Canvas painting is an intimidating process for beginning artists who have never picked up a brush or painted on such a large surface. Creating a work of art on canvas is not only creatively rewarding but can also add to the décor of a home or work space.

When starting a painting on canvas there are some tricks of the trade every painter should know, so that painting on canvas goes smoothly.

Use a camera to take pictures of objects that interest you.  It can be difficult for beginners to create a painting based on an image in their mind.  A photograph provides a permanent image for an artist to go by when painting.  It also captures an image or moment that may change or appear differently because of movement or changes of light and dark.

Starting Your Canvas Painting

After you choose the subject of your canvas painting your next step is to begin the process of bringing your art to life on the canvas.  Beginners working on large canvases should lightly sketch their image onto the canvas to make painting easier.

Using a soft, light-colored pastel for the outline of your image works best for canvas sketches.  If a mistake is made the pastel can be removed or wiped off using a damp rag easily, without any smudges left behind on the surface of the canvas.

Beginners new to canvas painting should also familiarize themselves to different paint mediums, such as acrylic or oil.  Both are very different and require different methods of application.

Acrylic paints dry faster and wash from brushes with soap and water while oil based paints take much longer to dry and require special chemicals to remove residue from brushes.

Just like any other hobby, canvas painting requires patience and practice.  Over time  many other tips and techniques will need to be mastered, making canvas painting less intimidating and more fun.