Begin with three values – pure yellow, yellow lightened with white and white with only a touch of yellow. We will not use pure white until near the end of the painting exercise.
How to improve your painting skills as an artist
Improving your painting skills is important for several reasons. Firstly, it allows you to express yourself more effectively and to communicate your ideas and emotions more clearly. Secondly, it allows you to create more visually interesting and dynamic paintings, which can help to engage the viewer and to make a stronger impact.
Additionally, having well-developed painting skills can open up new opportunities for you as an artist, whether it be exhibiting your work, selling your paintings or even licensing your art. It can also increase your confidence in your abilities, and allow you to take on more challenging and ambitious projects. Furthermore, the process of constantly learning and improving can be rewarding and fulfilling in and of itself. Finally, having well-developed painting skills can help you to stand out as an artist and to make a name for yourself in the art world.
We all want to grow as an artist and we all want to strive to the next level with our art. Sometimes it may seem like a distant vision that might look very hard or impossible to achieve. But it’s definitely possible and I hope these tips will help you get there.
- Practice regularly: The more you paint, the better you will become. Set aside dedicated time each day or week to work on your art.
- Study the work of other artists: Look at the works of other painters, both past and present, and analyze the techniques they use.
- Experiment with different mediums and techniques: Try different types of paint, brushes, and surfaces. Experiment with different styles and techniques to find what works best for you.
- Take a class or workshop: Taking a class or workshop can be a great way to learn new techniques and get feedback on your work.
- Use reference materials: Use photographs, still lifes, or live models as reference materials to help you study and improve your understanding of form, color, and composition.
- Keep a sketchbook: A sketchbook is a great tool for practicing and experimenting with new ideas.
- Learn the basics of color theory: Understanding color theory can help you create more harmonious and effective color combinations in your paintings.
- Get feedback: Show your work to other artists, art teachers, or gallerists and ask for feedback.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: Making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. Embrace them and learn from them.
- Be open-minded and persistent: Keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. Don’t give up if you don’t see improvement right away, improvement takes time and practice.
In conclusion, improving your painting skills as an artist takes time, practice and dedication. By studying the work of other artists, taking classes or workshops, practicing regularly, experimenting with different materials and techniques, seeking feedback, and setting goals for yourself, you can develop your skills and create more visually interesting and dynamic paintings. Remember that the process of constantly learning and improving can be rewarding and fulfilling in and of itself.
We hope that this blog post has provided you with valuable insights and inspiration on how to improve your painting skills. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on our latest posts and tutorials. And if you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us via email.
Thank you for reading and happy painting!
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How do you enhance your painting skills?
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- Posted on June 22, 2023
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A great painter is always learning new techniques to improve their work. If you are new to painting, it can be an intimidating prospect. There are the actual materials, brush care, colors and choices to make, and a whole load of things you never thought about. In this post we’ll be listing 5 tips to improve your painting skills which are important for you on how to paint like a pro.
Getting better at painting doesn’t just come only with practice. You need to understand the skills you are working on to improve your paintings. This post compiles various critical skills and tips that will help you understand the painting process better. Practice these once you have a solid understanding of the concepts covered and you will notice an improvement in your paintings! In fact, there are various art-related tips and tricks to help you improve your skills, no matter what level of skill you’re at. You may learn a new technique to apply or refine some techniques that you already know.
No matter who you are, take your painting mastery to the next level by checking out these 5 tips to improve your painting skills:
1. Enroll for painting course or have at least one tutor or guide.
Being prepared and knowing what steps to take while painting can make the process a lot easier. However, if you’re just starting out, it might be difficult judging the steps or knowing exactly how to start, progress and finish. You may have taken a course in the past, or you self taught and built on your own talent. Yet, you may need to embark on other training, learn new tricks, see what other people are doing, go pro. No man is an island. Learning from others helps you improve on your own skill and give more perspective to your work.
2. Use the right tools for the job
There are several tools used in painting, and knowing how to use, keep and maintain them can have a good effect on your art. Before you start painting, make sure that you have all the proper tools for the job. If you plan on using a primer, follow the right procedures in applying. Not applying primer as instructed could result in poor adhesion of your paint or even peeling paint later down the line. Also, make sure that your brushes are clean (always wash them after use), that you have enough paint on a palette and that there’s enough water in your water container (ensure not to mix water with oil paints!). If you don’t know how to mix colors together, you may need an instruction manual, use online tutorials and continuous mixing practice can help you learn how to do it properly.
3. Create harmony between colors
When choosing colors for your work of art, make sure that they fit together nicely and that they don't clash with each other. Doing this will create harmony between them and will make your painting look more professional. You should know all about color combinations and how to mix them. The color wheel is a great painter’s guide.
4. Decide a style for your painting and stick to it
Think of your painting style as a signature. When you walk into a room, people can immediately tell if the painting was done by Ifeanyi Arinze, Chéri Samba or Julie Mehretu. The same goes for your style of painting. Paintings should flow, whether in 2D or 3D. When you paint and look at it from different angles and perspectives, you will find that your painting has a focal point, and a central theme. This focal point is what draws people in and keeps them looking at your work.
