Having a plan, sticking to it
Sticking to a plan is a key also in painting. Whatever we are doing, we need some kind of a draft in our head or some plan which we keep in mind. However, it is easier said than done. That especially refers to beginners in art. I have noticed that most people want to draw or paint without any plan and without any thinking.
Elements of a painting
Perhaps, when starting out, it is hard to know what parts or matters we should pay most attention to. There are lots of simple things which make the subject look multi-dimensional. By far, those are not only darker and stronger values. Strongly emphasized edges or absence thereof, strong dark areas behind the lighter ones also contribute significantly to the spatial perception, not to mention color if it is used.
Things to do and not to do
I was told that the darkest dark should meet the lightest light when I started painting about 50 years ago. It can be tough to implement, especially without real reference, when we have only a photography or a sketch. I am personally not excited about patterns which repeat in a regular rhythm such as petals or trees along the path, blooms on a branch and similar things which we unintentionally place on our canvas when there is no firm plan or sketch.
Reference is a guide
Why am I saying: pay attention to reference? Because most people don’t do that. When we are just beginning the painting, they would have a look at the reference image or set-up. After a while, I notice nobody looks any more at the reference. You have to! The only exception is when it is a completely abstract work which has been drafted in one’s imagination or when we paint from memory.
Painting or drawing from memory
Painting from memory takes practice, and beginning artists cannot handle that too well. Reference or value drawing (if you have created such) has all the answers: where to use dark color, where to make strong edge, where to wash out edges to lose them, where to place highlights and what exactly the shape of something is.
Preferred brushes
Knowing what values go where is extremely important, much more important than what brush to use. However, talking about brushes: always use the ones which you feel comfortable with and which suit the size of the area you are working on. Very simple. We can use no brush at all, but sponge or palette knife, that is a matter of preference and choice.
Try no rules, but use principles
I know how some art instructors want to make rules about everything. There are no rules in the use of tools. It is very obvious that using a very wide brush for tiny spot is simply difficult and vice versa. I know a lot of artists who create the entire painting with just one brush. I do that sometimes, too.
Real versus photo
So, the conclusion is: do not change things around dramatically or completely when the work is halfway through and always keep an eye on the reference. If something does not work at all, it is better to start over again. That’s why it is so rewarding to paint from real subjects, live is live and photo is just a photo. Live comes with smell, touch, very visible shape and very noticeable values.
No pressure
Do not put pressure on yourself and painting: there are moments when we need to stop and make a decision about the next step. Paintings and drawings really hate when they are not treated with due respect. It is much better to allow everything to develop in a natural way. For illustration, I have attached the recent flower paintings. There are many more, but they just need finalizing touches. You know: painting is never done, right?
Inese, I always enjoy seeing your paintings. Like you, I prefer to keep referring to the picture or object I’m drawing from–I’m lost without them.
Blessings ~ Wendy
Thanks Wendy! I always enjoy your comments. It is so nice to read something uplifting.
I am liking the principle which states that he darkest dark should meet the lightest light.
It sound like a perfect synchronic meeting between posed forces…
I alos think that your words by the end of the post in which you conclude that we should not change things around dramatically or completely when the work is halfway through might apply to other daily life situations…
Another great post, which shows that Art and artistic creative processes could be revealing…
Sending love, dear Inese. Aquileana 🙂
Thanks again Aquileana! My teacher told me this when I was 10 or 12. I remember still everything she told me. That was more than 40 years ago, but I’m following these principles because they have become sort of my credo. Nobody knows everything about everything, but most things she made me aware of really work.
I am seeing this quite often: starts out on blue with one tree and switches to all grey or purple with a forest. Art is a very logical thing, I’d say there are similarities with daily life. Have a great weekend!
So interesting that you note, most people want to draw or paint without any plan and without any thinking. I think that can be said for many occupations, whether it be artist, writer, or just being alive. We can do so much better!
Yes, we definitely can do much better. I have noticed also that just within some 5 years the attention span has decreased dramatically. The most noticeable lack of attention is with young people, it was to the point that I basically cancelled special teens classes. Everything is geared towards entertainment and when somebody tells me: I would like to draw as you do, I understand they want to learn. In fact, the number of those who want to learn is much smaller than the number of those who simply want to have fun. It is sort of a contradiction: when somebody wants to create something good with just aimlessly brushing around, that does not happen, and so they are disappointed. The lack of brain involvement and the lack cognitive development worries me, and I have written quite a few articles on the lifeschool blog https://inesepogalifeschool.com/. We have strong signals that the brain activity is left unattended and the mental side requires immediate work. It really does. Thanks for stopping by!
You are so correct. Our culture has bought into the myth that multi tasking is productive when actually we are training our brains to hop around like monkeys on caffeine. We’re losing the ability to focus and concentrate. There are a lot of studies out there now showing the damage we are doing. And our young people aren’t adapting either. One study actually said they’re becoming “suckers for irrelevancy ” . Ouch.
As for my painting, when I feel I’m going off track I realize I’ve stopping looking at my reference. Every time. Thanks for the reminder. Great post.
Thanks Aprille for your thoughtful comment! It is an alarming trend, and we are the ones who can fix that assuming we take more seriously the things that are important in our life. While we we need pleasure and satisfaction, we don’t have to entertain and to be entertained all the way. Our brain needs challenges.
I have observed this again and again: the reference gets forgotten. It helps when we develop the so called blind drawing technique. That means we look at the object much more often and longer than at lines or painting we create. It happened unintentionally for me because I did not have camera for most part of my life, therefore, I was drawing and painting only from real objects or plein air.
Thanks!