How Do I Start Painting with No Experience

By Aneesah Davids | 1 October 2025

I still remember the evening I finally unpacked my first set of oil paints. I’d been out of the corporate world for a few months and I was determined to start painting, even though I had no formal training. My only “plan” was to get a canvas and paints, and hope for the best. If you’re standing where I once stood, wondering how to begin with absolutely no experience, let me reassure you: you can start right where you are, with what you have.

 

Drop the Myth of Talent

The first obstacle for most beginners is the belief that you need natural talent. I can’t count how many people tell me, “I can’t even draw a stick figure.” Neither could I, really. Painting is a skill, not a gift handed out at birth. Think of it like learning a language or cooking: practice and experimentation are far more important than innate ability.

 

When you accept that painting is something you learn, the pressure eases. Each project becomes a lesson, not a test.

 

Gather Simple Supplies

To start with oils, the medium that hooked me, you truly need only a few basics:

A small set of student-grade paints: red, blue, yellow, white and burnt umber can mix almost anything.

Three brushes: a flat, a round and a filbert.

Surfaces: a couple of small canvases, canvas panels or sheets.

Solvent and palette: odourless mineral spirits and any flat mixing surface.

That’s it. Resist the urge to buy the entire art shop. Limiting your palette early on teaches you more about colour than that metallic tube could.

 

Pick a First Project

Your first painting doesn’t need to be profound, it just needs to get you moving. Here are three beginner-friendly ideas:

Monochrome mug: Choose one colour plus white and paint a favourite cup. Focus on light and shadow.

Simple landscape: Find a photo of a beach or field with large shapes and soft colours. Block in the big areas before adding details.

Colour chart: Create swatches of every possible mixture from your limited palette. It’s surprisingly meditative and invaluable later.

If you like guidance, search YouTube for “beginner oil painting step-by-step” or look for free “alla prima” tutorials. Pause, rewind and paint at your own pace.

 

Create a Small Habit

When I started, I had long evenings free. These days, with a four-year-old in the house, life is busier and painting time is shorter. Whether you’re juggling children, work or a major life change, consistency matters more than length. Twenty focused minutes beats waiting for a perfect three-hour block that never comes.

Set up a corner, even a fold-up table will do.

Schedule short-sessions, after dinner, before bed or during a lunch break.

Lower the stakes, your goal is to paint, not to produce a masterpiece.

 

Let Art Support Your Transition

Many of my students arrive at class after a significant change; retirement, a career shift, a divorce. They come looking for a creative outlet and leave with something deeper. Painting offers quiet reflection, a way to process emotions without words. It’s grounding and gently challenging, which is exactly what you need when life feels uncertain.

 

Keep Going

Your first attempts might feel clumsy. Mine certainly did. But every brushstroke teaches you something: how colours mix, how shadows behave, how practice builds confidence. In a few months you’ll look back and see real progress.

 

So if you have no experience, start anyway. Clear a small space, gather a few materials and let curiosity lead. Ten years ago I was a biochemist with no art training. Today I’m a self-taught artist who helps beginners find their own creative voice. You don’t need permission or talent, you just need to begin.