Art Answers - Recent questions and answers in Studio Help

Answered: What is the min amount of equipment and supplies to set up a studio?

Sat, 12 Oct 2013 04:20:19 +0000

Surprisingly, it doesn't cost very much to set up your own little painting studio. You can get everything you need for under $200 but if you prefer more premium supplies and equipment then it will cost more of course. If your goal is oil painting, for example, then the one thing you don't want to skimp on is the quality of your brushes.

Easel:
For either oil or acrylic painting, you will want to get a reasonably good easel. Although you will be able to find plenty of affordable "A" type easels, "H" frame easels tend to be more stable and sturdy. Typical starter easels will range anywhere from $80-600.

Good lighting. This can be either a bright space if you paint during the day or a good set of interior lights (preferably daylight-balanced) if you work at night.

Paints:
Unless you don't care about the longevity of your paintings, try to get medium or "artist" grade paint rather than student grade. Buy large tubes for: Titanium White and Yellow. Also buy medium tubes of the primary and secondary colors. You can mix any colors you need from those as a base. Some colors will have different consistencies from others so depending on your painting need or style you may need to get additional variations of some of those bases. For example, in oil paints cadmium red will be more opage and alizarin crimson will be more translucent. They both have a strong red base (cadmium being brighter and more pure) but because of their different consitencies you will end up using them in different ways while painting.

Small table:
To hold your supplies while you work. Any flat & stable surface will work.

Canvases:
Most canvases will suit both acrylic and oil paint. Most canvases you can buy from an art store will also be pre-stretched and primed, ready to paint. Be aware, however, that pre-stretched canvas is often not going to be well-suited for future re-stretching and may be of lower quality not suited for archivability. In the case where you care a lot about that, you will want to buy your own unstretched canvas (unprimed with primed gesso) and stretch it yourself onto stretcher bars. This isn't the easiert thing to do, it takes patience and experience to do right, but you gain the most flexibility with your work doing things that way.

Gesso:
Gesso is very important for priming your canvas, whether you intend to paint with oil or acrylic. You can skip gesso if you always buy your canvases pre-primed.

Mediums:
Both oil and acrylic have a lot of mediums to choose from. Different mediums have different uses, some are for extending the paint or improving the paint flow, some are for assisting in creating a base for mxing, some are intended to assist in thinning or glazing, others for texture control (referred to as "impasto") and finally others might be to help in controlling the drying time (whether speeding up or slowing down). At the very minimin you will want a thinner, a mixing medium for glazing, an impasto and finally a varnish as your final coat.

Brushes:
There's a common misconception that painting requires sable or natural-bristle brushes, and they tend to be the most expensive. However, after years of experience I've found the best type of brushes tend to be white synthetic which are interchangeable between oil & acrylic. They are bouncy, last a long time (if you keep them clean), and hold paint really well. They also tend not to lose bristles and easier to clean. They also keep their shape better. The most basic types of brushes to get will depend on your painting style but you'll want to have at least 1 of each of the following: a large/wide brush with stiff bristle, a medium flat brush, a very small flat brush, a small & medium round brush, a small and large fan brush, a small and medium "filbert" brush (it's flat but rounded on the end). As you progress with your painting, you will begin to learn what works best for you.

Pallete knife:
Usually used for mixing paints, can also be used to paint with if that's your style.

Brush cleaner:
For oil paint this will usually be turpentine, for acrylic it will be just water (keep the brushes dipped in water while you're not using them if they're loaded with paint). After you finish your painting session, you'll want to thoroughly clean your brushes with the primary cleaner and then use a soap-based brush cleaner immediately after. Rinse with water and then re-shape the brushes with a way brush soap so that they dry in the proper shape. Before using those brushes again, just dip them in your preferred cleaner and wipe dry with a paper towel or cloth.

Pallete:
This would be a surface that you mix your paints on before brushing them onto your canvas. To keep your pallete re-usable without significant cleaning in-between, clip wax paper onto it first and squeeze out your paint onto the wax paper.

Containers:
You'll want a large container to hold all of your smaller supplies, like paint tubes and brushes, and small/round containers for holding cleaners and mediums for use while you paint. The best large containers look like a tackle box used for fishing. Containers intended for toxic liquids such as turpentine should be glass-based and be carried with care to avoid dropping. Containers for holdign your brushes upright are also useful, giving you easy access to brushes whether they're in use or still clean.

Clothing:
An artist apron is always a good idea, or wear clothes you don't mind accidentally getting paint onto.

Cleaning supplies:
Paper towels, rags and regular towels should always be available before you start painting. Brush soap and turpentine are also important.

Misc:
Pencils, sharpener, erasers

Answered: How can I photography my paintings for web sale, and preserve colors?

Sat, 12 Oct 2013 03:38:24 +0000

If you can afford it, the best option is to have such photos done by a professional. If you prefer to do it on your own, it depends on your budget.

