Ceramic painting is an enjoyable creative activity. Learning to paint a ceramic can be made easier with a basic understanding of ceramics, paints, and colours. Beginner artists may consider these ideas for simple ceramic painting.
Ceramic Painting Supplies
Begin with basic necessities for ceramic painting. Besides the desired ceramic, you will need acrylic paints, brushes of different sizes, newspaper, a container of water, paper towels, and perhaps a blending palette. Newspaper is essential for keeping the table clean. Spread out newspaper on the table with plenty of space for the paints, the water, the paper towels and the ceramic itself.
The paints, although in a container, should be placed on the newspaper, in case of accidental spills. Likewise, the water should be set atop the newspaper. Having paper towels nearby would be handy for drying brushes after washing the paint off. A blending palette is a useful tool when it comes to creating custom colours.
Acrylic Paint Colours
Many paint sets do come with a good variety of shades and colours, and a beginner artist may choose to use the colours provided. Colour rules are easy to grasp with an understanding of the colour wheel. Warm colours include shades of yellow, red, and orange, while cool colours include shades of green, blue and purple.
Each warm colour has an opposite cool colour. Red is the opposite of green; orange is the opposite of blue; and yellow is the opposite of purple. A general colour rule is that opposite colours match well, as they contrast each other so dramatically. You may also find that warm shades blend well together, while cool shades blend well together. Also, do not be afraid to learn to mix colours.
Red, yellow and blue are primary colours. Mixed together, they create secondary colours, orange, green and purple. Consider these basic colour mixing rules: red and yellow create orange; red and blue create purple; and yellow and blue create green. For a darker shade of the secondary colour, add more of the darker primary colour to the mix. For a lighter shade, add more of the lighter colour.
Black will darken a desired colour, but be careful when adding such a dark shade, as it is difficult to reverse. White, in turn, will make colours paler, and create pastel-like shades. Feel free to experiment with different colours on a blending palette.
Ceramic Painting Techniques
When it comes to painting your ceramic, remember these useful tips:
- Before painting, wipe the ceramic with a damp cloth to remove excess dust.
- Begin painting by contouring the edges with a small brush, carefully touching the tip of the brush against the edge line.
- Paint the lighter colours first, as mistakes can be more easily painted over with a darker colour than a lighter colour.
- For a larger surface area, use a larger brush; for a smaller surface area, use a smaller brush. This technique makes the painting job quicker and reduces the look of brush strokes.
- Dig the tip of your brush into the crevices to cover the whole ceramic in colour.
- And like walls, ceramics need at least two coats of paint to reduce the look of brush strokes and strengthen the colours.
Painting a ceramic is a creative and fun activity that can be for kids or adults. Consider these beginner artists’ tips for simple ceramic painting.
Michelle Wright - Michelle is an avid reader and writer, with a focus on book, film and music reviews, gluten free recipes, and fiction writing "how-tos."
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