Like I mentioned in the article that preceded this one ( You don’t even have a single creative bone in you?) painting is a skill. Oil pastel painting is a new skill that requires some basic requirements. You already possess these fundamental requirements, and you probably acquired them from your mom. All that’s left is for you to refine and develop them.

This is what I mean by Patience. A Passion to learn (or, more precisely, passion for everything creative), and a bit of Instruction. From someone more knowledgeable or experienced. This combination of three traits is a powerful one when it comes to mastering any skill.

Is this a recommendation to enroll in art classes at your local college or school?

Not at all. Not unless it’s free! As a self-taught artist, I’d like to tell you about my experience. I started my business by painting and never attended an art school. You can do it. Before we begin, let me clarify something. When I say I’m “self-taught”, I mean that I learned by myself from the books and magazines I read. There will be some instruction required, but you’ll find plenty of resources online and in your library.

Before I offer some advice on how to learn to paint, let me first explain why youshould paint. You can skip the section below if you’re already convinced.

Learn to Paint: Benefits of Learning…

You may have seen a toddler in a stroller, hypnotised by the sound of the tree branching out in the breeze. Why is this so fascinating? We are too busy with work, mortgages and finances and marriages as adults to notice. Every day, we drive by that tree on our way to or from work. It’s green. It’s got a trunk that is brown. Right?

Wrong, wrong, wrong. It’s what the baby can see. A painter can see. You can also learn how to see.

This tree is so beautiful that the baby can’t help but be hypnotised. She sees how it is in reality…a mixture hundreds of colors (as each leaf is lit differently), all twisting around with each gust of the wind. It’s not black, but the sun turns it gold.

Painting will help you to see things in a new way. Artists capture light through colour, and must therefore learn to notice these subtle differences. When I walk outside, I am amazed by the colour and shape of the clouds. Have you ever looked up at them? Clouds are essential to the life of Earth. They’re something we take for granted every day.

Are you still not convinced? Let’s get started.