Practice Makes Perfect

By Jernice Kelley
Web Content Contributor

Painting has recently become a favorite pass time for me. I initially started because I was looking for something easy to do with friends. Eventually, it became an expressive and creative outlet for me.

While I still paint with friends occasionally, I have started to include painting in my alone time. It is one of my favorite parts of self-care and has many benefits. 

Starting was not easy. Even with something as simple as blending background colors could be pretty hard. I once had a painting turn into a muddy grey color because I mixed my colors incorrectly. What a wasted canvas! I finally figured out how to blend properly, and it has been one of my favorite parts of a painting.

Deciding what to paint has been one of the hardest aspects of being creative. Some people who paint for a living can paint based on their mood, something they have seen, or something they completely made up. They just have a natural talent. I am not that lucky.

It takes me a while to come up with something to paint, no matter how simple it may be. It is another thing to paint it the way I imagined it. One thing that helped me when I was starting was finding beginner tutorial videos. Some of my favorite pieces have come from following along with these videos!

When my friends introduced me to painting, they told me that I had to decide what kind I wanted to do. By that, they meant that I had to decide if I wanted to do acrylic, watercolor, or oil paintings. It was interesting to learn the different mediums of painting and what supplies to use for the best results.

Some supplies that any practicing artist should have include:

• An easel
• Canvas acrylic or oil painters and paper for watercolor painters
• A palette for mixing paints
• Brushes
• Palette knives
• Paints
• Solvent for oil painting
• Paper towels to clean your brushes

Doing any creative medium takes a ton of practice if it is something you want to be good at. The challenge that comes along with learning a new craft does not compare to the positive impact it can have on your life. 

When you are painting with your friends, or even by yourself, you can spice things up by having a drink while you paint. Drinking while you paint can be incredibly fun. Just ask anyone who has been to Painting with a Twist or Pinot’s Palette! Do not be afraid to jump in and try it out! 

Feature Image by Jernice Kelley