Artist

A starving artist is a painter, poet, actor, musician, or other artist who lives in poverty. Life may be a financial struggle for the undiscovered artist who often cannot earn enough to make a living from art. A starving artist as the romantic, sometimes tragic figure portrayed in literature and theater is based on the bohemian counterculture that began in nineteenth century Paris. The French starving artists, or bohemians as they were known, were poorly housed and fed, yet were passionate about their artistic life as their raison d'etre, or reason for being.
The use of the term "bohemian" to describe a starving artist was inspired by Bohemian people from the part of the Czech Republic known as Bohemia, but it did not refer to all aspects of the actual Bohemian lifestyle. The French and other nationalities tended to view the actual Bohemians and Gypsies as con-artists and circus folk rather than actual artists. The French used the expression "bohemian" to describe a starving artist related only to the poverty-ridden yet free-spirited outlook of Bohemians and Gypsies.
The first bohemians were Parisian bourgeois; young people beginning to live on their own. They lived the impoverished life of a starving artist, yet most did have homes to return to whenever they chose. Soon, working class people who were actually poor also began living the starving artist life of the bohemian.

What Does a Portrait Artist Do

In some cases, a portrait artist may choose his medium based solely on economic considerations. Painting and sculpting materials can be extremely expensive, and completion of portraits done in these media can require a large amount of time. On the other hand, sketches and photographs can be created at low costs and in relatively short time periods. Thus, an artist might decide upon a format by weighing labor and material costs against the compensation he will receive for the finished product.
The exact nature of a portrait artist’s day-to-day work is dictated by his customer. In some cases, artists are hired to create portraits of high-ranking figures like university deans, large company owners, and even presidents. This type of commission is usually high-paying and as such requires a carefully executed product. Subjects may pose for the artist for long periods of time, sometimes in the artist’s studio or at the subject’s office or home. The intended tone of the portrait may be left to the artist or may be dictated by the subject.
Often a portrait artist works in a much more casual setting. He may, for instance, set up an easel in a heavily touristed area and spend the day sketching passers-by who agree to sit for quick portraits. Sometimes his renderings are realistic and other times they can be comical. This type of portraiture, common at fairs and carnivals and also in public areas of European cities like Paris and Barcelona, tends to be executed very rapidly and is usually not well paid.

Portrait Artist

A portrait artist creates artistic depictions of people in which the subject’s face usually serves as the work’s focal point. Though the range of formats in which portraits can be done is essentially limited only by the artist’s imagination, the most traditional media for this type of artwork include painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography. Depending on the vision and intentions of the artist and the subject, portraits may be realistic or highly impressionistic. Often a portrait artist secures work through commissions, which can vary from painting heads of state to sketching tourists in a town square.
With each new piece, the first task of a portrait artist is to decide which format he will use. This decision can be influenced by the intended character of the portrait. For instance, sculpted and painted portraits can sometimes be executed so that they “erase” their subject’s physical flaws, exaggerate his stature, and endow him with an appearance of power or wisdom. Conversely, due to its precise nature, photography can be used to create a highly realistic and unforgiving portrait. These distinctions are not concrete, however, and a skilled portrait artist can manipulate his chosen medium to create a number of moods and effects.

What to Paint

So, now you can start. But what do you paint? If you are really just starting out then you may want to get a book that gives you a step-by-step guide as to how to paint a particular scene or painting, then you can learn the methods used to bring the painting to life. Otherwise you may have a favourite photo or a picture from the internet or even an old master that you want to recreate. I really think that trying to copy something that someone has already done is a good way to learn about techniques as it pushes you to try and think about how to do something and in doing so you learn these new techniques that you might not have learnt otherwise.
Layers
Whatever you are trying to paint, you should use a number of layers to build up the painting and not try to complete it all in one go! When I say this I mean the following: For the first layer, use the paint 'watered' down with thinners. This is starting the painting using the 'fat over lean' method. In basic terms when you apply paint, the most oily layer (fat) should be on top of the layer with least oil (lean i.e. containing thinners) underneath. If you don't use this method then your painting might subsequent have cracks in it where the different layers of paint dry at different speeds.
There are many different schools of thought as to how to actually paint and what colours to use and this article is not going to be encompassing enough to go through those. Basically on the first layer apply it with thinners in a loose manner (i.e. the painting does not have to be precise at this stage). The main aim is to cover all of the canvas with some paint to provide a foundation. As you apply more and more layers - the number of layers is up to you - the paint should have more oil in it as you go on. So for example in the next layer you could use half linseed oil and half thinners as a medium and then the layer after linseed oil with no thinners.

