In 2005, Charlene completed her Wellness Diplomas in Therapeutic Aromatherapy and Reflexology from the International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy. She worked for a company offering corporate wellness programs for a couple of years, before opening up her own therapy practice. It was in 2015 that a friend, who was a digital marketer, asked her to join her company as a content creator, and this is where she found her excitement for writing.
What Is Painting? – Explore the World of Visual Art Painting
What is a painting? You might think that the answer to this question is quite simple. You have more than likely come up with an answer that most of us would agree with. However, many things have changed or evolved in the modern world, and defining something as a painting has become a little more open to interpretation. Let us see if we can open up a path to understanding the definition of what a painting is.
Table of Contents
- 1 What Is Painting?
- 2 History of Painting
- 3 Painting Techniques
- 3.1 Different Types of Paints
- 3.2 Tools and Materials Required for Painting
- 3.3 Basic Painting Techniques for Beginners
- 3.4 Advanced Techniques for Experienced Painters
- 4.1 Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)
- 4.2 Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675)
- 4.3 Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890)
- 6.1 What Is Painting?
- 6.2 Why Is Painting Considered Important?
- 6.3 What Are the Three Main Types of Visual Art?
What Is Painting?
Humans have found many ways to express themselves over the years, and visual art painting stands high on the list. Painting is important because it is a way that we can express our ideas and emotions. Painting also offers many benefits from developing creativity and improving various skills to helping support emotional well-being.
In this article, we will be covering a brief overview of the history of painting, and types of paints, and we will go over a few painting techniques and artistic composition. However, before we get into that, let us first discuss what a painting is in a bit more detail.
The most common way to describe a painting, as we have mentioned, is an expression of certain emotions and ideas. These ideas are made into reality on a two-dimensional surface and provide a certain aesthetic quality. The components added include things like color, movement, space, light, and surface. Combined, these elements create a visual art painting that represents real experiences or is an interpretation of a theme or idea, which could make it more abstract.
The traditional western art history definition of a painting also includes the medium used, which is usually a pigment mixed into some liquid or binding element creating oil paints, watercolors or water-based paints, ink, or gouache. These are applied to a canvas, other flat surfaces, or “support” using a paintbrush or other tool. The choice of medium and techniques used, come together to create a visual art painting. The act of painting and the actual artwork or painting, both use the same term.
What is painting in this day and age has become a bit more complicated to describe. There are now many points of view on the matter. Today, there are many mixed media ideas, and the added form of digital art has also come into the picture. The lines have become blurred as to a single definition..
The mixed media idea of paintings can include a variety of mediums that are both organic as well as synthetic materials and includes more than simply paint. Many of these ideas also involve the use of photography and printing. So, the distinction between a painting and the rest of the elements included like techniques or style used can become difficult to discern. It has become a way to reinvent the traditional medium of painting.
History of Painting
You can say painting has been around for thousands of years, as many cave paintings have been discovered all around the world. People have always had the desire to express themselves, which has carried through the ages. The only major factor that is different, is we have moved from rock faces to canvas, paper, and other surfaces. The range of pigments has also grown from using earth minerals like copper, plant extracts, and even insects, to more modern and synthetic varieties that rely on a chemical reaction.
When looking at Western art history, the main mediums used included oil paints and watercolors, which involved different styles and subject matter. However, in the East, paintings also have a rich tradition, but the primary medium used was and is still ink. Eastern paintings also use silk or paper, instead of canvas. Some traditional Chinese paintings, called guóhuà, are closer to calligraphy than what some consider a painting. This brush painting is an old Chinese tradition that uses colored and black ink, which is applied to silk or paper support. So, if you categorize a painting according to only a single viewpoint, it may become a bit narrow-minded.
Paintings after Ancient Masters: Mr. Five Willows (Wuliu), Tao Yuanming (1598-1652) by Chen Hongshou; Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Moving back to more Western culture, in the 15 th century, the discovery of using linseed oil to produce a more durable medium, contributed to a lot of creativity during the Renaissance period. Egg tempera paint was also commonly used during these periods to create frescos or murals on wet plaster. When considering these earlier cultures and traditions, in many cases, the royalty, guilds, or religious groups controlled a lot of what artists could or could not do. These groups decided on the subject matter and whether it would be used for decorative, religious, functional, or entertainment purposes, and skilled artisans would bring these pieces to life.
