Creating artwork is a great way to relax, express yourself and take a break from everyday stress. Whether you’re sketching a concept or channeling your inner Vincent van Gogh with oil paints, the medium you choose can completely reshape your experience. Here are the top five art mediums to unleash your creativity.
#5: Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint earns a spot on the list for its versatility and accessibility to both beginners and professionals. As a fast-drying, water-soluble paint, it allows artists to quickly layer colors to build texture or blend for a smooth finish. It can also be used on a variety of surfaces, including canvas, wood and paper, making it easy to experiment with different styles. Since it dries quickly, artists can make adjustments and build up their work in a shorter amount of time compared to other painting mediums. Buying acrylic paint is simple: you can find a 12-pack of Apple Barrel paints from any store that will only cost around $6. Yet it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. However, using acrylic paint also requires some cleanup, as brushes and surfaces need to be washed before the paint dries and becomes harder to remove. Ultimately, it’s a flexible medium that works for almost anyone, taking some of the “pain” out of paint.
#4: Color Pencil
Sometimes a simple color pencil is the best option to add brilliance and vibrancy to your art. Color pencils are another tool that can be used by everyone, whether you pick up a small pack of Crayola colored pencils for a few bucks or invest in higher-end, wax-based Prismacolor pencils for more advanced art. The medium is especially easy to control, combining the familiarity of a pencil with the addition of color. Imagine using color pencils to create a sunset scene. You weave in colors of yellow and orange with just a few strokes, while slowly overlapping each element as if they were meant to be together. You add a few dashes of pink and red, adding more vibrancy to your piece. Suddenly, it’s not just a piece of paper with a few colors, but a sunset that feels real and alive. Color pencils are less messy than paint, so you don’t need to worry about random splashes of paint scattered on your piece. At the end of the day, it can be exhausting to clean up smudged paint, but pouring color pencils back into their container will never be a burden.
#3: Photography
Photography is one of the most accessible art mediums as technology continues to improve, since most phones now include high-quality cameras. In addition, it doesn’t require the same complex art techniques used in drawing or painting, making it easier for beginners to get started. Photography captures moments quickly while still telling a story through composition, lighting and perspective. With a digital camera and a variety of lenses, photographers can also capture scenes from a distance, using long lenses to zoom in without needing to be physically close. Photography is also useful for preserving the moments you want to remember. Take travel photography, for example: you document moments with your family, along with photos of food, art and architecture, so you can look back and experience them again. Overall, photography is an efficient and powerful medium that allows artists to create and capture more in less time.
#2: Digital Art
Sharing and displaying your creations online on social media has risen in popularity, but traditional art can be difficult to post. However, digital art can make this job much easier since it’s already on a device. Digital art is extremely accessible through apps like ibisPaint, Krita and Adobe Fresco, which you can acquire for free. In addition, digital art has tools that can make your art process easier and more efficient. Some beloved gadgets are the lasso tool, the blur brush and the almighty undo button. Visualize yourself creating a portrait on your favorite app. Starting with a quick sketch, you can add layer after layer using bold strokes. The different tools allow you to enhance the liveliness of your work. Through digital art, the portrait comes together quickly, and creating art is easier than ever before.
#1: Pencil
As something you first pick up in preschool, a pencil is the most fundamental step in almost any art piece. From doodling in the margins of your math homework to carefully refining the final details of your masterpiece, its versatility applies to every stage of drawing. Artists might use light HB pencils for rough sketches, or softer pencils like 4B and 6B for deeper shading and contrast. Even if you don’t have those tools, the varying pressure on the paper alone can do the work. When drawing with a pencil, you can roll out a kneaded eraser to lighten the rough lines and brush a blending stump to blend your harsh edges with soft strokes. And when a line goes wrong, a quick flip to the eraser lets you try again, and suddenly mistakes are more forgiving than a glob of red on a blue sky. With all of this in mind, a pencil might seem like an ordinary tool that you use on a daily basis, but it is truly the perfect medium for any art piece.