Painting Mediums

In addition to the paint you will need to get some thinners and also a bottle of painting medium. There are so many options with regard to painting medium but to start off with you can just chose to use linseed oil and as you go on and experiment more try different types of medium and how they affect the paint and help or hinder with your style of painting.
Brushes
So, then you will need some brushes. These also come in so many different types and sizes. It may well depend on what style of painting you are planning to do as to what brushes you need. For example if you are going to paint realistically in fine detail you may want smaller round brushes but if you are going to paint big abstract blended paintings then go for big softer flat brushes. I may be contentious in advising this but when you are just starting out, especially if you are just going to be testing out various techniques I would advise getting some cheap brushes to see what kind of shape and size you prefer to use. The main problems with cheaper brushes in my opinion are that firstly, some of the hairs may come out whilst you are painting and secondly, the brushes may not retain their shape as well. Advantages are that you don't buy expensive brushes that you subsequently decide are not the right type for you. Once you have decided your painting style and which brushes are suitable for that you can then buy the more expensive ones. For me, as an abstract artist, I also prefer the much softer (and for some reason cheaper) big brushes that blend the paint really nicely and don't leave so many brush strokes. I will use the brush firstly on a test painting and that will generally get rid of any of the lose hairs so hardly any will come off on my actual painting.

Oil Painting Mediums

What about mediums? Do you need to mix the oil paint with anything or can you use it straight out of the tube? This is another common question amongst beginners. The answer? You do not need mediums to paint with. They are not a requirement, but I find them to be quite helpful.
Most oil paints that I have worked with are simply too stiff right out of the tube for my particular style of painting. Mediums will help dilute the oil paint and make the paint flow better, which means you will be using less paint. Using less paint, means you will save money.
There are many different kinds of mediums that are used for different reasons, like speeding up the drying time of paint, improving gloss, etc. Do not be overly concerned with mediums right now.
I like to start my painting using thinned down acrylic paint. I first tone my entire canvas with a neutral color. I then draw in my composition using different values of the same color. I let this initial drawing dry over night. I then apply the oil paint using the fat over lean oil painting method.
Lighting
This is a very important part of oil painting. Without proper lighting, you will not be able to accurately see your colors. The best kind of lighting is natural sunlight, so if you have the opportunity to paint in a well lit room or outdoors, that would be ideal. Of course not everyone is blessed with this type of situation, so the next best thing is to use lighting that mimics natural sunlight.
This type of lighting is referred to as "full spectrum lighting". There are number of different full spectrum lighting products available. Just do a search on Google for "full spectrum lighting" and you will find a number of websites on the topic.

Oil Painting Brushes

Having good quality brushes is important. While a good quality brush will not make you a better painter, a cheap brush will only wind up frustrating you. When you use cheap brushes you will see why. Cheap brushes have a tendency to shed hairs that get stuck in the oil paint, which is extremely annoying. Good quality brushes should have stiff hairs and snap back into place when you run your fingers through them. They should be well crafted and sturdy.
You do not need that many brushes for oil painting. I personally only use two types of oil painting brushes: flats and filberts of various sizes. I do have a few rounds and a fan brush on hand, but I almost never use them. I would also recommend that you use hogs hair brushes as opposed to the softer synthetic hair brushes. The synthetic brushes are just too flimsy to handle the oil painting medium in my opinion.
Cleaning your brushes is important, so don't be careless in this area, especially if you are working with high quality brushes. Many artists recommend turpentine for cleaning brushes, but I simply cannot bring myself to use this stuff. I use a much safer brush cleaning product called "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver.
I clean my brushes right after a painting session with this product and it works wonderfully. It may take some time to really get your brushes clean, but it is worth the effort. If the brush cleaner does not remove all of the paint, then I use a bit of odorless mineral spirits. I find this a much better alternative to turpentine.

