There are hundreds of tips to keep in mind when painting, and all of them are useful.
Unfortunately, our little gray cells can only keep track of a limited number at a time.
Regardless of the medium or support you work with, here’s a few tips that are beneficial for creating a successful painting.
1.Study Your Subject Before Beginning Your Painting
Everyone’s memory is faulty. You think you know just how an object appears, but the chances are good that there are significant flaws in your recollection. Refer to your subject or reference material often.
2. Use A Variety Of Brush Strokes
Unless you have a specific goal in mind, change up the way you apply paint to your support. A diversity of brush strokes adds movement to the painting and keeps the viewer’s interest as the eye travels from one series of strokes to another.
3. Use Large Brushes
By using the largest brush you can for any given portion of your composition, you’re eliminating the risk of fussy details that detract from the overall appearance of your composition.
4. Minimize Details
Unless you’re going for super-realism, keep details to a minimum. Allow the viewer’s eye to add in details as they see them. This painterly approach keeps your painting from looking like a technical illustration.
5. Limit Your Palette
The fewer colors you have on your palette, the easier it is to create color harmony. Try to keep your colors limited to as few as possible, using your basic hues to produce the full range of colors.
6. Don’t Be Stingy With Your Paint
I certainly don’t intend for you to waste your valuable paints, but don’t be miserly with your colors. Use plenty of pigment to develop the rich, full hues and create the depth and texture that adds complexity to even a simple composition.
7. Give Consideration To All Areas Of Your Composition
Don’t neglect any part of your painting. Even the simplest background deserves attention, or at least a second look. Sure, you’ll spend more time on the focal point of your painting, but make sure that all parts of your painting get the attention they deserve.
8. Paint The Big Picture
Keep your composition simple. If you try to incorporate too many entities in your painting, the viewer will be confused and the composition will not hold together in a unified manner. Keep a focal point that’s easy to determine.
9. Don’t Be In A Hurry To Fix Mistakes
Many times, what you think of as a mistake can be a happy accident that adds spontaneity and life to a painting. Move on to another area of your painting for a while, leave it alone for a while and then look at your composition with fresh eyes. That mistake may be a wonderful addition to your painting.
10. Don’t Overthink Your Painting
There’s a time for analysis and a time for instinct. Painting is not an intellectual exercise. Painting is a physical expression of emotion. Freely express yourself with your paint and don’t get hung up on the ‘should’s’ and ‘should not’s.’
You may not create a masterpiece with every canvas, but your authentic expression is more important than a perfect piece.
