PAINTINGDefinition • Painting, the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of certain aesthetic qualities, in a two-dimensional visual language. • The elements of this language—its shapes, lines, colours, tones, and textures—are used in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space, movement, and light on a flat surface. • These elements are combined into expressive patterns in order to represent real or supernatural phenomena, to interpret a narrative theme, or to create wholly abstract visual relationships. What are painting skills? • Painting skills are proficiencies and abilities that enable you to create art and decorate surfaces with paint. • There are technical abilities that involve mixing colors, using painting tools and applying painting techniques, but painting skills are also abilities such as attention to detail and communication. • Art professionals use these skills to create, interpret and curate paintings. Examples of painting skills • Considering a list of painting skills can help you when creating a resume and cover letter. It also can help you plan which skills to develop. Here's a list of 10 skills you may need as a painter: 1. Communication • Communication skills can help painters understand what their clients want. • Many painters work on a commission basis, which means they work with clients to complete a piece of artwork that matches the client's vision and desire. • These abilities to convey ideas and listen to their clients also help provide excellent customer service and may help a painter's business grow. 2. Knowledge of aesthetics • Painters are artists, so understanding elements and techniques that contribute to creating aesthetically pleasing artwork is important for their success. • Aesthetics include colors, shapes, shadows, angles and other design elements that help create a painting. • Often people consider aesthetics to be an ability to recognize and create beauty. As an artist, you may want to create beautiful and interesting pieces. 3. Dexterity • Since painters work primarily with their hands, dexterity is an important skill. • Dexterity is the ability to perform specific tasks with your hands and requires good hand-eye coordination. • This skill helps to add small details and paint for long hours without tiring. 4.Time management • Time management is a skill that painters need to estimate costs for a project and provide clients with an accurate timeline. • Time management skills such as organization, prioritizing and planning also help painters meet deadlines and become more successful. • Using time management tools and time trackers can help you develop these skills. 5. Knowledge of materials • Painting requires supplies such as paint, trays, water, brushes, straight edges and tools to mix paint and create special effects. • Knowing about these materials and how to use them is an important skill for painters. • Once you know how to use painting materials, you can experiment with these tools and supplies to create unique art. 6. Planning • Before creating a painting, it's important to plan out the colors, shapes and materials you need. • Planning skills can ensure you prepare for your painting and helps demonstrate professionalism to clients. • Being able to plan what you're painting and how to paint it before you start can also reduce risk of mistakes and save you time on the project. 7. Brush techniques • Artists use different brush strokes to create effects within a painting. • Learning how to master this ability enables you to create textures, depth, shadow and other special effects. • Developing this skill can make your art more valuable too and help you create in the style your client requests. 8. Knowledge of color theory • Color theory are guidelines that help determine color schemes and rules about how to use colors to compliment each other. • Understanding color theory can help convey emotion and messages through your paintings. • You can develop this knowledge by attending art courses or reading about it. 9. Business management • Many professionals with this skill set own their own business and need to manage clients. • To be a successful painter, contractor, interior designer or art dealer, it's important to know about business management practices. • Other business management skills include budgeting, planning, leading and making decisions. 10. Detail orientation • The ability to recognize and take time to create small details in your paintings can make your art more realistic or appealing. • Being detail-oriented can help create unique art and shows a dedication to your craft. • This skill can also help impress your clients when they see the detail you add to a painting such as addition dimension or colors. 11. Customer service • Painters in the art or interior design field, work with clients and therefore require customer service skills in order to be successful. • Customer service skills involve problem-solving, communication, listening and patience. • It's helpful to try to relate to others so you can better interact and serve them. 12. Mathematics • Painters perform calculations for costs, measuring space and estimating for paint coverage. • The ability to perform calculations for the area is important. Addition skills also helps prepare invoices for clients. • You can develop these skill while in school and by practicing calculations often. How to improve painting skills • Having a career in painting is dependent on developing these skills. • In order to improve or develop this skill set, follow these steps: 1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses • To understand which skills you need to improve, evaluate the skills you have and determine your strengths and weaknesses. • Knowing which of your abilities are strong can help you prioritize the areas that most need improvement. • For example, if you are very dexterous, then you may work on improving your knowledge of aesthetics and ability to apply this knowledge. 2. Study painting and art techniques • Technically, you don't need a degree for all jobs that require painting skills, but you can go to art school or pursue a degree in art. • This enables you to learn from master's and doctors of art. In an art degree program, you study art history, forms of art, techniques for painting, drawing, design and photography, and how to use and care for artist equipment, such as paint, easels and brushes. • You can also study painting techniques by reading, watching videos or attending courses in painting. Sometimes craft supplies or community centers offer art classes. Research which supplies to use • Using the correct supplies for your art can greatly improve your skill. Consider research the tools and supplies that experts recommend using for specific painting projects. • For example, the paint and brushes you use to create a mural may differ for interior vs exterior walls. Practice your craft • Practice is one of the most effective ways to master your skills and improve your abilities. • You can practice by painting in different styles, for different types of projects and on different surfaces. • This can help you become a skilled painter and may make you more employable since you have a wide variety of skills and are a versatile artist. 