Create better art without getting lost in advice
We can learn painting and create better art using many tools and sources nowadays. Internet is huge and numerous sites offer tutorials, art classes and online and live workshops. I would like to share a few observations which stood out after talking to students and seeing how they learn. I’m convinced also that successful painting is a combination of many aspects. The other notable matter is that anything we want to be of high quality and value takes time, efforts and practice, and there is no other way to master a skill. I have listed below assumptions and factors which do not result in good art.
Copying colors and image will do it
Lots of people use color charts or try to recreate the exact colors of a photo. With current numerous brands and very wide range in art supply quality, the most important part is not what the photo has, but what works for your painting. Photography has different tools to create impressive image. Drawing, watercolor, pastel, acrylic and oil painting use completely different tools. Only copying colors and image won’t result in great art because that is the input of artist which makes art great. Outline drawing is important, but artist makes it alive with the use of artistic tools and paints.
Using exactly the same colors and drawing will create the same image
Using exactly the same colors and drawing won’t result in the same painting because it is usually not possible to repeat original artwork even by the artist who painted it. Ambient temperature, flow of paint, sloppy or targeted brushstroke, light conditions, air humidity in room or outdoors, inspiration, mood of artist, surge of energy or tiredness are all significant factors. It’s also not important what colors somebody else used because the differences between the same name colors can be huge with different brands. Therefore, the most important part is to test what you have and to see what your paints can do.
Color is secondary, value is primary or otherwise black and white paintings or monochromatic paintings would not make sense. They do, so, value is the aspect that provides image and subject with volume and dimension. If in doubt, you can always create a tonal or value sketch. I do that for complex paintings in watercolor going large scale or exactly the same size what my painting is.
I can paint knowing nothing about color mixing and paint features
You can paint knowing nothing about color mixing and paint features. Most likely, it will take time and many experiments to get to where you want to be. Eventually, you will arrive at all creation-related discoveries, it just might be a time-consuming process. I am talking about years, not hours. Simply, there will be good, mediocre or not satisfying result at first. Initially, all good results come from happy painting accidents, and we get what we get as opposed to what we intend to.
I will learn painting just watching others paint
No, that is not true. Art instructors or people, who demonstrate painting, know what they are doing or at least they should. Quite frequently people, who watch it, have no idea what, where and why is applied. The personal features and ability to apply paint and correct color matter, too. If the art is somewhat realistic, it is very important to be able to draw. We sketch with brush at first, and then we follow with brushstrokes to create volume, shadows, negative spaces and so on. If you can draw, you know better where to apply paint.
What, where and why
In the painting process, we have to answer these questions at any point of painting process. It is very useful to know why you are doing something. Why do you want the background dark or light? Why do you want to place some accent in the middle or in front? Why do you want distant parts cool and the front part warm? Why do you want to use black, purple or blue for grey color? Why do you paint the focal point in the most striking color? And so on. All of these answers impact your painting, later series of paintings, and they eventually create your style.
Paint night or sipping and painting
Many believe that paint night or sipping and painting will teach how to paint. These are entertaining events with a brush and paint, not art classes. The goal of such events isn’t teaching you composition, color theory, values or brush stroke. The goal is to entertain and painting is just an addition to mood, drink or food. I have mentioned many times before how important focus and decision making is for creation of art. Paint night or sipping and painting do not contain the most important learning aspects, such as reasoning, decision making or using your personalized approach.
Everything is art
Everything isn’t art and it shouldn’t be. While many people might refer to a canvas covered with some paint as art, it isn’t always art. You can hang it on the wall and it becomes wall filler. However, you can also look at it after it has dried and canvas fabric has become visible (too less paint coverage!) and try to create something decent on top of it. I wrote in my previous article that calling framed wallpaper art does not make it art. It is a decorative piece, just as an empty frame is.
Aimless splashing with paint
The reality of nowadays is such that we want everything right away, right this moment and even better yet, without much or any effort. Art has never been just brushing around or aimlessly splashing with paint. Art always involves thinking, concept, idea and the execution thereof with adequate artistic tools. Aimless splashing and brushing of paint results in nothing really. One uses a lot of paint and time with no result. I have seen over years people, who picked up art effortlessly, and I have also seen people, who had to spend years to learn. An art class is no different from a regular school class: some students learn fast, some are perfectionists, some are free-spirited, some are not that interested and some simply do not focus or pay attention.
Perfectionism and perfect skill
Perfectionism is disturbing and limiting when it comes to learning. Why? It is disturbing since there is no such thing as a perfect attempt, a perfect error or a perfect search for a new technique and skill. Perfectionism is the opposite of artistic freedom and it has nothing to do with the quality of result in learning process. I hear this often: I am a perfectionist. That is fine, but it does not apply to learning new things. One cannot be perfect with what they cannot do or do not know. Developing perfect skills is more like it, but perfect skill is a result while learning is a process. Learning process involves making errors and being mistaken. Learning process involves searching for the best or most suitable solution in the current situation.
Preparing my solo show
I am working on preparation of my solo art show next month. It opens on February 13. I just finished a few watercolor paintings which I started for November and December classes. Pink color is not a coincidence. It is a very attractive, soothing color which has also big impact and is gentle at the same time. Less people attend shows or art events nowadays since everything is on the internet. I would like to still emphasize that nothing compares to seeing art in person. There are so many devices between the real painting and its image on the internet! Any of these devices totally change the look of painting, so some things get lost along the way. Anyway, enjoy the new paintings!
The elegant pink rose, watercolor on 20 x 16 inches or 51 x 41 cm watercolor paper, the white background enhances the softness and attraction of color in the rose flower
Pink winter orchids,, watercolor on paper, 20 x 16 in or 51 x 41 cm
Magnolia blooms on white, watercolor, 18 x 14 inches or 46 x 36 cm
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