If you have a large enough budget and available space, get yourself a lighting kit with 2 fill lights covered by diffusers and be sure to use daylight-balanced bulbs of 250 watts or greater. Position each light a few feet away from the painting at roughly a 45 degree angle, one on either side. If your painting has a shiny surface (for example, if it's been varnished) then you will want to take care of avoiding glare spots. If you do experience some glare then adjust the positioning of the lights to reduce the glare without creating an uneven balance of lighting on the painting.

As for the camera, mount it on a trip od and point it straight on to the painting. If the painting is on a slight tilt (for example, leaned slightly back on an easel), then be sure to position the camera on the tripod so that it is leaning slightly down enough properly to line it up to match the leaning of the painting. Also, if your camera is a digital SLR, it's best if it is 6 megapixels or greater resolution. Set the picture mode to RAW (if that's an option) since you will be able to adjust color tones and values in Photoshop very easily without losing detail.

Even with that lighting setup, it's also good if you shoot during the daytime to allow for natural daylight as an added abient lighting support.

If you can't affort that lighting setup then your best option is to shoot during the daytime but don't have sunlight directly on your painting - you will end up with unwanted glares and hotspots. Instead, position the painting so as to maximize the daylight as ambient light without it directly hitting the painting. If your goal is for web sale, such as for allowing people to create prints, it is of great importants to minimize glare or taxture shadows that emphasize the texture of the canvas.

If your painting is very thick and you end up with too many unwanted shadows, you will need additional fill lights in yoru setup to help diffuse these shadows.

Lastly, to ensure your photos have the best chance at having the colors preserved, beyond just the use of the RAW picture format if it's available, make sure your color balance options in your camera settings match the environment you are shooting in. Turn off all special effects and use a non-distoring "straight" (non-zoom) lens set with the widest aperature possible. A 35mm-50mm lens is optimal.

When saving the file out, minimize the amount of compression used, with no compression as the best choice if your printer or web sale service allows for that. Also ask the printing service whether including an sRGB color space profile would be necessary when sending the files to them or if you should not include any color space profiles within the image files. They might be necessary if, for example, you were to do photo editing on the images.

Answered: I'm a beginner. How can I get others to display my paintings?

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 21:36:37 +0000

If you are a beginner that simply enjoys making and sharing paintings, you will readily find family and friends very willing to accept your paintings as gifts to hang up.

If you are a beginner trying to become better-known and mean that you would like galleries to show your work, it does take some time for that to happen and you need to put effort into the process. Galleries don't only look at an artist's style and skill but also like to put up artists that have traction with their work.

A good first step is to enter your work into art shows and competitions and visit lots of local galleries to get a sense of the kind of work they tend to put up. While visiting each gallery, collect the contact information of the gallery owner and research their gallery online as well. Call ahead and ask if it's OK to send in samples and when a good time would be to call. What you want to do is first give a gallery owner a chance to see your work samples and then a fee days later when you know they are not as busy, to speak with them on the phone briefly and and see if they're interested to have you come by for a visit.

It's also going to help if you know somebody who knows the gallery owner and have them recommend you first, before you make your own contact, as that will give you a better chance at a meeting. If you do manage to find a gallery that is interested to put your work up, keep in mind they will usually retain up to 60% commission on beginners for selling the work, 40-50% for artists that are starting to get known. When you begin to become well-known and your paintings easily sell, commissions can go as low as 20% but that's rare and depends on great negotiation skills.

A lot of restaurants are also a good opportunity for showcasing your work - you can speak to the restaurant manager or owner to offer them the opportunity to hang your work in exchange for a small decal next to the work with your name and other information, some even allow a price in case a customer would like to buy the painting. If that happens, expect to share a percentage of the sale amount with the restaurant.

Answered: Should I cover a wet painting at night or during long breaks?

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 21:25:50 +0000

No, never cover a wet painting. It's important to let paintings air dry regardless of the medium. Anything covering a wet painting will create a risk that it gets partially stuck to the paint surface as it dries and will damage the painting when you try to remove it. Simply make sure that where you leave your paintings to dry is dust-free and has good ventilation. Depending on the medium, indirect sunlight is also helpful. Direct sunlight usually is not recommended for long periods of time.

How important is temperature to a studio? Starving artists and old masters painted in winter.

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:25:48 +0000

How important is dust control to a painting studio?

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:23:48 +0000

I often paint at night. What kind of lighting options are available to help me brighten my work area?

Wed, 09 Oct 2013 00:37:29 +0000

I don't have a good lighting setup and I'm confused about the options. I don't want to spend a lot of money but I also don't want to have an inferior setup. Should I also try to use daylight-balanced lighting or would I spend a fortune replacing bulbs constantly?

Answered: What's the proper way to clean brushes after painting?

Sun, 06 Oct 2013 14:13:25 +0000

For oil paint, first clean with turpentine and then soap. For acrylic paint, always keep the brush wet while painting (if not in use, let it sit immersed in water) and immediately after use rise with water thoroughly. While your brushes are still wet after cleaning, be sure to shape them so they'll try to their normal shape rather than frayed.