5. Seek inspiration • Creating art requires inspiration, so it may help you to seek ideas that inspire you to be inventive. • You can improve your skills by seeking inspiration from other artists or from observing your environment. • For example, the colors and scenes you see in your neighborhood may serve as the perfect inspiration to create a painting. Painting characteristics • Painting, the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of certain aesthetic qualities, in a twodimensional visual language. • The elements of this language—its shapes, lines, colours, tones, and textures—are used in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space, movement, and light on a flat surface. • These elements are combined into expressive patterns in order to represent real or supernatural phenomena, to interpret a narrative theme, or to create wholly abstract visual relationships. Methods and Process of Painting on Different Surfaces • New wood work • Repainting Old wood surface • New iron and steel surfaces • Repainting of old steel and iron surfaces • Galvanized iron surface • Metals Painting on New Wood Work Following are the steps for painting new wooden surfaces: • Surface preparation • Knotting • Priming • Stopping • Under coating • Finishing 1. Surface Preparation of Wooden Works • The surface should be well cleaned without any dust, spots, greasy matter etc. • The nails used in the wood work should be punched up to 3mm below the surface. • The wood in wood work should be well seasoned and should not contain more than 15% of moisture content. • The surface should be dry. 2. Knotting • Knots present in the wood may eject resins from wood. So, knots are killed or covered in this knotting process. Knotting can be done by two ways as follows: 1. • In this first method, two coats of solutions are applied on surface. First coat consists 15g of red lead, 2 liters of water and 225 grams of glue. • After adding these three, mixture is heated and applied and left for 10 minutes. • After that second coat is applied which consists red lead ground in boiled linseed oil and thinned with turpentine oil. 2. In this method, hot lime coat is applied on surface and left it for 24 hours. After that the layer is scrapped off from the surface. 3. Priming of New Wooden Surface • Priming is nothing but applying prime coat or first coat on surface. In this case, the surface is smoothened with abrasive paper and then first coat of paint is applied to fill all the pores in the surface. • The ingredients used in this prime coat is same as subsequent coats but the quantity or composition ratio may vary. 4. Stopping • After filling all the pores of wooden surface in priming, it’s time to fill up nail holes, dents, cracks, etc. • Putty is used as the fill material. When putty is dried, then the whole surface is rubbed with glass paper or pumice stone. • This process of rubbing sown the wooden surface is called stopping. 5.Under Coating of New Wooden Surface • In general, for good quality works, 4 coats of paints are applied (prime + under coatings + finishing). • For inferior quality works 2 to 3 coats can be used. So, under coatings are nothing but second and third coats of good quality works which provides same look or shade as finishing coat. • For better results, enough time should be allowed for each coat. 6. Finishing of New Wooden Surface • Finishing is the last coat applied on surface which is generally applied on the under coatings. • It should be applied in smooth, uniform manner. It decides the whole final look of surface, so, skilled workers is required for better results. 7.Repainting of Old Wooden Surface • Old wood work can be repainted but the previous paint work should be removed. The removal is more important which can be done by many ways as follows: • Prepare a solution of 1 kg caustic soda in 5 liters of water and apply on the old painted surface. When this solution is applied on the surface, the old paint gets dissolved and removed easily. • Another method is, prepare a hot solution consisting of soft soap, potash, quicklime in the ratio 1:2:1. This solution is applied on old surface and washed with hot water. 7.Repainting of Old Wooden Surface • 1:1 mixture of washing soda and quick lime is prepared and applied on old paint surface and then washed with water. • After applying any of the three methods described above, the surface is ready for fresh painting. • Before that the surface is rubbed with pumice stone or glass paper and then 2 to 3 coats of paints are applied. Painting of New Iron and Steel Surfaces • Painting of iron and steel surfaces will resist the rust formation due to weathering. Before painting the surface must be cleaned. • If there is any rust or scales, should be wiped off using steel brushes etc. stains on surface can be washed with benzene or lime water. • Before applying prime coat, the surface should be treated with phosphoric acid to get better adhesive nature. Painting of New Iron and Steel Surfaces • Now prime coat is applied which consists 3kg of red lead in 1 liter of boiled linseed oil. • This should be applied using brush. After that, two or more under coats are applied which consist 3 kg of red lead in 5 liters of boiled linseed oil. After drying up, smooth finishing coat of desired paint is applied. Repainting of Old Steel and Iron Surfaces • Repainting of steel and iron surfaces is as same as new surfaces but cleaning of old paint is most important. • Oxy acetylene flame is used to burn off the paint surface and then it is scrapped with brushes. Painting of Galvanized Iron Surface • In general, Galvanized iron surface does not contain adhesive nature with paint. So, it is difficult to apply paint on it without any special action. • That special treatment may be applying different solutions on surface. The solutions are 40 grams of copper acetate in one liter of water or 13 grams each of copper chloride, copper nitrate, muriatic acid and ammonium chloride in 1 liter of water. • Any one of these two solutions are mixed in earthen vessel and applied on surface. • When the surface turns into black, then prime coat is applied after it dries, finishing coat is applied Painting of Plastered Surfaces • Painting of newly plastered surfaces is difficult because of moisture content present in the plaster material. • Heat of hydration of cement also causes severe problems for paints especially oil based paints and distempers are liable to alkali attack. To overcome this, alkali resistant primer is used in prime coat. • The plastered surface contains pores in it, and whenever the paint is applied, liquid from the paint is absorbed by these pores which is called as suction. • The suction of surface depends upon type of paint, prime coat composition, etc. Suction should be uniform throughout the surface. For different paints, different types of pretreatments are adopted on the surface which is described in below table Type of paint Preparation of surface Oil paint A coat of thin primer or prime sealer Emulsion paint A coat of paint thinned with water Dry distemper Same distemper thinned with water Size bound distemper A Coat of clearcole Cement paint and lime wash Just wet the surface before applying.
