Painting is possibly one of the most popular art mediums to work in. Drawing is the foundation of art, then painting takes it into a bold new territory, by exposing the viewer to color. Color invokes feeling, and gives us an experience, thus causing many paintings to become high in demand, as well as expensive. The no-fail way to paint is to start with a paint-by-numbers kit. It may seem a bit childish, but you will learn the basic skills, such as composition, color, blending, shading and how to use your paintbrush. Most art is learned by experience. Just try it out and do not stop doing it. You will learn something new about art and yourself every time you paint.
Drawing can be used as a tool to guide your painting into existence, or it can stand alone by itself. Drawing is a medium used by illustrators to create scenes and convey specific ideas in a clear way. A no-fail way to learn how to draw is to start with tracing paper and a basic lead pencil. Trace images that do not have too much detail so you get the feel of shape and design. Tracing will help you see the picture as you should. Instead of identifying it in your mind as a "tiger" or "butterfly," you will break it down into a combination of triangles, squares and circles.
It may seem strange to jump from paper and canvas to working with beads, but there is no better way to learn about shape, color and spatial relationships than with bead work. Choose beads of all shapes and sizes, colors and finishes. Play around with placing them side by side on a string or thin chord. Observe how the colors compliment each other. Pay close attention to how the shapes interact next to each other. Ask yourself "does this work, or is there a better option?" This is a fun no-fail way to learn art basics, and when it's all said and done, you can wear what you made.
Cut out a bunch of words, pictures and images from magazines. Use a giant piece of paper and glue these words, images and shapes down. This is a no-fail way to inspire yourself. The images can be ideas or inspiration, something that catches your eye or just makes you think. Keep it positive and hang it up in your art space. Collages are perfectly no fail because the images only have to mean something to you. You will learn about shape and placement as you cut. Choose the space to glue your images, and watch how they complement or contrast next to each other. Add photos of people you love or pictures of the type of art you enjoy or wish to create in the near future.