Three top tips to get into drawing and painting without breaking the bank
DRAWING or painting can be one of the cheapest hobbies.
All you need to start is a pencil, pen or brush and you can indulge your artistic passion for pennies.
Here are some easy ideas.
SEARCH MODE: You can kick off your creativity by looking around your home.
You might not have special paints or piles of blank canvases, but there are likely to be things such as paper, children’s colouring things or simple pencils.
Using household materials will allow you to practise without wasting money.
Jaycee Leddra, a champion of affordable art, says: “Search your home for tools and paints that you can repurpose; there’s no need to splurge on expensive supplies right away.
“Consider using an old knife for acrylics, your children’s crayons and paints for colour, and even repurposing old canvas prints by painting over them.”
DRAW ON OTHER’S EXPERTISE: It’s fine to sketch at home, but to step up your art you may need to learn some skills.
Claire Waite Brown, founder of art and craft collective and podcast, Creativity Found, says a free loan from a library can transform your drawing.
“Libraries usually stock a good selection of art instruction books, packed full of inspiration.
“Ask the librarian to search for ‘watercolours’ or ‘sketching’.”
If you’d like to try a class, you don’t even have to leave your home.
Find low-cost lessons at creativityfound.co.uk.
SCRAP STARS: For low-cost art supplies, find your local scrapstore, community hubs where craft materials that might be binned are available to reuse for art projects.
Some are aimed only at children, others are for everyone.
You can find a directory at reusefuluk.org.
For cheap frames, head to a local charity shop.
Printmaker Gerry Coles says: “I’ve been picking up frames, usually £1.
“I’ve cleaned, sanded and painted them then added my prints.”
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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