Patronage, which is a group or individual who sponsors an artist became popular somewhere between the 14 th to 17 th centuries. In most cases, an artist was commissioned to do the work and did not have control over the subject matter. Later, in Europe, well-known artists were given the title of “fine artists” and were offered the social standing of scholars. So, they could sign their art and were often in control of the subject matter and other aspects of the painting.
When the 19th century came, many of the painters in Western circles saw a decline in patronage, which also affected their social standing.
However, artists began to hold their own art exhibitions and began to sell their own work, and the freedom to be creative. The Impressionism and Expressionism movements were some of the first to promote personal artistic composition as contemporary painters began to explore the world of painting beyond religion and politics. This manner of self-promotion could only be done through galleries and art museums in the early 20 th century. Also, on occasion, artists were commissioned by the state or other industries. Symbolist art began to rise after this period, as artists were able to use their work to explore more niche areas of life without state control.
There were also art fairs, traveling exhibitions, and art journals, where artists could find exposure. This meant that mixed media and other more unique ideas came into the picture. This just expanded when the internet and social media came into the picture. Now you have styles like the more contemporary and modern art that blur the line between traditional painting and modern conceptual artworks.
Simple and uncomplicated painting subjects
Well that was so much fun!
I honestly think the secret to watercolour or maybe any form of painting is to enjoy it.I’ve covered so many techniques over time painting in fine detail on every subject.Taking so long to achieve perfection on each part of the fur on an animal or flower.Although my “journey” is still very much in progress, at the moment I really enjoy watermark effects. I’ve really just placed colour where Tishees’ markings are and let a few water drops fall from my brush in areas to add excitement and create texture. I’m hoping the viewers’ imagination will see fur and by looking at the shapes the watermarks create, see shadows too. I’m not aiming for detail. I’m aiming for a loose result that is soft and interesting.
My subject is beautiful, so I need to let her do all the work. I know we all like different styles of painting so this method may not appeal to some but for me it is so amazing.
As I’m sat here I already have an idea for my next cat painting and I haven’t even finished this one yet! The background and foreground need to be added now.
By the way depending on any given subject I use a variety of approaches to watercolour. I often apply an overall wash prior to painting. Then the background and foreground colours are already there.
Here I wanted my focal point to dictate the shades in my background area.
Be back with the finished Tishee later.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:02 pm #1294383
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I looked at Tishee for ages and thought about what kind of background I wanted to achieve.
I didn’t want to distract from my subject.
I wanted warmth.
In fact, I liked the subject as it was so a simple mixture of all the shades used seemed a good idea.
For texture, I added a few water drops. Literally throwing a brush of clean water in areas to create watermarks similar to those in the fur of this piece.
Letting it dry and waiting to see if magic has happened is the hardest part in any watercolour but rushing this stage can outdo all the good in previous brushwork.
Here she is. I need to make a suggestion of some kind to distract from the feeling that she is floating and then she should be finished.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:04 pm #1294386
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Well all I’ve done is added a line as a definition to ground Tishee. I’ve deliberately applied warm against cool tones in certain areas for effect.
A few directional brushstrokes in the foreground help create added interest.
This is simple, uncomplicated and hopefully effective.
What do you think?Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:12 pm #1294390
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We have now approached painting cats with a loose approach in watercolour. In the first demonstration I suggested choosing a model that appealed to you and begged you want to paint it. I’m going to ask you to do that again but in a slightly different way. In the second demonstration we painted not just the cats face but the cats body as well. This will have given you more of an opportunity to experiment with techniques for painting fur and there are many. The one I used with Tishee was just one. For me leaving watermarks is a fun experience and I love this method. It’s fun and exciting as no two results are ever the quite same. Watercolour results rarely are which is what makes it such an exciting medium. When I’m working in any other medium if I’m asked for an exact replica I stand a chance of achieving it. In watercolour, it is far more difficult to produce the same watermarks and effects exactly.
