How to choose the right painting tools

There are a wide variety of painting tools available for artists today. Paints come in differing types as well as brushes and palettes. This article gives an overview at some of the different types that you can use when creating your artistic masterpiece.

Paints to use

Paint is of crucial importance to an artist, but choosing the right type is difficult if you are unsure of their uses. Oil paints are commonly used, but they can be expensive. They are a heavy paint that shows texture. However, it does take a long time to dry. Oil pastels are less expensive and can be bought in sets. They are pastels made of oil and wax and are good for pictures that require quick layering. They can be used on their own or with a brush dipped in turpentine. Oil pastels work on a number of surfaces, so if you don’t want to use canvas, these are ideal. Using acrylics Acrylics are less costly than oil and have great flexibility. They can even be used on cloth. Acrylic paint dries quickly and is not as odorous as oil paints. Like oils, they can be used directly from the tube, but they can also be thinned down to washes and are great for building up layers of colour. Acrylics are good starter paints which are available in a huge range of bright and vivid colours. Watercolour paints Watercolour paints are more translucent than oils and acrylics. They are used for easy painting. They are suitable for thin wash pictures, but can be built up into solid, vivid colouring. They are the easiest to clean and do not destroy brushes as much as other paints. Choose between palettes or tubes of watercolour paint.

Other tools

For mixing, artists use palettes. Choose from traditional wooden boards or plastic or ceramic trays. Wood is created for oils, whereas plastic suits the thinner water colours. Acrylics tend to set like glue, so use something disposable for them. You can also purchase a stay wet palette especially designed to reduce the time that acrylic takes to dry, thus having a wet paint for longer. Which brushes? Painting brushes come in all sizes and you need to choose a good selection, so you can swap from large for wide areas of paint to thin for finer detail. Rigger brushes are especially for straight lines, while flat brushes are good for washes and broad lines. If you are using acrylics, opt for nylon brushes as these are more hard wearing.