Quick question for a rookie

[atalkingbear]

Hello everyone, excuse me if I'm posting this in the wrong place or anything..

I wanted to paint a picture for my girlfriend for Christmas, so I figured I should start researching since I've never been into art. She's a big Audrey Hepburn fan and we saw this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50110303

She loved the picture, and I figured it looks easy enough for a beginner to paint, assuming I use a grid and paint it square by square :)

So my questions are:
1. What should I use that would last? I want her to put this up in her room. The one from Ikea is on canvas - should I go with that? And I would want a material that I could sketch the drawing out on before I actually paint.
2. What paints? Does it depend on the material I paint on?
3. Where should I buy materials from? Is there a website that has good quality stuff? Or just my local arts and crafts store? Ideally I don't want to spend more than $50 if that's possible...

Any other suggestions? Thanks a lot!

[Flake]

Honestly?
If you just want an accurate copy of that image I'd get it printed on acid free paper at the local print shop.

Actually, I'd pick another Audrey Hepburn image that isn't a common IKEA item and have them do that instead, bit more unique y'know? ..Google images may sort you out, go with "extra large"
Use the posterize function in Photoshop if you want to reduce it to two or three values.

If it's more a personalised thing and you definitely want to paint it by hand yourself, do it in acrylic. (any errors will be dry in 10 minutes and you paint right over them..)
What paints? Does it depend on the material I paint on?
If you use acrylic, not really. Oil gets complicated.

This is a tricky post to answer because we have no idea how much painting experience you have, which materials you have readily available and what your exact intentions are here.. If you are a total beginner with no supplies, Photoshop / printshop, then frame shop is the best option.

Post more details, you'll get better answers.

[atalkingbear]

Well I definitely want to paint it myself. If I wanted that painting from Ikea, I could just buy it from Ikea, which is just lameee. I really have next to no experience painting, but I am a quick learner, am very meticulous, and will research what is necessary to do it right the first time (or at least try). I have no materials, so I'll pretty much be buying everything.

I liked the look of that canvas, because I want it to look a little classier than just a poster taped on the wall, if that makes sense. The one at Ikea was on a wooden frame, so I might do that too. Are there any online shops that you can recommend for materials? So I can budget how much this will cost? Would I use acrylic paint on canvas? Any specific brush I need?

[nauvice]

since you said you've never been into art, Im just going to start from zero (though Flake's recommendation of finding a different image should be considered greatly)

1.get a squared canvas at your local art shop, any size you (or gf) wants. For this, a flat thin canvas board would be perfect (they're also cheaper and you wont have to worry about streching or putting holes in them)

2. pick up a Black Acrylic tube. Good quality (usually the price for tubes do represent their quality), I personally use Mars black. Then you can also pick up a gray, or I would go with Titanium white, so you can mix in the black to get your desired shade of gray

3. pick up a small and large brush (I cant give you the specifics, they would vary depending on the size of canvas your getting, but think of one small enough to add details, and one large enough to fill in large parts)

4. hope you have a plastic/foam cup for water, and plate to use as palette. you can dip your brush in the water than use acrylic, but not too much though or else it'll be too liquid and transparent

5. You want to start with your base color, which would be the gray, paint the whole canvas that way, let it dry (acrylics dry really fast) then draw with an HB pencil (note: graphite can appear through acrylics, especially under lighting so be careful) the figure, then start painting in the black.

You could get other colors if you want to add your own personal touch to it; copying it 100% would be pretty lame (and copyright infringement) so I strongly recommend you do that, and this way it will make it a fun task and you'll probably love art rather than doing a printer's job.

[Flake]

I mentioned acrylic because it will pretty much stick to anything and (compared to other media) there are few technical considerations other than "do not let it dry on your brushes"..

Audrey Hepburn is a good call because now you only have to paint in monochrome :E
Two colours = cheaper.
If you want it framed try to stick to standard sizes = cheaper

Would I use acrylic paint on canvas? Any specific brush I need?
As I said, acrylic will stick to almost anything it touches.
Illustration board, mount board, canvas, heavy paper, your cat, the carpet..

You'd usually have to specifically prepare a surface for acrylic not to stick to it..

Brushes are a personal painting issue but cheap synthetics will be fine.

As for budget, I'm going to assume you're painting in black and white, this kinda negates all the "expensive paint brand colour saturation/tinting strength" arguments.

Anyway, let us know how you get on.

Edit: y'know she really was an amazing looking woman..Gratuitous Audrey, just because.


829083

[atalkingbear]

Thanks for all the answers! I'll probably be searching all around my local art shops to get what I need. Assuming that the shops are run by, um, unintelligent people, is there anything I need to look out for? If I don't buy a good brand of canvas, brush, or paint, will it come back and bite me in the ass? Or are all things made pretty equal?

[Flake]

If I don't buy a good brand of canvas, brush, or paint, will it come back and bite me in the ass? Or are all things made pretty equal?
If you're going to do more painting, buy good brushes. You can keep them.
There's a vast quality range in paint, but if you're going with a less than subtle image (black and white / greyscale portrait in a graphical style) these will matter not a lot.

Most of the price range / quality thing is to do with the difference between "Genuine Cad Red" and "Cad Red cheaper equivalent hue" or "Genuine Mineral Pink vs Similar Pink"
Mostly expensive colour vs cheap equivalent.

If you're going black and white, you're cool.
The cool thing about painting is that once you start thinking thoughts like "Hmmm.. this white seems a little chalky, needs more transparency.."
As you get more experience you'll know what stuff you need.

For now, a black, a white, an acid free surface should do you and it should be intact well after you and your girl are dead. :D

[TASmith]

post the results!