Materials for drawing today a huge amount. Distinguish between graphic materials (pencils, dry pastels, sauce and many others) and materials for painting. The most common material is paints. Each of us is familiar with colors. They paint everything from children in kindergarten to professional artists, so it is very important to know what kind of paint for drawing.
How it all began ...
Some of us have at least once wondered what paints are for drawing in general. Reading articles on cave painting, you can find out that the first paint of our distant ancestors was clay. There were 5 colors of clay - yellow, red, white, blue, greenish.
Ancient artists mixed it with animal fat, then carved a picture on a rock, and then rubbed clay into the recesses. They also used ocher, which is a natural pigment composed of iron oxide hydrolyte mixed with clay.
It has several colors, it is red, yellow, brown. Later they learned to make paints from minerals and rocks, for example, blue was extracted from lapis lazuli, and green from malachite. In ancient Rome, only the emperor wore red clothes. To get 1 gram of such paint, it was necessary to process 10 thousand shells of snails living in the Mediterranean Sea. Because of this, the paint was very expensive.
Paints for icon painting
Ancient Russia is famous for its icon painting masters. They possessed special knowledge and skills, as well as different execution techniques from the rest. Faces of saints are not quite like an ordinary person. They have large eyes, elongated noses, emaciated bodies, unnatural postures. This is done to show that the saints are only remotely similar to us, but in fact they have no similarities with the average person.
Each icon has a special meaning. In order to convey it, the artist needs special paints called tempera. The basis of paints for writing icons was an emulsion. It was made from egg yolk and kvass as follows: the egg was broken from the blunt end, the yolk was carefully removed, laid on the hand, and the shell was washed with water to get rid of the protein. The yolk was put back into the shell and poured with bread kvass, then mixed and pigment was added. Pigments were made mainly from organic materials, for example, coloring matter from grape seeds, peaches and animal bones was obtained by firing.
Icons are a multifaceted work of art, they are not only spiritual symbols, but also evidence of how deep and skillful painting can be.
Why are we needed and how are the paints different
Ancient people began to use paints not at all in order to get aesthetic pleasure. With the help of paintings they studied the world. Scientists say that, drawing a large animal, they studied its structure, tried to understand where to hit in order to kill.
In any case, the function of cave paintings was extremely practical. Now people are using paint to express themselves to show the world their feelings. For expression you need paints, without them it is almost impossible to do. So what are the colors for drawing? For some people, engaging in creativity, including drawing, is a hobby or professional activity. Artists emphasize the materials with which they work. The quality of materials is the most important thing for work, so you should not think only about what paints are for drawing, but you should also think about what you need to work with each type of paint.
What do experts pay attention to when buying paints?
- Density. Dense paints exist, such as oil or acrylic. They can be applied dense strokes. Watercolor, by contrast, is applied with a thin, transparent layer.
- The reaction with water. If you draw with dense paints using water, then most likely nothing good will come of it.
- Color saturation. After drying, the paint may fade or acquire a brighter shade. It depends not only on the type of paint, but also on the manufacturer.
- Price. You can’t save on paints. High-quality professional paints are expensive, but the result can not but rejoice.
Types of paints
All paints differ from each other in composition, price, color, purpose. In order not to get lost in the variety of colors and buy exactly what you need, you should figure out what types of paints for painting are.
- Gouache. When applied to paper, a velvety effect is created. This is the main feature of this paint.
- Watercolor. Transparent layers of watercolors create the effect of airiness, this paint is one of the favorite among artists precisely because of this feature.
- Oil paints. These paints, like watercolor, can accurately convey the shade of your senses. Therefore, the choice of many artists focuses on them.
- Pastel. This paint is convenient in that it comes in the form of crayons. It is applied to paper, and then diluted with water, which creates an amazing effect.
- Watercolor pencils. They work on the same principle as pastel, but their main feature is the convenient shape of a pencil, you can draw a picture that is usual for us, and then dilute it with water and create a watercolor effect.
What are the colors for drawing on paper
The most popular for drawing on paper is watercolor. Everyone has known her since childhood, so many do not take her seriously. But in vain, because this paint, like everyone else, has its own peculiarity, for which many artists adore it so much. Watercolor is painted on special paper called watercolor. It differs from the usual office in that it is quite dense and embossed. This is necessary so that the paper does not deteriorate from the use of water. In addition to watercolors, here are some paints for drawing (according to the names in the list below):
- Acrylic.
- Finger paint.
- Gouache.
- Tempera.
What are the paints for painting on canvas
Canvas is a cotton, hemp or linen fabric with a plain weave of yarn. This fabric is pulled over a wooden frame called a subframe. The limited materials with which to work on canvas is its main and only drawback, which does not prevent artists from actively using it. A sketch of the picture is done with a simple pencil or charcoal, but the further development of the picture depends on the choice of paint:
Acrylic can also be painted on thick paper or cardboard, but it acquires the true color depth only on canvas.
Children's creativity
Drawing is the most common form of children's creativity. In the modern world, special attention is paid to the health of children, so the usual paints that adults paint can be dangerous for the child. Many psychologists say that drawing positively affects the emotional and moral development of the baby.
What are the paints for painting for children? Manufacturers of children's paints monitor their composition. There are even paints that a child can eat in small quantities. Children’s favorite paint is finger paint. The child can lower his hand in any color he likes and draw with his hand. Naturally, the composition of such paints uses the highest quality materials that do not cause allergies or irritation. In childhood, drawing is necessary primarily for self-development, it follows from this that it is the main element in the formation of the child’s personality.
Drawing materials
In order to draw your first picture, you need to determine the type of paint, then select the desired surface. For example, buy special paper or canvas for watercolor to paint with acrylic. You should also figure out what paints for drawing are and how they differ. Each paint requires a special set of material, for example:
- Oil paints. To create the first picture is not enough to buy a canvas and a set of oil paints. Special brushes should be purchased; for oil and acrylic, bristles are most suitable, since it is most convenient to apply smears with it. You should also buy a solvent, it is sold in any art store. You need to buy a special varnish with it.
- Watercolor. For this paint, as mentioned earlier, you need to buy special paper and a brush. Watercolor brushes should be soft and absorb a lot of water, so the best among them is squirrel. The watercolor itself, like any other paint, must be taken professionally.
- Gouache. In this case, a soft brush and thick paper are suitable. Most often, gouache is painted on drawing paper and on whatman paper.
- Acrylic. For this type of paint you need everything the same as for oil, but in this case you do not need to buy a solvent.
Over time, you will choose the most convenient paint for you.