Art is a bigger social influencer than any social media influencer can ever be! Art influences our opinions, and values. It translates experiences across space and time. It has been scientifically proven that art affects the fundamental sense of self. Painting, sculpture, music, literature, and other forms of art constitute a repository of a society's collective memory.
Painting might be wordless communication, but sometimes it is only after painting that you realise that you had something to say in the first place.
In a sense, art is a form of communication. Through art, people, from different cultures and different times, are able to communicate with each other via images, sounds, and stories. Art is often a vehicle for social change as it gives voice to the politically or socially disenfranchised.
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Classes of Painting
Traditionally, paintings are divided into five categories or 'genres'. The establishment of these genres and their relative status in relation to one other stem from the philosophy of arts promoted by the great European Academies of Fine Art, like the Royal Academy in London, and the influential French Academy of Fine Arts (Academie des Beaux-Arts).
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The five categories of fine art painting are listed here, in order of their official ranking of importance:
- History Painting: Religious, historical, or allegorical work, with a moral message
- Portrait Art: Individual, group, or self-portraits
- Genre Painting: Scenes of everyday life
- Landscape Painting: Paintings whose principal content is a scenic view
- Still Life Painting: An arrangement of domestic objects or everyday items
Types of Paint
For beginners, it can be quite confusing as to which paint will be best suited for their type of painting. There are various types of paints out there. Some paints are more durable than others, for example.
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Depending on what you intend to paint, the choice of paint choice can be crucial to the success of your masterpiece. Consider these 5 types of paint which are different in style and properties but which can make a big impact on your art.
Acrylic
Acrylic paints are extremely versatile, and ideal for fine brushwork, glazing, staining, water media techniques, and many more. This smooth and light paint has excellent pigment quality, colour strength, and durability.
The acrylic paint can be applied to almost any stable surface like watercolour paper or canvas. It is quick-drying and can be purchased in a variety of forms, like a tube or small ink bottle varying in viscosity.
Oil
Oil-based paint is very durable and provides a glossy-looking finish. Brushstrokes fill themselves into a smooth, rich varnish. Oil-based paint has long-lasting coverage and blends well with others.
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This paint dries slowly which works to a painter’s advantage since the artist can develop the painting gradually, making changes to the work along the way. One can also opt for water-mixable oil paints, which are oil paints with an added emulsifier. This type of paint is water mixable, not water-based. It possesses an elasticity and is diluted when more water is added.
Watercolour
Watercolour is a translucent paint containing pigment and a binder, typically gum-arabic. The gum-arabic holds the paint together and ensures the paint will not flake. The paint has colour pigment suspended in water until the water dries and stains the surface. The paintbrushes with fluidity and transparency and dry fairly quickly.
Gouache
Gouache is a water-soluble and opaque paint so the white of the paper surface does not show through. It is chalkier than traditional watercolour and absorbs light rather than reflects it. The paint is diluted with water but possesses a strong, coloured pigment. This unique paint dries darker, which means it can be workable for hours or even days after application.
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Encaustic
Encaustic is a wax-based paint with a strong colour pigment. A versatile paint choice, encaustic has no solvents added and is impervious to moisture. It is highly durable and best used on a firm, absorbent surface. Artists can use a heat source and metal tools to begin working with this hot liquid wax known as encaustic.
Learn to Paint for Free
Many people cultivate the desire to paint but seldom act on it. Some people avoid painting because of inexplicable insecurity or misguided notions about what the art form entails. Some think that painting requires innate talent or expensive instruction, and worry that they aren’t creative enough to paint something beautiful. Other people simply don’t know how to begin.
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If you belong to any one of these kinds, don't be daunted by the vast selection of brushes, paints, and media on the shelves of art stores. Come out of your self-imposed retreat because painting is not as complicated to grasp as you think. In fact, painting is a skill that can be self-taught.
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Teach Yourself Painting
- Purchase a few quality supplies.
- Check an overview of the painting process.
- Paint from life, not photos.
- Discover your personal preferences.
- Set goals for each painting.
- Celebrate each success, no matter how small.
Free Online Painting Classes
Check out some of the best online painting classes where you can teach yourself how to paint, step by step.
- Kevin Oil Painting: Kevin has close to 500,000 subscribers to his videos which he has been posting since 2012. His videos are extremely useful for those who have a brief knowledge of art and painting. Sharpen your skills here as Kevin takes you through different art forms such as acrylic paintings, oil paintings, and scenery paintings, like mountains or barns, etc.
- The Art Sherpa: This art tutorials channel is the brainchild of Cinnamon Cooney. She provides insight into painting things that are helpful for advanced as well as beginners in the field of art and craft. The channel offers tips and tricks in everyday online art classes for beginners to intermediate level.
- Livepainting classes.com: This drawing tutorial website is run by Richard Robinson. When you sign up for his newsletter online, you’ll gain access to some of Richard's amazing art lessons online, which are suitable enough for impressionist Plein-art landscape paintings. Moreover, you can always go a step further and opt for paid lessons which are quite affordable.
- Virtual Instructor: Virtual Instructor, as the name suggests, is an art coach for all the art enthusiasts who want to begin their journey in the world of art. The concept of the Virtual Instructor was formulated by Matt Fussell. In his online art lessons, Matt teaches things as small as drawing an eye and as big as a tree. Matt posts step-by-step drawing lessons which give the student an easy-to-follow insight into some amazing artworks.
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Best Painting Courses in Bengaluru
Pencil and Chai
Pencil and Chai is a community that seeks to connect artists with each and within each of them. The unique curriculum, offered in the fine arts classes and taught by experienced art teachers, is inspired by the curriculum of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Bangalore.
Certified Professional Painting Courses
- Watercolour Painting
- Acrylic Painting
Diploma In Fine Arts
- Fine Arts Foundation
- Painting
Creative Painting Courses
- Specialization in Madhubani Painting
- Specialization in Kalamkari Painting
- Specialization in Gond Art
- The Combined Course - Form of 3 (Includes, Madhubani Painting, Kalamkari Painting & Gond Art)
Structured Online Fine Art Courses
- Professional Sketching Foundation
- Advanced Sketching
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Regular Art Courses
- Indian Folk Arts

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Shades Creative Learning
Shades is a creative learning center that offers affordable art courses. The art classes are offered on many forms of art, including:
- 3D Art
- Advanced Artist Oil and Acrylic Painting
- Resin Art
- Master Classes in Crafts
- Charcoal Sketching
- Candlemaking
- Decoupage
- Fabric Painting
- Nib Painting
- Emboss Painting (cloth/metal)
- Pastel Painting (oil/dry)
- Pencil Shading Sketching (Charcoal/Colour-pencil/graphite/dry pastels/oil-pastels)
- Brush Technique
- Ceramic Painting
- Mural Painting
- Flower Making
- Papercraft (quilling/stamping/origami/3D paper/paper-flower)
- Watercolour Painting
- Oil, Acrylic, Watercolour Medium Painting
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How to Become an Artist
A painter creates works of art on a variety of surfaces, from traditional canvas, wood, and paper, to the sides of buildings. Painters typically use watercolour, acrylic, or oil paints to complete their work, and may combine different types of paint as well as other materials, such as sand or grit for texture.
If you’re ready to take the leap into the world of art, as a painter, and explore what it feels like to have your art admired by the masses, then a career as a painter might just be for you. Get started on this life-changing journey by signing up for the best painting classes near me in Bangalore.
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