Is it? What do you think? Well by now you should have experimented with painting cats both with the body and with a portrait, but we didn’t really look at cats expressions in great detail, yet! I’d like to jump from cats to people just for one moment.
To paint a face you really need to study your subject well. Looking for details that will create a good likeness. With pets, it’s exactly the same. But when we paint we also need to think just what we are aiming for. To produce just a perfect likeness or something a little bit more exciting? Instead of thinking about our painting and how we are going to achieve a good result lets just think about who is going to look at it once it is finished. What will they think of when they see the finished result. Does that thought ever cross your mind when you are painting? Imagine you are writing a letter. You want to make it interesting for someone who is reading it. You leave all the boring details out because they take too long to include and you know you’d lose interest in the readers mind if you went on and on. It’s the same in painting. Leave out any boring details and focus on what is most exciting.
Now we come to our next subject.
A portrait with an expression. Or a cat with cattitude!
Try to find a reference photo of a cat in good light with an expression on its face that tells you something that the animal is thinking about. Try to imagine what it is feeling.
Let’s start painting with emotion now. Yours and the subjects!
(I am working on a book by the way! At this rate this tutorial will turn into one but everyone seems to be enjoying it so much, so I’ll just add to it for a while!) Here is my subject for demonstration number three. Now is this cat happy? Grumpy? Waiting to be fed? They look as if they are saying “Hey you”, maybe they don’t want their photo taken!
Anyway I am sure you can find an even better photo than this one with a great expression on a cats face. Anger would be a great emotion to find.
I’ll do a quick example, and then we can all share expressive pet portraits next!Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:16 pm #1294392
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Here is a very quick sketch.This could be a study to explore facial expressions. Not every painting has to be a masterpiece or for a gallery. The fun in experimenting with watercolour is so wonderful that it is a shame to become stressed out over the results all the time. So relax and enjoy finding just the right subject for this section of the tutorial. In a class I would give you a week to prepare for this exercise. Asking you to find a really good reference photo to work from. One that excites you. If you find the subject boring to start with it will never result in a great painting. You have as long as you like, hours, days or months but please enjoy this stage.It’s as important a part as the actual painting. When you make your preliminary sketch look for what fascinates you the most. Leave out areas that are not interesting and let them fade into the background. You don’t have to paint every detail . Just think of that long letter you were bored stiff reading once and start thinking about as little as possible that could tell this next story. What could you leave out?
Here is my preliminary sketch and for me it has far too much detail already. It is very rough because I want the use of colour to catch the cats expression. I’ve left out areas along the edges of the portrait too as I want these to disappear into the background softly. I will use masking fluid but not in the same way as you will see later on.
I’ve flooded the eye areas with a variety of shades as the cats eyes are so varied. There is a dot of masking fluid here too.
I will add I normally prefer to paint without the use of masking fluid or salt but I do realize painting around whiskers can be a little hard if you aren’t used to it, so I’m making this demonstration as easy to follow as possible.
I’ll be moving onto flooding colours merging for fur next.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:19 pm #1294394
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This is a very quick painting. Fifteen minutes in all as my time is very limited today!
It’s amazing when you set yourself a time limit to achieve an effect what can happen.
Sometimes it’s worth setting a timer and working to that given amount of ten or fifteen minutes. Then your mind tells you to paint only what is important. You don’t have time to fuss or overwork.You move on to another area letting previous sections dry without interfering.
EXERCISE Choose a subject, make a brief sketch, mix your shades first, then paint for a set time. Fifteen to twenty minutes is ample to get a story across without too much detail.
Here is my very quick painting. It isn’t brilliant but it was so much fun to paint. I have left areas blending in with the background and used quick brush strokes to hint at lines in the foreground which again add interest. No one needs to know whether it’s a chair or blanket. It’s just a subtle indication that something is there.
Think about what you are painting and the viewer. What do you want them to look at? Your focal point? The whole painting? Will a subtle background make your focal point more stunning? Will a busy detailed background harmonize or detract from the main subject?
In this painting I flooded shades dictated by my subjects markings and let them merge together. Water drops have fallen creating texture in the fur and once the masking fluid was removed I applied a subtle wash over the masked areas in a few places.This made the paper less white and the whiskers less obvious.
