Canvas Painting 101! Beginners Guide To Canvas Painting. With colors and design you can express every emotion you feel. People have been expressing themselves through painting for thousands of years.  Even the cavemen showed great hunts or other events with paints made from berries and plants. There are some basics the beginning artist should know.  Although you may have been sketching and drawing for years, the first time you pick up a brush it will seem foreign to you. This is fine.  You will become very familiar with each of the brushes and the strokes they can make.  They will soon be as comfortable in your hand as the charcoal pencil you use on the sketch pad. Paints can add style and creativity to an art piece.  A single tear drop on the face can take on a totally new dimension by adding color.  Paints allow you to do this with ease.  The types of paint you use will also allow you to be more creative.