Over the past 3 years painting has become apart of my everyday life. I have gone through several trial and errors along the way and each one has helped me grow as an artist.
Below I have listed 7 tips I feel every artist, especially those just starting out, should know. Hopefully this small piece of advice can help some of you new or struggling artist out there.
1. Don't over think.
One of the best things you can do when painting, is to stop thinking. Stop worrying over technique, colors, the overall look of the painting, and just let the painting create itself. How? Relax, get in the zone. Focus on the moment not what you want the final outcome to be.
2. Take a step back and look at the painting as a whole.
Sometimes you get to caught up in the moment and you begin to over work your painting without even realizing it. You can prevent this by taking few steps back from your painting and looking it as a whole. You will then see what areas need attention and what areas are good.
3. Allow time for your painting to dry (oil)
Oil paint, unlike acrylic and watercolor, has a slower drying time. Because of this it's easy for the painting to become too wet causing the colors to mix together. When this begins to happen it's important to take a break for a few days ( depending on how wet your painting is) and allow it time to dry.
4. You can always paint over it.
Mistakes happen, and yes they're frustrating. The amazing thing about paint is it drys and once its dried you can simply just paint right over it.
5. EXPERIMENT
Art is all about having fun and expressing yourself! Experiment with different mediums, techniques, styles, and subject matters. This is also a great way to find your artistic style.
6. There is ALWAYS room for improvement.
It doesn’t matter if you have been painting for 1 month or 50 years. There is always room to improve! Never stop learning. You can always advance.
7. Never compare your art to another.
If you are constantly comparing your work to someone else’s your never going to improve. Everyone’s style is different. What works for one may not work for another and that’s ok. Focus on you. Figure out YOUR style.
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