My girlfriend wants to start painting and I have no clue on what to buy her. (canvas,brushes,paint) pleasehelp

Question

I really would like to know some prices, (CHEAP) if possible, and of course where2 shop. THX

Answer 1

Dude... get on ebay and search for "learn to paint bob ross" There are tons of dvd's out there and they are really cheap! They will walk her through technics and methods that are great for a beginner of even someone with experience. She'll love it! and it will help her make a birthday present for you that you won't want to hide in your closet. lol

Answer 2

Don't be too overwhelmed. Basically any paint will work with any brush with any canvas or bristol board paper. You can just get some inexpensive stuff and use it but I'd recommend you try to find out a little more so you will use the stuff properly.

The best thing she can do is take some sort of beginning painting class at a community college or some place like that if she has no painting experience. There she will learn the various types of painting and she will know what the supplies are, how to use them, and which ones to get.

If that isn't an option I'd recommend getting a starter kit for acrylic painting. It should come with a small canvas, acrylic paint, and brushes. The acrylic will be easy to use to start with and it cleans up easily. It's also relatively inexpensive.

Check the yellow pages to see if you have any kind of art supply stores near you. Michael's will give you some good basic starter stuff. See if you have a Dick Blick, Utrecht, or Pearl art supply store. Any supply store will do. They will probably have more to offer because quite honestly Michael's doesn't carry much.

Stay away from oil paints and gauche for now. They are pricey and should be learned about first before experimenting.

Check these sites for acylic starter kits:

http://www.dickblick.com/
http://www.utrechtart.com/
http://www.pearlpaint.com/

Answer 3

If you want to paint with oils, I would recommend Windsor Newton Artist Colors. Get Cadmium Red Hue, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Lamp Black, Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, and Raw Sienna. This will give you a good basic pallete. I personally enjoy Dioxazine Purple, Alizaron Crimson, and Perylene Red but these are just extras for some flair to your palette. Also, make yourself a nice palette. I always used a large square mirror plate backed with cardboard and duct tape around the edges for safety. You'll also need some turpenoid natural... I use Gamsol. Also get some Liquin. You'll mix this with the paint to thin it and help it dry faster. In terms of brushes, get yourself a three Filberts (small, medium, and large), three Round Brushes (small, medium, and large) and three Flat Brushes (small, medium, and large.) Also, it would be good to invest in a fan brush (for blending on the canvas) as well as a palette knife for applying and scraping off paint. You will also need Gesso to prime you canvas or board. Really do your research on the Gesso though. Some brands of Gesso work great but others just flake right off. You can either buy pre-made canvases or you can stretch your own. If you make you're own they will definitely be better quality. If you have access to a miter saw and a nail gun you can put together your own canvas. You will need a staple gun, canvas (you can find this in fabric stores/ art supply stores), 2 by 4's, and quarter round. But i seldom use canvases for my work. I use Masonite board which is a lot cheaper. You can get a 4 ft by 8 ft sheet of Masonite board at Home Depot for $10. But if you're just starting out with painting, don't worry about getting all the fixings yet. First, get a cheap pack of paintbrushes from Hobby Lobby, get some canvas paper (which comes in a pad), and get some cheap acrylic paints (I like Selection 3's) but Golden's and Basics are also good.

Answer 4

If its like a surprise gift, you really need to make it look good (and romantic). You'll know what I mean if you ever watch The Notebook movie.

Anyway, if you want to make it cheap, I suggest you buying acrylic paint instead of oil paint. Just buy three basic colors (red, blue and yellow), white and black (optional). Black is optional since you can always mix all basic color to create black.

Er, watercolor...you don't need a canvas at all. But lets just leave it aside for now.

Easel is also optional, but mind you it will definitely pleased your gf if you purchase her one. If you want a cheaper alternative, just buy a canvas and mount it with a duct tape on the wall. I know it won't look so-called artist space, but with a spark of creativity (just lit candles around it with red roses or anything!!!) and you'll get her melting.

Three brushes will be fine for beginners. Thick, medium and fine. Round brush is only suitable for fine point. However its not that recommended for acrylic, in my opinion.

Last but not least, you can find all these mediums in your local art shop. If you spend wisely, it will only cost you app. $50. Maybe with easel it will take you about $100.

Answer 5

It depends on what style of painting she is getting into. Like watercolors or oil painting. You really need to know those things before purchasing anything. Once you find out check out ebay for some starter kits. I found my son a really nice starter oil painting kit that included a canvas for cheap. If all else fails get her a gift certificate to Michaels or Ben Franklin, they are nationwide craft stores.

Answer 6

My suggestion is to get her a gift certificate. If you want to buy her something tangible, it really depends on the type of painting that she wants to do (three major types are watercolor, acrylic and oil). Each one has very different tools. Brushes are definitely best left to the painter to choose. Surfaces depend on the type of paint (i.e. canvas for oil, canvas, wood, or just about anything for acrylic, special paper for watercolor - I like Arches 140lb or 300lb cold pressed watercolor paper the best). A good quality paint set by Winsor Newton Cotman or Grumbacher or Liquitex -- lower cost brands usually are to difficult to work with. The exception is if she wants to do craft painting (like Donna Dewberry's One Stroke) -- then get her a selction of bottled Folk Art acrylics. A beginner's book might be a good inspiration. In general, it is best to avoid the lowest cost products and stick to at least mid price range products. I teach watercolor and acrylic painting at the local Michael's craft store. If someone like you were to call the store and ask to speak to the painting teacher, I would be very happy to return the call and help them out. Perhaps you could ask your girlfriend what kind of painting interests her (i.e. watercolor, acrylic, or oil) and then visit an art store and ask them for help or call Michaels and ask when the painting teacher will be in or get their phone number)?

Answer 7

Do you have an AC Moore near you? Or maybe a hobby shop? An easel can be a little pricey. Maybe you could get her that, and let her decide what kind of paints and brushes? It's a fairly personal decision.

Answer 8

If she's taking a painting class, then you could call them and ask what she would need. If not, then just take her along to the store and she can pick everything out. As for stores, I would try JoAnne's or another craft store like that. You could even try looking somewhere like Meijer to get a cheaper price, if they sell that type of stuff.

Answer 9

Hi:

It might be good to take her to a brick and mortar actual artist supply store, like Dick Blick. They have great supplies, and taking her there, you might get an idea about what she may really be interested in.

You sound like a very nice person too, and it is alway very nice for a partner to support creativity in the other. Hope this helps.

Answer 10

Go to a place like the Rag shop, or Michael's. They have great starter stuff for really good prices. Also check Ebay.