Struggling to get to grips with your artist materials?

Here is our dinfinitive guide to everything you need to know and how to get started...

Paint

Painting is one of the most creative crafts you can do and it is important to use the correct tools and paints. There are many different types and brands of paint medium for a wide range of uses and finishes – it ultimately depends on what you feel comfortable with using. Here are the most common types of paint:

Watercolour

This is a type of paint made from pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder, such as gum arabic, and also has transparent properties. Watercolour paints can be bought in tubes or small blocks. However, if you find it difficult to use paint brushes and would prefer a more straightforward approach to using watercolours, there are watercolour pencils available. To be used like an ordinary pencil, simply add water onto your canvas for a watercolour effect.

Gouache

This type of paint is water-soluble and, even though it has similar properties to watercolour, it is opaque rather than transparent. Gouache comes from the Italian guazzo ('water paint' or 'splash') and is pronounced ‘goo-wash’ or ‘gwash’ . The thickness and opacity of gouache give it an immediacy of colour which means that the artist needs to get used to using it, applying it almost in layers. Gouache is also known as body colour, designer’s gouache or opaque colour.

Acrylic

‘Acrylic’ is used as a generic term for any synthetic paint medium. It is a specific type of manmade polymer which has good adhesive and elastic properties. This type of paint has the advantage of drying faster than oil paint as it is made with a synthetic resin, which allows it to be water-soluble. Acrylic paints can be bought in tubes or small tubs. As this paint is very thick in consistency, you may prefer a spatula (flat wooden implement: one or more may be used) to paint with, rather than brushes. And, as a versatile medium, it can be used straight from the tube (like oils), or thinned with water and used like watercolours.

Oil

Oil paints are made with natural oils such as linseed, walnut or poppy. These help bind the pigment together to form the medium. As oil paint dries very slowly, it allows the artist time to rework and blend colours. To help speed up drying time and to dilute the paint, artists add solvents (also, they are often used to clean brushes). Like acrylic paint, it has a thick consistency which enables you to layer the paint and add texture.

Brushes

While a wide and varied range of paintbrushes is available to the artist, some tend to refine their choice to a few favourites. Modern synthetic brushes are excellent and have the advantage of being cheaper than natural hair. However, natural brushes have the flexibility and strength which gives an artist great control. If you are particularly squeamish about natural hair, then synthetic brushes are perfectly fine. Soft brushes are ideal for thin paint which spreads easily, and also for detailed work as they form a sharp point. Robust, hard brushes are best for pushing around thick paint and creating brush marks. Here are the types of natural hair brushes and their advantages:

• Sable: this is made from the hairs on the tail of a sable marten. They are renowned for their softness, flexibility and fine-point and are perfect for watercolours.
• Squirrel: this has soft hair with added spring. Larger brushes are more effective than smaller ones as the mass of hair gives it support.
• Hog/bristle: this hair is very strong and springy and has natural split-ends – it helps hold more paint and is ideal for acrylic and oil paints.
• Ox: this is long, strong and a little springy, which is also great for acrylics and oils.
• Goat: this hair lacks spring, but forms a good point. It is often used in calligraphy and Chinese Brush painting.

Other media

Pastels: ground pigment mixed with chalk and gum or oil, which is then shaped into sticks. Pastels cannot be mixed on a palette like paints, but are mixed on the paper by overlaying or blending.

Oil pastels: similar to normal pastels; however, the ground pigment is mixed with oil then shaped into drawing sticks – more tricky to blend.

Charcoal: sticks of solid charcoal which give very soft lines when drawn on the paper.

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