Happy Painted Trees: How to Make a Painting

Here's a how to on making a painting. I'm using an Orchid Painting I made for a friend as an example.

STEP ONE: Choose a Subject. (For example purposes my subject is an Orchid)
Take pictures of the Subject, google ideas/images, or get a book from your local library. It's important to remember that finding an image on the internet and copying it exactly is uncreative and illegal. You should use the materials and images found as a reference point only. If you took the picture you may copy it. (Follow these same tips but use your photo as your "sketch" by tracing it and transfering it, or enlarging it)

STEP TWO: Make a Sketch. Especially important for commissioned work. Do a couple different sketches so you have some choices and practice:

STEP THREE: After choosing which sketch you like best you are ready to enlarge the "photo" to the appropriate size by making a grid over your original (if it makes it easier do a basic outline over original):

STEP FOUR:

Prime your canvas with white paint or gesso paint even strokes with a sponge brush or soft brush - you want no lines or stray brush hairs on your canvas. For a smoother application add a small amount of water (you can add more water if it is not going on smoothly)If you make it very thick or do have lines you may sand down your layer in a well ventilated area with a light grade sandpaper. Paint one layer horizontally and one layer vertically:

STEP FIVE: lightly draw a grid. Make sure the grid has the same amount of boxes as the sketch. To calibrate a small scale to a large one. ex - 4 boxes across and 4 up on your sketch should be the same on canvas 4 across and 4 up. simply divide the the measurements by 4. i,e. 20x 28. 20 divide by 4 =5, 28 divded by 4 = 7. So, 4 five inch boxes = 20, 4 seven inch boxes = 28. This grid is just to help get the proportions close to that of the original sketch. don't torture yourself with making it fit exactly. This is why you are lightly sketching and going to erase any problems. Proceed to transfer your sketch to the canvas. When it's how you want it erase stray marks:

STEP SIX: You are finally ready to begin painting! I used acrylics and I always use Red, Blue, Yellow, Black, and White. (Since you can make any color from these). Where to begin? Think about your painting in layers. What is it okay to paint over? Also known as background to foreground. In my case I started with the Stems:

The Supplies: Paints, A Cup of Water, to mix your colors - a palette,plastic dish,
or baby food jar(to save large quantities of paint) Lots of brush choices, thin, wide, soft, bristled.

The Stems will need a dark "shadow" color, and a "light" highlight color for definition.

Blend the light and dark colors where they meet for a smoother edge
(must be blended while wet - acrylics dry very quickly)

STEP SEVEN: The Underlying Shadows:

You may need to play around on a scrap paper to get the correct tone.

Acrylics tend to dry a little darker than they go on.

STEP EIGHT: Adding Details After Your base colors are done (notice the pink and yellow underlying tones inner parts of the Orchid (i forgot the term for this feel
free to comment and tell me the correct term)

Get Creative! I used the end of a brush to make the little detailed dots. You
could even use beads if applied while wet or with glue when dry.

LOOKING GOOD!

STEP NINE: Finally You are ready for a border.If you are not framing it you can

paint all the way to the edges. or paint a pseudo frame. I Painted a frame to match my friends pillows in her living room because this painting was for her :)