You’re sitting in front of your painting, and it’s just not feeling right, and then that dreaded defeated feeling creeps up, that deep-seated worry, and you think, ‘maybe it’s not good enough’.
Learning how to create without fear is so important. It gives you the freedom to explore without the focus being on the end result. But where to begin?
What if there are no mistakes?
For me, it was learning to accept the mistakes I was making, that with every piece I am learning, developing my style and skill, and in this process, acknowledging that it’s ok if I’m still finding my way.
This section felt flat in this painting, so I added some movement with charcoal. It felt like a mistake at first, but it made this section of the painting less flat and reflected the marks in the landscape.
Mistakes can be magic
The mistakes we make can often make the painting work, that little bit of magic we didn’t anticipate happening. The ink may have flowed or splattered; the paint gave an uneven texture, and the palette knife made a bolder mark than you expected. These ‘mistakes’ can all add to your work, and you’ll begin to learn which mistakes you want to keep.
This section of black really dominated this area in the painting and drew too much focus. Using a palette knife, I pulled across this blue, hoping for an even texture, but actually, I much prefer the broke look of the paint, which reveals the layers of colour below.
Creative editing
Editing doesn’t mean getting the gesso out and starting all over again. Step back and evaluate what works in your painting before painting over anything. Make a mental note, or keep a studio journal with a photo of your artwork and really assess your painting:
- What do you like about it?
- What sections work? Is the composition balanced?
- How were you working when things were going well?
- How are you going to develop this practice?
Towards the end of making this painting, I decided that the white path looked flat and needed more interest as a focus in the painting. I used a light shade of grey t give a better impression of the stone slabs. This gave it a more natural look rather than being so stark.
Painting with honesty
Mistakes, imperfections and flaws are all parts of what make us human and connect us with others. As artists, we put what we see on paper or canvas and learn to do it without censoring ourselves; we express our honest interpretation of what we see and experience.
Perfectionism keeps us from expressing ourselves freely, and it’s this freedom and energy that makes a painting. When you let go, you’ll develop so much more as a painter and really find your voice through the paint.