Painting Cheatsheet
Materials
- Canvas or paper
- Paint brushes of various sizes
- Paints (acrylic, oil, watercolor, etc.)
- Palette or mixing tray
- Palette knife or old credit card
- Easel or flat surface
- Water container (for water-based paints)
- Solvent (for oil-based paints)
- Paper towels or rags
Techniques
- Wet-on-wet: applying wet paint onto a wet surface
- Dry brush: using a dry brush with minimal paint to create texture
- Glazing: layering thin, translucent coats of paint to create depth and luminosity
- Impasto: applying thick paint to create texture and dimension
- Sgraffito: scratching through layers of paint to reveal underlying colors
- Alla prima: completing a painting in one sitting, often with wet-on-wet techniques
- Underpainting: creating a base layer of paint to establish values and color harmony
- Blending: using a brush or blending tool to soften edges and create smooth transitions
Color Theory
- Primary colors: red, yellow, blue
- Secondary colors: orange, green, purple (created by mixing two primary colors)
- Tertiary colors: yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, red-purple, red-orange, yellow-orange (created by mixing a primary and a secondary color)
- Warm colors: reds, oranges, yellows (associated with energy and warmth)
- Cool colors: blues, greens, purples (associated with calmness and serenity)
- Complementary colors: colors opposite each other on the color wheel (e.g. red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple)
- Analogous colors: colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel (e.g. red, orange, and yellow)
Resources