I have no idea what he is thinking, but he definitely has cattitude!Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:22 pm #1294396
DefaultWhenever I am teaching I will often ask my students to do a few exercises for fun. These will be very quick fun ideas that introduce techniques or brushwork ideas. The last quick exercise was not a painting aimed to be framed but a fun quick painting to see what you can produce in a short period of time. Now I would like you to slow down again and think about your next painting very seriously. I want you to take every good part of each of your previous paintings, keep them in mind and imagine how you can improve on them. We all know we can paint an even better piece next time. This is your next time!
Put everything that is good into it!
This is going to be your best painting ever.
Keep that thought in your mind while you read the following guidelines.
1) Choose a really good subject.
2) Study them really well. Find what interests you about them.
3) Mix your shades first and plenty of them. Use a limited palette to create harmony.
4) On a scrap of paper try a few brushstrokes and techniques to create effects.
5) Decide on whether to make a preliminary sketch or whether to paint directly.
6) Make sure you are sat in a good light and are in a good mood. RELAX.
Here is my next subject.
And a gorgeous one it is too.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:28 pm #1294399
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Chim Chim is a delightful little cat who owns Ntali, a wet canvas artist. In a reply to one of my cat paintings Ntali mentioned his little yellow tabby Chim Chim so I was curious and asked to see them. Ntali kindly sent me a photo in a PM and I instantly fell in love with his little pet.
The expression and face are just so interesting and very tempting to paint.
This cat looks very young and alert. The eyes are saying so much.
Here is my painting of Chim Chim. I have played with the fur by literally wetting the paper, waiting until the sheen is almost dry and then dropping pigment in and letting it merge and blend. As this dries and yet again there is still a sheen I add fine drops of darker pigment letting them merge also. The secret is in letting your work dry without fiddling.
The beauty of a watercolour often doesn’t show whilst the work is wet.
Please be very patient.
Use a very good quality paper of a good weight,140lbs or more.I use rough paper when I am working on animals to help create texture. I also use a large brush for larger areas and only use a fine brush for the eyes or final details/accents.
I’ve not used masking fluid as I prefer to work without. I find the shades for the whiskers more attractive if they vary in the length of the whisker rather than the very neat lines acquired with masking fluid. This method takes a little longer and more patience but it is well worth experimenting with.
I was also aiming for movement in this piece so please consider your brushstrokes when painting fur. No straight lines please, well some but try to keep them at a minimum.
I’m hoping to add one more painting with a lot of fluff and again movement.
Say to yourself………
” This is going to be my best painting ever ”
Believe it and see what happens. Expressions, light, interest, movement, gorgeous eyes telling stories….
Over to you!Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:33 pm #1294401
DefaultWell it’s the last week of March and the last week of this tutorial.
I have the feeling some viewers might be getting a wee bit tired of seeing so many cats in the Wet Canvas Gallery but the paintings have been so outstanding.
It is so encouraging to type a tutorial and see so many wonderful paintings appear as a result of it and many have totally taken my breath away literally. THANK YOU! You’re all encouraging me with my book so seriously thank you very much!
So how do we draw near to the close of a tutorial ?
Is anyone out there ?
Is anyone still reading this thread and taking it all in ?
Is anyone still enjoying the new additions here ?
Or have you all fallen asleep by now ?
Well if you have you are not alone………….
Here is………..
Milo!
I found Milo’s photo in the reference library here in W/C posted by C.P.
I’ve sat and thought about how I teach watercolours. Over the years I have thrown my pencils away almost and paint directly guided by the shapes of colour and shading.I’ve gradually found I’ve been mesmerized as a painting comes to life and the subject suddenly appears. Through teaching beginners who have no experience at all with either drawing or painting I’ve gradually started using my pencil again in classes for preliminary sketches to demonstrate how to capture a subject accurately.
I’ve then carried out demonstrations showing how to use watercolour and bring the sketch to life but one problem keeps hitting me over and over again. I’ve noticed when there is a preliminary sketch it is so easy to stick closely to the lines in an almost painting by number fashion. Can I suggest just for warm up exercises now and then that you push the pencil to one side and paint directly just for fun?
