The Paint is Dripping: August 2016

Friday, August 26, 2016

Loose Watercolor Landscape

This was a quickie, about 5 minutes. Two brushes, lots of water (and allowing the water to shape the painting) and a cheap set of watercolors. No title yet.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Inspired by...

I've always been inspired by the illustrations in the children's books my Dad used to get for me. They were simple, and sometimes just a little creepy! That was my thought behind this one.

Acrylic on paper

Friday, August 19, 2016

Some Advice on Getting Better at Art

I don't consider myself a master, not by a long shot. But I have been doing this for awhile and I've learned quite a bit. Maybe you can take something from this, especially if you are a beginner feeling frustrated. Hope you find this helpful.

1. Practice. Keep doing, keep trying. Make time every day, even a few minutes, to be creative. Doodle, sketch, paint, sculpt, use a coloring book, take photos. Anything to keep your creativity moving. Also, really take a bit more time on a regular basis with your chosen medium. Practice your craft. Keep trying and learning. Most people learn by DOING!

2. Don't worry about having the best materials. You can create art with a stick and a cheap watercolor set. Or crayons! As you evolve, you'll learn what works for you. Unless you are planning on becoming the next Micaelangelo and need your art to last for hundreds of years....you can and should be open to all materials. I have some expensive paints and brushes, but I tend to use my less expensive stuff more!

3. Forget perfection! This is the most important tip I can give you. Let go, let your own vision show through your art. If you make a 'mistake', use it! For example, if I splatter some paint that I didn't intend, I take a wet brush over it and swoosh it. It becomes part of the painting and makes it unique. Look at the old masters work, it stands out because it's different! Different strokes, untypical colors will make your art unique to you. Develop that as your own style. The sky isn't always blue and the grass isn't always green. Experiment!

4. Teach yourself. There are many excellent instructional videos on YouTube. Buy an art book that appeals to you. Go to the library and look through the art books there. Go to museums and really look, up close, at the art work. Do a google search, such as 'acrylic beach partings' (or whatever interests you) and study the images. You really will learn a lot, and then you can apply that to your own artwork.

5. Light is important. Daylight is best if you can set yourself up by a window or outside. If you can't, then have a small strong light nearby that you can move as needed.

5. Relax. Fine art is not (usually!) a job. It's a hobby or a passion. You aren't in competition. Allow it to flow. Put some music on and just go with it!