Oil Painting Supplies

The first thing you will need to do is purchase a few supplies. You need not spend a ton of money on expensive oil painting supplies. Start with the basics as you are only a beginner right now. The goal at this point is to get used to working with your support, brushes, paints and other materials. So expensive supplies will be wasted during this stage.
Supports
You are going to need a support to paint on. There are a number of different supports that can handle oil paint, but for now, start with canvas. Many beginners often ask if a canvas needs any special coating or priming for oil paint. The short answer is yes, but you need not worry about that either. Any local art supply store or online art supply store will have canvases that are already primed and ready to be used.
Oil Paint
Next, you are going to need paint. You do not need an expensive brand of paint. That would again be a waste for beginners. There are less expensive, good quality paints on the market that will work beautifully for your painting needs. Here are a few oil paint brands to test out: WINSOR & NEWTON Winton Oil Colours, GRUMBACHER Academy Oils and DALER-ROWNEY Georgian Oil Colours.
For those of you who may be concerned about the potential hazards associated with oil paints, have no fear. Introducing water miscible oil paints! These paints are fantastic. They can be thinned with water as opposed to using dangerous solvents like turpentine. Here are two brands to try out if you are interested: GRUMBACHER Max Water Miscible Oil Colors and WINSOR & NEWTON Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colours.

Oil Painting

One of the more frequently asked questions from beginners in oil painting is: How do I get Started? To get started in oil painting is relatively easy. There are some basic supplies that you will need and some basic guidelines to follow. This article will discuss how beginners can get started with oil painting. This article will not teach you how to become a good painter however. In fact, no one can make you a good painter. You can only be taught certain things and it is up to you to take what you have learned and apply it.
Many beginners who are new to the oil painting medium, generally have the same questions. So let's cover those questions now so that you can begin your painting journey right away.

Oil Painting Kits

Oil painting kits are sold by hobby, artist and craft stores, either at a physical location or through online websites. The three basic types of oil painting kits are: the paint-by-number style of kit; the kind of kit that contains all the necessary components to complete one particular painting project; or the sort that provides no specific painting to complete but that acts as a beginner's kit, which contains the basics for budding artists to start enjoying their new hobby.

Paint-by-number oil painting kits enjoyed their heyday during the 1950s, but the interest in them has waned since. These kits were the brainchild of Dan Robbins, who invented the concept and whose company, Craft Master, manufactured millions of units during the craze. The paint-by-number craft kits allowed anyone to become an artist almost overnight. The subject of the paintings ranged from animals to landscapes to replicas of the greatest masterpieces of the ages. People who purchased the paint-by-number oil painting kits found them entertaining and simple to complete. The kits included a pre-stamped number-coded canvas; a brush; and small marked containers of paint that corresponded to the numbers on the canvas. Would-be artists would simply consult the color chart and fill in the stamped sections with the appropriate paint color. Voila-a masterpiece was created with little or no artistic training.

Oil paint

Oil paint is applied in layers to achieve desired colors and textures. Thicker paints will produce more texture, sometimes revealing brush strokes. Thinner paints are more transparent allowing for the creation of color variations. The layering of oil paint correctly is essential to the process.
The primary principle of oil painting is the rule of “fat over lean.” Leaner paints, paints mixed with lesser amounts of oil, must be applied under fatter paints, pigments mixed with more oil. Leaner paints need to go under fatter paints because they dry faster than those with more medium. The bottom layers of an oil painting need to contain less oil because they will absorb some of the medium of paint layered on top of them. Paints with less oil will dry faster than fat paints. If the top layers of a painting dry before the bottom layers, the paint will crack.
Oil paint does not dry by evaporation like most paints. Oil paint dries by oxidation, which is a much slower drying process. A fresh oil painting will be dry to the touch in about two weeks' time. It will be dry enough to finish with a varnish in about six to twelve months. An oil painting will not be considered finished drying until it is 60 to 80 years old.