Please!
In the beginning of this thread I asked you to premix your shades prior to a painting. You hopefully will remember the section where I showed you circles of shades on my colour chart for my first cat painting?
This is a typical shade chart using a limited palette.
Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:37 pm #1294403
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Clean fresh colours are a great start to any painting but….
How about instead of mixing your shades and placing them neatly on a scrap of paper in circles you actually paint a loose cat to check your colours?
Here is my shade chart for Milo………. What do you think of this idea?
With no pencil lines to guide me my eyes were purely directed by the shades of my subject. This is a very loose first wash with hardly any detail. It is very loose and will probably not be everyone’s cup of tea but there is a gentle softness in this wash that is missing in my finished pre sketched painting of the same subject. Sometimes this first wash is so exciting there is no need to work any further on the piece.
I was invited to hold a demonstration at an Art Group recently and one of the artists attending told me during the break they were disappointed with my demonstration. When I asked why they explained they’d always loved watching me paint directly,d they weren’t expecting me to use a pencil at all. It is my style to paint loosely. That day I know I was nervous so carried out a sketch beforehand to make sure everything went absolutely perfectly.
They didn’t want perfection.
They wanted me, with my style and I think in that there is a lesson worth thinking about.
You may have followed this demonstration and picked up some very useful tips. You may have found ways to improve your own style, you may have discovered having tried this way of painting you prefer more detail.
As long as you enjoy what you are doing 100% that is the most important thing.
Be you!
I need to finish Milo, so I have one more addition here, a little more detail and how I painted him of course.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:40 pm #1294404
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Well here is Milo finished.
One more tip. TIP.ALWAYS finish BEFORE you think a painting is finished! For this painting I carried out a brief preliminary sketch making note of anything that was of interest to me. The ball was not, although it had to be there as part of the story with my subject.
Milo would have looked pretty funny sleeping on fresh air but I’ve chosen to not spend a lot of time painting the ball rather using its bright colour to make the shades in my subject look softer.
I’ve premixed shades, wet areas and let the shades merge softly. For a kitten you need to achieve a really wet look with fur. Try dropping your chosen shades on the wet paper while it is really damp letting the pigment get carried to merge and blend forming its own magic, don’t fiddle and let stripes or patches appear at random.
Enjoy this stage.
It should be fun!
The background wash again is similar to my subject so as not to detract.
Harmony is the main aim throughout.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:43 pm #1294406
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I hope the soft effect worked here.
I’ve also worked on my “shade chart” version of Milo.
Here he is, the version without a pencil sketch.
I’ve only strengthened colours as I felt were needed. This isn’t a pet portrait, so I wasn’t aiming to catch a great likeness.
I was aiming for the bin and just having fun.
As it is only a shade chart reference and my real painting was already finished I’ve just played with my “shade chart” till a result that pleased me appeared. What do you think?
The results are very different.
The pencil sketch version is more accurate and more detailed.
The loose wash version without a preliminary sketch is much softer however and to me a little more appealing.
I’m leaving this demo here as I intend to make my next classroom/demonstration focus on painting with free expression, using brushwork and colour to guide us only.
No pencil!
The response to this thread has been amazing. Hopefully you will all be ready to say goodbye to your pencils in my next demo!
That is if you are still awake unlike Milo.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:46 pm #1294409
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When I started this tutorial I had no idea there would be so many wonderful replies in the homework thread. It’s been thrilling seeing each new cat painting.
There are so many ways to paint a cat portrait.
All that is needed is the enthusiasm to try and a wonderful model, patience, a sense of humour and time.
You can just paint the facial features as in “Alfie” above with just a few brushstrokes for fur detail.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
June 6, 2020 at 3:54 pm #1294413
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You can use stunning colours for a more dramatic effect. Or you can go all out for cattitude! Percy here REALLY has cattitude!
Whatever you do it should be fun.
You should feel you really WANT to paint your subject.
If it’s a chore then the result will show it was.
Have fun, happy painting and I hope you enjoyed this classroom demonstration as much as I enjoyed putting it all together.Char — CharMing Art — “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo DaVinci
