Studio for Acrylic Painting
Multiple light sources provide even saturated light for working at night. Ideally you should paint outdoors during daylight hours or at least in a room with large windows for natural light.
Adequate bench space is needed in the studio for sketching compostions and mixing paints. Note the rolling table and the drafting table on the back wall.
Small half-pint mason jars are useful for storing pre-made blends of paints and mediums and gels.
Multiple easels are useful for holding color studies and unfinished works side by side.
A rolling stool is more useful than chair for painting because you need to move quickly between sitting and standing as you work.
An art studio is like a factory in many ways. A well organized workstation allows you to focus on making art instead of looking around for tools and materials.
Studios need to be large enough to allow the artist to step back and see the composition as a whole, even if that mean you have to step out into the hall and look from there.
The tracing table in the corner has a plexiglass top with a light underneath that can be turned on for rapidly tracing copies of drawings on paper.
Painting Studio Fundamentals
Great art can be made on the floor of a garage or in the corner of a tiny apartment, and it often is, but it really helps to have some designated space, such as a room where you can just close the door when you are done. Otherwise, you spend too much of your time setting up and putting things away, which is how I spent years working, literally on the floor most of the time. I know how fortunate I am now.
One of the most important things a painting studio can have is natural light and enough space for the artist to step back and see the composition as a whole. This studio was made for painting at night because that is when I have the most time to work. When I do get to paint during the day, I slide my easel out into the living room which has windows looking out into the neighborhood. When I paint at night, I often have to step out into the hallway when I want to view the canvas from a distance. I also find myself looking over the easel, across the next room and out the window just to rest my eyes. So, this studio is somewhat compromised in terms of natural light and adequate distance for viewing, but there are the ways of working around limitations as mentioned above.
On the other hand, this painting studio is ideal in a number of ways:
- adequate bench space with rolling tables
- multiple easels for displaying color studies and works in progress
- ample shelves for paints, media, tools and materials
- small half-pint jars for storing mixed paints
- a drafting table for sketching compositions
- a tracing table for copying drawings
- a computer with Internet connection for referencing photos and instructional info