I am a big believer in learning efficiently rather than just putting in time for the sake of it. You could practice for years and hardly improve if you don’t know what you are doing. This is where the fundamentals of art come into play – color, value, composition, edges, brushwork and technique.
These are what I consider to be the core pillars of painting. It is important that you get familiar with them early, as they will help you understand what exactly is going on when your brush hits the canvas. Learning these fundamental areas will benefit every stroke you make.
Here is a summary of the fundamentals:
Color: We are all familiar with color, so much so that we take it for granted. Few people fully understand and appreciate what color actually is.
I find it easier to comprehend color in terms of hue, saturation and value. These are the three elements which make up a color.
Hue refers to where a color is located on the color wheel. Red, blue, yellow, green – these are all different hues. Saturation refers to how rich, intense or vibrant a color is. Value refers to how light or dark a color is.
Learn these three terms and learn them well, as you will encounter them with every artwork you create.