Oil paint

Oil paint is a mixture of color (pigment) and oil (medium). Paints are usually mixed by the artist for each specific project. The mixing of pigment with a medium is the basis of successful oil painting. Oil painting involves the application of the oil paint in layers on a canvas or other surface.
Commonly used mediums are linseed, walnut, and poppy seed oils. Mediums have different properties. Linseed oil dries the most thoroughly so it is frequently used on the bottom layers of oil paintings. Linseed oil tends to yellow color, so it is hard to use with lighter pigments. Poppy seed oil is the least yellowing of the mediums and is also the slowest to dry. It is often used in whites and lighter colors as well as on the top layers of an oil painting.

Oil paint advantages

There are many advantages to using oil paints, aside from its hardwearing property. Oil paints can also be left open for long periods of time. In fact, oil paints can often be left exposed to air for up to several weeks without drying. This characteristic makes it possible for an artist to work on a painting over several sessions without fear of the paint drying up too early. Of course, this trait can be looked at as a disadvantage by some, because it takes several weeks for a project to be finished, and the slow drying process can make it difficult to move on to the next stage of the project.
Oil paints are also excellent for blending with surrounding paint. When blended on canvas, oil paints are capable of creating artistic brush strokes and blends that are not possible with other forms of paint. For some artists, however, this advantage to oil paints can be viewed as a disadvantage, because it is also possible to accidentally blend colors while painting that were not meant to be blended.

Advantages of Oil Paints

Artists have used oil paints for hundreds of years. In fact, they have been dated to as early as 13th century England, where they were used for simple decoration. In the early years, however, many artists chose to use tempera paints instead of oil paints because they were able to dry more quickly. In the 15th century, Flemish artists experimented with combining oil paints with tempera. Nonetheless, it was not until the 17th century that pure oil paints became a more common art medium.
Oil paints are slower drying than other forms of paint because they are made of small particles of pigment that are suspended in a drying oil. While some artists may find this slow-drying property bothersome, most artists consider oil paints to be an essential type of art media that should be taught to every art student. This is partly because of the many artistic masterpieces that have been created using oil paints. It is also because oil paints create luminous colors that are hardwearing, making them a good choice for creating new works of art.

Oil Painting

Oil paintings are among the most beautiful and realistic, with their texture and depth bringing a photograph-like quality to painting. Oil paint is a simple mixture of pigment and oil, usually linseed, walnut, or poppy oil.Any advice about cleaning an oil painting that's covered in dust or yellowed varnish must come with a major disclaimer. More than other kinds of do-it-yourself projects, cleaning oil paintings should really be trusted to expert conservators. Furthermore, altering true antiques almost always decreases their value, whether or not they look better to you.For some artists, however, this advantage to oil paints can be viewed as a disadvantage, because it is also possible to accidentally blend colors while painting that were not meant to be blended. Oil painting kits are sold by hobby, artist and craft stores, either at a physical location or through online websites.

Oil Painting Pictures

Oil paintings are among the most beautiful and realistic, with their texture and depth bringing a photograph-like quality to painting. Oil paint is a simple mixture of pigment and oil, usually linseed, walnut, or poppy oil.
 Once the paint has begun to dry, paint removal may require scraping. The origin of oil painting dates back to Ancient Roman times. Shields decorated with oil based paint were thought to be more durable than those without.Oil paints are also excellent for blending with surrounding paint. When blended on canvas, oil paints are capable of creating artistic brush strokes and blends that are not possible with other forms of paint.