5. Grow your painting skills by experimenting
Experimentation is the key to developing your painting skills. Good painters are not afraid to try new techniques or use different materials or mediums. It is through experimenting that you will learn new techniques and improve your painting capabilities. Experimentation is the fastest way to improve your skills and make your painting unique. Learning from other painters and finding new techniques is an important part of the creative process, but you should also try out new things to see how they work. Trying something new can be risky, but if you never challenge your work, you’ll never discover
something new, or how far you can actually go with your painting.
Conclusion
Although there are countless factors that influence the ability to paint like a professional, above are five things you’ll need to consider or implement if you truly want to improve on your painting. They will help you become more creative and execute more detailed works. Painting is a difficult skill, and learning how isn’t that easy. But if you work hard at it, you can use the tips above to improve your skills and paint like a pro!
We hope that you find these 5 Tips To Improve Your Painting Skills useful. To make the most out of them, try putting everything into action at once and see what happens. Experiment a lot and have fun, then keep an eye on the results. If it’s also something you can do right away, consider gaining more knowledge and learning new techniques through enrolling for paint classes and courses. Finally, there isn’t much sense in copying a painting exactly–your work will only improve if you’re constantly pushing yourself to develop new techniques and styles, so don’t be afraid to take chances!
Painting Exercise #3 – Painting Grass
The third exercise gives painters an indirect approach to creating textures like grass, hair, tree bark, etc. Instead of trying to create realistic looking grass from the very first brush stroke, take the preliminary step of toning the background with a dark color first. Then, lighter values are used over the dark layer once it’s dry.
Here’s a look at the photo reference we’ll use for the third painting exercise…
The dark color used for the background (mixed with black, brown, and deep green) will become the small irregular shadows created by the negative space between grass blades. I am using oil paint for these exercises, but the background color is acrylic because I wanted to paint over a dry layer of color and did not want to wait three days to do so (oil can go on top of acrylic but not the reverse).
Next, begin in the top of the square (the area furthest away) and lay in strokes of green. Use medium to thin your paint as necessary. Be sure your marks vary in width, direction and color. Use white and yellow to vary the value and temperature of your grass blades. Before moving down in the composition, I used a soft, dry mop brush to soften and blur these brush strokes.
Continue to work in the bottom two thirds of the composition in the same way but only soften the brush strokes at the very bottom of the square with the mop brush.
Once all of the grass blades are in place, pick out a few blades for highlights. Mix a small amount of white into the middle of those blades to create a quick gradation (see the blade in the lower center). You may also want to add or sharpen a few of the dark areas between the blades. I used ivory black to recapture some of those shapes.
Painting Exercise #4 – Mimic Another Medium
I have used the previously described painting exercises in the past but this last exercise is brand new to me. It was inspired by a painting by William Michael Harnett titled, Job Lot Cheap. Painted in 1878, the still-life depicts a grouping of books that are for sale. In the lower left of the painting is a sign that appears to be made from either a wash of ink or watercolor. Of course, this is an oil painting, but Harnett has masterfully manipulated his opaque paints to create a strong illusion. The ability to manipulate one’s medium to the extent that it appears a different medium is a mark of true mastery.
Here’s a look at the entire painting…
And here’s a closer look at the area discussed above…
This exercise is beneficial to the painter in several ways. Critical observational skills are strengthened by this exercise. The illusion of transparency requires an accurate arrangement of value and color. Also, the painter must focus on edge quality. Watercolor strokes can have extremely sharp edges and they can bleed themselves into oblivion when painted over a saturated surface. The painter must manipulate his/her strokes to recreate the mingling quality that defines the look of watercolor.
Here’s a look at the reference photo we’ll use for this exercise…
Start by mixing colors that are similar to those in your watercolor reference. My reference consists of non-objective color shapes. I began painting the shapes of color as they might have looked had they not bled together. Before beginning a shape, notice whether or not its edges are dark. One defining characteristic of watercolor is dark edges where pigment settles while drying. Paint those edges dark before painting the rest of the shape. This way, you can use the lighter color to sculpt and thin those dark edges so that they resemble watercolor.
When using watercolor, one color painted over another produces an optical mixture – a third color. To produce the same effect with oil paint you must, on your palette, physically mix the third color that two watercolor layers create. Then, paint that third, mixed color directly into the shape created by the first two overlapping colors.
As you paint, use your brush to soften edges that are blurry and blend colors to create gradation in color and value where appropriate.
Note: For this exercise, I did not use any medium to thin the paint. By using no medium, the paint’s viscosity remained consistent throughout. This helps me to blend the colors into one another predictably, with each color matching the strength of the next.
Conclusion
Small painting exercises give a painter the same experience and practice as a larger, more complex artwork, but in less time and under less pressure. Strive to complete each square in one sitting. Use the references provided or enjoy finding your own. Most importantly, make the effort to incorporate practice time in your artistic journey. The benefits of doing so will pay off in your art and you’ll see improvement in your work in a much shorter period of time.
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