Common beginner painting mistakes and how to avoid them

Across America,  enjoy creative pursuits. Many of those people are enjoying painting as a hobby. It’s fun, relaxing, and a good way of nurturing your creative side. 

But painting isn’t always as simple as Bob Ross made it look.

If you’re just starting to learn how to paint and you’re looking for a few handy tips on improving your new craft, stick around! We’ve put together a list of simple beginner painting mistakes, along with a few handy tips on how to avoid them.

One of the Most Common Beginner Painting Mistakes: Using the Wrong Canvas Size

There are a lot of different sized canvases on the market. For a beginner in the world of painting, sizing up the situation can be difficult. See what we did there?

Many painting beginners make the mistake of choosing the biggest canvas possible, giving them lots of room to try out new things and get creative. But bigger isn’t always better! It might be better to choose a smaller canvas, so you can focus on a smaller area and not feel overwhelmed by the large expanse of white. 

Try a small to medium-sized canvas to begin with. A 12″ x 12″ canvas should work well. Sometimes, good things come in small packages (like our ready-to-use paint boxes)!

Using the Wrong Type of Brush

The brush is the most important tool of any painter. But when it comes to painting for fun, it’s often a case of different strokes for different folks.

For beginners, it’s best to use a medium-sized brush as standard, allowing you the versatility to paint big and small strokes. The best kind is a bristle brush, between the sizes of eight and ten. 

As time goes by and you develop your skills, it might be a good idea to invest in a wider variety of different brushes. Different types of brushes will help you add finer detail and you’ll soon get used to switching brushes for different situations.

Using Too Much Paint

For the eager amateur, it’s often tempting to scoop up as much paint as possible. Slapping color onto the canvas and watching it swirl into a psychedelic mixture might seem like a good idea but pump those brakes! 

It’s better to take your time when painting. Add a little bit of paint to your brush each time and proceed carefully with your brush strokes. This will allow you to create a more detailed image with a better end result. If you use too much paint at once, you could end up with a canvas smeared with the unappealing mixture artists call “mud” (and not that expensive kind you can put on your skin to make it nice and shiny!).

Channel your inner Bob Ross and “Be so very light. Be a gentle whisper.”

Forgetting to Mix (Mix it Up!)

You might have a wide range of paints set up beside your easel. Perhaps you’ve got two dozen or more, ample for any picture you might ever want to paint! But no matter how many paint color options you have, you’ll never reach your potential if you’re not making your own mixes.

Use your palette to experiment with different mixtures. This is the only way to capture the nuance of your subject and infuse it with the spark of life that all great paintings have. 

While it’s an easy option to daub your canvas with paint squeezed straight from the tube, it’s much more satisfying and effective to create your own mixtures. 

Choosing a Difficult Composition

Choosing a good subject for a painting is as important as choosing good ingredients for a meal. 

When you choose something too detailed to paint, like a busy street scene, it can be a little overwhelming, like going to the mall on Black Friday! Try to choose something simple for your early compositions while you develop your skills. 

Losing Confidence too Quickly (What’s Wrong With Being Confident?)

Painting is a lot of fun but it’s not exactly easy! It can be difficult to perform some of the more advanced techniques and you might not see strong results in the short term. It can be extremely disheartening to spend hours on a piece of work, only for it to fall well short of expectations. 

Many painting beginners lose confidence when their work isn’t up to the standard they expect right away. They might start to think they’re not good enough, or even give up on painting! 

Remember, it’s said to take 10,000 hours to master a skill. No one just picks up a brush and paints like Picasso! It takes a long time to develop your craft fully, but if you stick with it and keep practicing, you’ll soon start to see better results.

Making Art a Solo Expedition

Some say painting is the most fun you can have on your own. But it’s even better when you enjoy art as a group activity. When you create art with friends, it’s fun to compare different painting styles and techniques.

Our paint boxes are perfect for throwing paint parties with your gal pals. What could be better than an evening of wine, snacks, and painting?

More Painting Resources to Enjoy!

Painting is so rewarding when you take your time and keep practicing. Everyone runs into problems now and then, but if you keep a positive attitude and persist with your craft, it’ll be worth it in the end. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! Then if that doesn’t work…try some more!

Beginner painting mistakes fall away more easily when you’ve got great equipment to help you develop your skills! 

Creatively can help. Check out our shop, where you can find unique art boxes to help you pick up some important painting skills. You’ll have finished your first masterpiece of many in no time at all!