painting

Painting is the art of bringing a blank paper to life. In school watercolours are used to fill in the drawing that we do. But as individuals turn adults, they painted for a living and have transformed into artists.

It's not just on canvas that oil painting is done. It is on a variety of material that painting is undertaken like wood, lacquer, glass, concrete or any surface. Paints for different surfaces are not easily available in India as against just a few paints that existed in the past decades.

There are two meanings of painting. One is where the artist expresses himself with colour application, the other is when the artist belongs to a particular school or movement and expresses the idea of his organisation through his paintings. Historians have been known to fight against the government or a rule through their paintings. It was a particular style that they followed to express views of the common people.

Painting styles varies from cubism, minimalism, mannerism, modernism, primitive, orientalism, neo-classicism, romanticism, surrealism, photo-realism, pop art, contemporary art, expressionism and many more.

If you like to bring life to paper with colours then start by taking up painting as a hobby. Learn the different styles of painting and practice. First you may have to draw the pattern and then fill colours. Slowly you will be able to paint directly with the palette. Also begin by practising on one material. It could be as simple as paper. Slowly you can shift to canvas and then the options are endless.

You can paint the walls of your home with designs and colours so different that visitors will die to learn the art from you. You can go on to paint cartoon images in the kid's room. Put up clouds and make it look like fairyland.

Painting classes in India are seen right from schools to institutions that have been established to help students master the art of painting. Colour palettes are given to children to learn so they understand basic mixing. The basic three colours; red, blue and green can bring out the rainbow and even more colours.

So the painter has to learn up the combinations that the colours can give rise to. Because while painting, if two colours overlap each other a completely different colour may emerge that may look great or make a fiasco of the painting.

Once you get deeper into the painting arena, you will love to do more and try out more. Cave paintings have always made men curious and have documented history from time immemorial. Even you can create history by painting in different forms. Expressing your beliefs be it mythological, political or environmental.

You can also take it up as a profession and earn your daily bread from it. M.F. Hussain has taken India international with the paintings he has done. Art galleries and art shows are held regularly in the country's metropolitans. Now supply is increasing as the demand is increasing. Many people are taking paintings to decorate their homes and offices. So the future is bright.