Cleaning Oil Paintings

For recent paintings, your problem is more likely a build-up of dust, smoke, pet hair, dander, and even bacterial or fungal growth. In this case, make sure none of the paint is ready to come off the canvas or board, meaning that it doesn't exhibit any cracks or flakes. Then you can carefully dust the surface with a very soft, dry bristle brush, such as a baby toothbrush or shaving cream brush.
If the surface is sticky, grimy, or oily, you may want to take the cleaning a step further and actually use a mild detergent solution. Again, generally speaking, oil and water should never mix, as moisture can damage both the canvas and the impasto. Proceeding with caution, use brand new cotton cloths dipped in a mixture of dish soap and warm water. Lightly blot the surface, but don't scrub, wipe, or rub at the painting. At no point should you submerge any part of the painting, nor allow so much moisture that it drips or pools.

How Do I Go About Cleaning Oil Paintings

Any advice about cleaning an oil painting that's covered in dust or yellowed varnish must come with a major disclaimer. More than other kinds of do-it-yourself projects, cleaning oil paintings should really be trusted to expert conservators. Furthermore, altering true antiques almost always decreases their value, whether or not they look better to you. If your painting is not that old, not terribly valuable, or not too important, however, there are a few possible ways to make it look brighter and cleaner yourself.
Before the 1940s, paintings of oil on canvas were frequently covered with a layer of varnish to add sheen and protect the thick layer of paint, called the impasto. Yet varnish reacts differently to the environment than does paint, so these varnish seals end up cracking, yellowing, or gumming up over time. It can make the original hue of the oil paints look dull or discolored.

This is the case for the United States. In order to copyright a painting, one should refer to the instructions set forth in a document titled Circular 40A, which details how to copyright a painting within America, as well as how to copyright various other pieces of creative intellectual property. When submitting information to copyright a painting, one must include copies of the painting, which can mean including high-quality photographs that capture the complete painting. 

In Painting

Dry brush is a painting technique in which a small amount of paint is put on a dry paintbrush. No water or medium other than paint is used to wet the brush. This technique can be achieved with both water-based media, such as acrylic paint, tempura, or watercolor; and oil-based paint. However, dry brushing is most often used with watercolor paintings. It is not difficult to learn how to accomplish dry brushing techniques, but most people find it easier to experiment until comfortable using this method.
When using the dry brush method with water-based paints, the brush should be dry or somewhat damp prior to loading it with paint. It is then applied to a dry support or platform. In addition to paper, it is possible to dry brush on wood, plaster of Paris castings, papier-mâché, and other similar items. Dry brushing with watercolor is oftentimes used to create a scratchy, rough-textured appearance. In water paintings, dry brush techniques are employed most often on objects like foliage, bark, stones, clouds, etc.

GFM Painting

GFM Painting

Fabric painting is the application of specialized paints to fabric. It is possible to paint any fabric, but tightly woven natural fabrics like cotton and silk are easiest to paint if one is attempting to create images. Some people use paint on fabrics for other effects, such as splattering or sponging, and these are less dependent on the type of fabric or paint for clean effects. Many different looks can be achieved through fabric painting, although some are more common than others.
One of the most common styles of fabric painting is using a paintbrush to apply paint to a fabric just as one might do on paper. The dried painting can then be worn. Some people find that stenciling or transferring the design onto the fabric in advance can be helpful when attempting to draw complex designs. Fabric paint that is opaque can completely cover any marks placed on the shirt, but slightly transparent paint will allow markings to show through.
Some people use tools other than brushes to apply paint to fabric. Sponges, rollers, and stamps can all be used in fabric painting. When people speak of fabric painting, they usually mean something more ordered than merely spattering paint on fabric. Generally, fabric painting involves creating an image or at least a coherent pattern, although anything is acceptable.


The actual paints used in fabric painting vary widely. There are runny paints that can be used to create transparent effects, opaque paints that cover the fabric entirely, and even puff paints that stand up from the fabric creating edges. These paints themselves come in a variety of colors, and it is even possible to find metallic paints. By combining these materials, it is possible to create even more variations.

One consideration when using fabric paint is that the stiffness of the paint can change the way the fabric stretches or drapes. Additionally, if one does use a fabric that can stretch, the paint can be stressed in such a way that it will crack. If one is particularly attached to the painted image, it may not be a good idea to wear the piece of fabric it is on.