Free Painting Lessons

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Painting can best be described as the process of adding color to a surface.  Usually in the form of a liquid.  There are many different painting methods and techniques.  Some of these techniques are explored in the tutorials below. There are also many types of painting styles.  There are also many opinions about which methods and styles are best.  We won't discuss opinions, instead I will impart what I know about the process of painting through the free painting lessons featured on this page.

Understanding the properties of the medium that you are using can determine your success in painting. Remember, the more that you practice painting, the better you will get.

Paints are generally made up of three types of ingredients.  These include pigment, solvent, and binder.  Pigment gives paint it's color.  Pigments can sometimes influence the name of the color as well.  For example, Alizarin Crimson gets it's name from it's pigment.  The second type of ingredient in all paints is binder.  Binder is what holds the pigment together and can influence it's ability to be spread over a surface.  The type of paint is generally named after it's binder.  A few examples of this is oil paint (binder-oil), acrylic paint (binder-acrylic polymer), and latex paint (binder-latex).  A few exceptions include watercolor (binder-gum arabic) and tempera.  The solvent ingredient is what allows paint to be thinned.  Obviously, the solvent affects the viscosity of the paint.  Solvents also must "jive" with the binder. For example, you could not use water as a solvent for oil paint. To learn more about the characteristics and techniques involved in a variety of painting media and processes, follow the links below...

FREE PAINTING LESSONS

Acrylic Apple Demo

Learn basic acrylic painting techniques in this free painting lesson video.

Acrylic Still Life - Underpainting

Acrylic still life demonstration - excerpts from 2 live lessons.  Learn the importance of underpainting.

Acrylic Transfers

Learn how to create acrylic transfers in this free painting lesson video.

Color Theory

Color theory is an important part of painting.  Learn the basics of color theory including the color wheel, color values, and color schemes.  Use the interactive color wheel to see color theory in action in this free painting lesson.

The Interactive Color Wheel

Learn color theory the easy and fun way with The Interactive Color Wheel.

Acrylic Painting of a Cityscape Time Lapse

Time lapse of an acrylic painting of a cityscape from a live lesson on 10/10 and 10/17

Composition in Art Part 1

Learn about composition (Plato's Rule) in art in this free drawing lesson video.

Composition in Art Part 2

Learn about composition (Eye Movement through Geometric Configurations) in art in this free drawing lesson video.

Composition in Art Part 3

Learn about composition (The Golden Mean and The Rule of  Thirds) in art in this lesson.

Expressive Watercolor Painting

Learn how an underpainting can be used to produce expressive colors in a watercolor painting.

How to Mix Skin Tones

Learn how to mix skin tones using just red, yellow, brown, and white in this free painting lesson video.

How to Paint a Rose- iPad

Watch the steps to painting a rose in this video demonstration on the iPad

Miniature Watercolor Painting

Miniature watercolor painting demonstration

Paint with Gouache

Gouache painting demonstration of a tree

How to Paint Birds

Video tutorial on how to paint birds in the medium of gouache

5 Ways to Create a Focal Point

Learn how to create focal points in this free drawing lesson.

Use Color Theory for Stimulating Highlights and Shadows

Learn how to use complementary colors to create natural highlights and shadows.

How to Lift or Erase Watercolor

Learn how to lift watercolor paint in this painting lesson

Ink Wash Techniques

Learn ink wash techniques in this free painting lesson

Oil Pastels- "Apple"

Learn how to use Oil Pastels in this free painting lesson video where an apple is drawn.

Oil Paint- General Info

General information about oil painting can be found in this free painting lesson including brush types, surfaces, and traditional techniques.

Oil Painting-  Portrait

Learn the basics of oil portraiture in this free painting lesson video.

Pastel Landscapes

Learn how to create a landscape drawing using chalk or (soft pastels) in this free painting lesson video.

Positive and Negative Space

Learn how using positive and negative space can lead to great compositions.

Watercolor Sketch of a Barn

Learn how to use basic watercolor techniques in this free painting lesson video.

Watercolor and Pen and Ink

Excerpts from the 2 hour watercolor and pen and ink tutorial.

All About Watercolor Papers

Learn all about watercolor papers in this free painting lesson.

Watercolor Pencil Techniques

Learn how to use watercolor pencils in this free painting lesson video.

Watercolor Pencil Demonstration

Learn how to paint an iris using watercolor pencils in this video. (excerpts from a Live Lesson)

How to Combine Watercolor and Colored Pencils

Learn how to use watercolor with colored pencils in this drawing/painting lesson

Watercolor Painting of Trout Time Lapse

Time lapse video of an informational painting of a trout