My Experience with Colors

When I told that I wanted to start a blog, Divya told me to write some tips on painting. So let this post be dedicated to her. I'm just an amateur, so I'm no one to give tips. If you want you can just google and get 100s of tips.. :) Here I am going to share with you my experience with colors.

When did I start painting? What did I draw first? Did I use a pen or a pencil or was it something else? Was it on a plain paper or a newspaper or father's some important papers? I wish I could get those back. Isn't it more valuable than the best painting I have ever made. Why just mine? If I was asked to choose between Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and this first painting of mine, I would definitely choose mine. Why just my first painting? I would never exchange any of my paintings.

A painting gets its life from the painter's soul. When I first touch the canvas itself a bond is created. It grows stronger as the painting progresses. Each time the brush is dipped in my soul. By the time the painting is complete I get very much attached to my painting, it becomes a part of me. I just don't know how to explain that feeling. That might be the reason why I never give my paintings to anyone. No one can appreciate a painting more than its creator. One thing I really don't understand is how can an artist sell his painting?

I believe that I have got this skill from my father. He never encouraged me much, might be because he felt that it might affect my studies. Like any other child I too started my painting lessons with crayons at school. Even now when I see kids using crayons, I wish I'm just one among them. After a few years, I don't remember exactly, might be in 3rd class, we moved on to watercolor. I used to have a green box with colorful tablets and a brush. My world of colors really started with this. Even though it was difficult to mix colors it was something great compared to the crayons. In 5th class we started using the watercolor tubes. I used to have a butterfly shaped pallet in which lots of new colors took birth. In my 9th class we had a painting competition where I first tried a new medium - acrylic on cloth. I loved it very much and started painting on T-shirts and handkerchiefs. By that time I had stopped using water colors. It was after my 12th that I entered the world of oil paints - the medium that most of the artists across the globe have been using over the years. Its the best medium one can ever work with. The majority of paintings one sees in most galleries and museums are done with oil paint. You can find the depth and richness of colors in them. Oil paints can often be left exposed to air for up to several weeks without drying which allows you to take your own time. You can even scrap off and make changes. When it comes to durability these paintings lasts for 100s of years.

Now in this corporate world where the speed of life is faster than your heart beat, you just don't get time for anything. I haven't touched my brush for the past 3 years. But how could I kill the artist in me? Last week I bought some oil paints. Its been along time I wished to try out knife painting. I haven't started yet.

My dear friends, if you have a taste in painting and if you have never tried oil paint, I request you to try it once. I assure you that you would really love it. I am taking back the comment that i made earlier. In my next post I would be giving some tips on oil painting. ;)