Index Page

About Us

Privacy

Add Your Link

Add Your Article

Search:



	People & Society

	Software & Networking

	Politics & Government

	Relationship & Lifestyle

	Creative Arts

	Automotive

	Self Enhancement

	Drink & Food

	Teens & Children

	Home & Garden

	Business & Companies

	Entertainment

	Indoor Games

	Sports

	Finance & Investment

	Jobs & Employment

	Science & Research

	Property & Estate

	Academics & Education

	Medicine & Treatment

	Travel & Accommodation

	Online Shopping

	Events & News

	Health & Hygiene

Index Page » Home & Garden » Hobbies

Artist vs Student - Quality Not Quantity

Author: Ronnie Tucker

There are two schools of thought in the art world; one says that you should buy cheap materials until you improve and the second says you should go with the more expensive quality from the start.

I must agree with buying good quality equipment.

How can you possibly improve your painting skills when the tools won't perform properly?

If you were asked to paint your front room would you buy a dodgy 10 litre bucket of watery paint and a pack of six cheap brushes? Don't scrimp and scrape on the tools you need. The old saying 'a bad workman blames his tools' is certainly justified in this case.

Going back to the front room scenario; you imagine trying to paint those four walls while the watery paint splashes everywhere and the hairs fall out of your cheap brushes. Stepping back to look at your work you see that, not only are their brush hairs stuck to the wall, but it'll need another coat!

The same is true of art. Good quality paint is labeled as Artist's Quality paint. If its not labeled as such then it is cheaper quality paint, sometimes referred to as Student Quality. What's the difference? Student quality paints use cheaper colour pigments and can fade badly through time. Also the general texture and behaviour of the paint is different.

Before you paint your four walls you need to prepare the walls. Wipe them down, maybe sand the walls, scrape them even? Again, the same is true in art. Cheap paper may warp or buckle and/or not hold the paint properly. For watercolour, the minimum paper weight should be 300gsm, the texture of the paper is entirely up to personal preference (rough or smooth) and for oils or acrylic you can either use pre-prepared (or make your own) canvases or use special canvas textured paper.

Ditto for brushes. Cheap brushes will quickly lose their shape and be cumbersome to use. Personally I have several good quality brushes that I use for my work but do have several cheap brushes that I use for various rough jobs and for reshaping via a quick hair-cut.

The one place you can save money is with things like water pots, I use (empty!) yogurt pots. For lighting you can use a cheap lamp but do use a good quality artificial sun-light bulb, this will give much truer lighting than the yellow light emitting house bulbs. For a palette you can use an old piece of perspex plastic or an old piece of plywood. Just make sure that the wood won't absorb the water or oil from the paint. I remember watching English watercolourist Keith Fenwick on his Art Doctor TV show, his palette was an old tray covered with cling film!

One last thing; if your painting oils... use odourless turps, otherwise you'll lose your friends very quickly!

Author Bio:

I am a Scottish landscape and portrait artist who has sold several paintings worldwide, a member of the Society for All Artists and publish art related articles on my web site at www.RonnieTucker.co.uk

You can also reach this article by using: tower hobbies, horizon hobbies, list of hobbies, radio control hobbies, ultimate hobbies

Commercial Television - The Parent's Enemy

Is Your Dog Ready for Summer?

Christmas Trees, Decorations, Shopping for Gifts, and Joy

2 Sewing Techniques On How To Sew A Reversible Vest

Teak Patio Furniture

Baby Car Seat: Protecting Precious Passenger On Board

Taking Back Christmas

Printing Screen Printing Graphics Larger Than A Sheet Of Paper

Breeding Your Goldfish

Garden Tips for Planting Super-Sweet Grape Tomatoes

Index Page >> Privacy >> Terms of Service

Artist vs Student - Quality Not Quantity

Related Articles