or even your hands. Whatever you’re comfortable using, once you’ve learned how to do it correctly and have mastered the technique, you can try out other techniques for mixing colours.


Like watercolour, acrylic is water-soluble and non-toxic, so it can be easily wiped off of your hands or any other surface with a wet cloth or sponge. It is more affordable than oils and can achieve dramatic effects with only small amounts of paint.

Learning to paint at home as a beginner is fun and may surprise you. You are always going to learn something new, and that is an exciting hobby to have, especially if you have never picked up a brush before.

With the right instruction and motivation, painting is perfect for anyone to try at any age. Discover how to learn painting at home today!

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