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Painting is my favorite form of relaxation. Creating something, in general, is a wonderful activity in and of itself, but the best part about painting is having something to show for your effort; a beautiful piece of art to hang on your wall. I personally am most inspired by nature, but instead of painting typical landscapes, I prefer to make more surrealistic art. This way, the end product ends up being something completely unique that has never existed before. A lot of people would like to know how to express themselves this way, but aren't sure where to start. The easiest way to get past this is to just do it! Being prepared with the right supplies is crucial for learning how to create art. Once you have everything you need, it's time to begin. Before I start a new piece, I like to sketch out my idea on a notepad, roughly filling in which colors I plan to use and where. This doesn't have to be perfect, just enough to have an idea of where the art is heading. If you're new to painting, using a small canvas for your first couple projects is a good idea. Once I'm ready to start painting, I prefer to cover the canvas in a warm color (yellow or light brown). This means that any bright hues you add later will instantly have a richer tone to them, and cool colors (blue, purple) will stand out due to the contrast. I start by putting a small amount of light brown or yellow onto my palette. Using acrylic paint for this step is ideal, since it mixes well with water and can be spread thin to cover large areas. The next step is grabbing a brush to put some paint on and dipping it in the water before putting it to the canvas. For this bottom layer, using a lot of water is crucial. This will get the color to spread and cover the entire canvas. You may have to repeat this step a couple of times to get the whole canvas the right shade. Quality paper towels are good to have here for wiping the brushes between colors. If some areas are darker than others or uneven, don't worry about it. As you can see in the picture above, my background turned out that way, and it adds depth to the finished product. The beauty of surreal art is that there are no rules. Once you have your background color established, start adding blobs of color to the areas that need to be filled in. For the painting above, this was the leaves of the tree. I covered the top portion of the canvas in various reds, some dark, some light. I then went and added some oranges and purples. It doesn't have to look great yet at this stage, the detail comes later. Just get that color filled in. Again, don't be afraid to use water to allow the color to stretch further. Next I used some black paint to make the ground and the trunk of the tree. It's easier to sketch out the lines of where these should be using a charcoal pencil, and then add the paint after. If you aren't used to painting, making these lines straight is no easy task. Start with very thin lines first and make them thicker after. This trick leaves some room for minor errors and the ability to fix them later on. You can also use masking tape to create straight lines. Once the general colors are filled in, you'll want to start adding some more defined sections of color to the treetops. I find it helpful to use a sponge for this, since it gives the painting a nice textured look. For the final details of the tree, I used a combination of a sponge and a small brush to get that "spotty" look. It's a simple trick that instantly makes the piece look much more detailed. For these last details on the leaves, it's important to get the contrast of the tree right by using a cool color. As you can see, I choose a light blue tone, and it really stands out against the reds and oranges of the leaves. This is the secret to a vivid piece of art! You may want to add some splatters to the painting, which you can make by tapping the brush lightly over the canvas. This is where having an apron to wear comes in handy, so you don't get it all over your clothes. It's also good to either be outside for this or have the surrounding carpet covered in newspaper. The splatters are optional, and so is adding that blue streak down the middle of the trunk. The piece will look just as nice without these touches. Sometimes I use a Sharpie marker to make the lines more crisp once the paint is dry. When your tree painting is finished, adding a clear varnish to it will seal the paint and protect it from wear and tear. In addition to this, varnish makes the art look better. Once you're ready to hang your piece on the wall (or give it as a gift to a friend), you should frame it. Different color schemes call for different colored frames, but with this particular piece, I think black looks best. I hope that this article was able to help you along your journey to becoming an artist. Anyone can do it, it's just a matter of deciding to begin. If your first painting doesn't look exactly how you wanted, just keep trying. I guarantee you will find it easier each time.