Thank you for visiting Banyan Studios. This site was
put together in an effort to bring you the information, support
and
inspiration
you
will
need
to become
a great decorative painter, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned
pro.
The great thing about learning decorative painting is that anyone
can do it! It's as simple as going to a class or reading a book
or even searching online to get more data. With practice you
can be a great painter!
What is Decorative Painting?
Simply put, "decorative painting" is an art where you decorate
functional items by painting them... suitable name wouldn't you
say? Actually, there
are several
different types of painting that come under the heading of "decorative
painting". When I paint I incorporate the different types of decorative
painting in each project.
What is Tole Painting?
"Tole painting" is a category of
decorative painting. The word "tole" is actually a
french word for "tin". Way back when people would travel
from village to village selling their wares, the tin sellers
found that they sold much
more of their product if they were painted! Thus we have tole
painting.
Often there is no distinction between "tole painting" and
"decorative painting" they are pretty much interchangeable.
What
is One Stroke™ Painting?
One stroke is also a type of decorative painting. This type of
painting was developed to save time actually. It is not that you
only use one stroke for each item painted but that you use only
one stoke to make the highlight and shading for the item, rather
than painting the object, then going back with a lighter color
to paint the highlights and then returning a third time to with
a darker color to paint the shadow. In this form you put all the
colors on your brush at once and the highlight and shading is done
in... you guessed it, one stroke.
Get Painting!
Ok, now that you know what decorative painting is... let's get
to work! Take a look through the site and get painting!
I cannot express enough the importance of painting as often as
you can. Get a group together and DO IT.
Familiarity is the key to success -- Try everything connected
with decorative painting over and over to bring about certainty
in the
area. Read magazines, sit at the library and trace pictures that
you might like to paint some day. Make a folder and slide in pictures
of projects you want to do when you have time or feel a bit more
adventurous.
Do these things and I promise you will begin to view the world
in a different way!