Why do we paint

There must be over a thousand reasons why we artists paint. Painting is not for the artist. It’s for the world to view, enjoy, record a moment in time, to ponder, dream, to send a message, a good feeling, relaxation or to just enhance a room’s decor. It’s more than just a pretty picture. It’s something different to every viewer and it’s a part of the artist that displays character and interests. Art for art’s sake is a window to the soul of the artist. It is the artist in a given period of time. Art comes from the soul.

There is a painting for every person and a painting for every subject. Art can heal and lift our spirits, not only for the painter but for the viewer. It can even relieve minor pain by taking our mind off ourselves. It’s great therapy as it creates a diversion from everyday life. Art, and the feeling it gives, is meant to be shared. It’s a way of communicating with the world. A picture is truly a thousand words.

Are artists born or made?

I think both are true but the artist born with a ‘gift’ has it easier than one who has to work at it. Both can be masters of the profession  in the end but like everything else we are born with certain talents unique to each individual.

As a hobby

Yes, it's good to have a hobby, something you have to think about and figure out. Puzzles do that and so does painting. These things take our minds off whatever is bothering us and make us feel good, really good if we succeed in our endeavors. Both are solitary hobbies, so they help us feel content and remove feelings of boredom or loneliness. Making art creates a diversion from everyday challenges and worries. A painting draws us in and becomes our world at each sitting.

As a business

That is a whole different and unique occupation. Paintings and artwork in general are difficult to sell. People may love the work but not enough to put out the money for it. Many artists have a second job or paint quick smaller paintings that can sell for a hundred dollars. These usually sell and are nicknamed ‘pot boilers’. They keep food on the table. There is an old saying, ‘an artist paints and starves’. So before you start a business doing art it’s wise to look down the road very carefully and talk to other artists first.

If you are good and can get commissions, there is a market for that. Portrait painting can be lucrative for the right painter. A portrait painter has to have a thick skin and expect criticism. The biggest reward is a client who becomes emotional over a portrait of a deceased loved one. I had that happen and it’s shocking. It took me two attempts to get it right before it was accepted. That’s two canvases. I used to paint posthumous portraits. Some were accepted, some were not. That’s why a portrait painter has to have a thick skin and carry on, not always 

being paid.

To tell a story

Some artists paint to tell a story. Again, a painting is a thousand words. This is especially evident in ‘genre painting’ which depicts people doing ordinary everyday things such as sitting at a table, doing laundry, washing a car, anything.

Plein air painting

For the artist who loves the outdoors, plein air painting is a great way to relax in solitude, observe nature and surroundings, sketch and paint. This can be a whole day’s outing in any weather. A plein air painter paints in any weather because that’s often where the best scenes display themselves. Fog, rain and snow make beautiful work. One famous Canadian artist even painted in the arctic, in oils of course. Acrylics would freeze. Being alone in the bush can be a fulfilling pastime where one can collect thoughts, paint and be apart from the rest of the world. Nature is the best teacher for the plein air painter. Everything is there. It just needs to be copied or rearranged. It requires exercise too in finding a site and setting up. It’s all good.

Pleasure, comfort and self-esteem

Painting and drawing provide pleasure, goals and a desire to do more and do better work. This counteracts negative feelings and emotions. The result is a feeling of well being and improved self-esteem.

Communication

Art can communicate thoughts and ideas, record history, spread religious beliefs and educate. It opens minds and encourages people to think beyond the norm. It can show pity and need for change in a beautiful way. It helps people see what they normally would overlook. Simple objects become powerful and are seen in a different light.

Drawing and painting

Paintings are for people to enjoy, like music and theater. They are not for the artist who is only the mediator between subject matter and viewers. That’s what painting is all about and a main reason to paint and display your work.

Materials needed for Oils and Acrylics

Materials needed for Oil Painting

• Palette
• Palette knife
• Small, medium and large artists' bristle brushes from art supply stores
• A two inch wide brush from the hardware store
• A one inch round brush from the hardware store
• Two tin cans, one large for cleaning brushes and one small for medium
• Artists' linseed oil and pure turpentine. Turpenoid in place of turpentine is better and is non toxic.
• Paper towels
• Easel or equal facility such as the wall 
• Charcoal and soft lead pencils
• Soft eraser 
• Mahl stick 
• Canvas or panel 
• At least four colors. Large tube of white and smaller tubes of yellow, red and blue. Get more if you like. Purple and burnt sciena are good to have on board also.
• Painting in oils with canvas resting on the wall under a 40 watt daylight fluorescent tube together with halogen lighting is ideal if painting at night. I don't use incandescent lamps as they produce glare and I cannot see the true color of my work. A simple wooden ledge screwed to the wall is all I use to support my canvas.
• Mahl sticks are used for the fine detailed work to keep your hand steady. They need not be elaborate. All you need is a pole such as a half inch tent pole with the rubber end on it. Perfect. Or you can make one from a 36 inch long half inch diameter hardwood dowel and put a rubber end on it.
• Stretched canvas is the generally accepted material for a painting if it is to be sold through agents or the galleries. However hardboard, or Masonite as it is called in the lumber trade, is also very suitable and better withstands bumping, wear and tear. Hardboards should be treated with at least three coats of non gloss paint or artists' Gesso and allowed to dry thoroughly before starting your picture. I have done many paintings using hardboard and gesso and sometimes just paint as a preparation for the surface. If you use the back or rough side of Masonite the finished painting will look like high grade canvas. Hardboard or Masonite can be used behind canvas for larger paintings. The stretcher frame under the canvas on larger paintings tends to telegraph through to the painting surface. Using a panel between the stretcher frame and the canvas will solve the problem. Remove the canvas, install the panel using carpenter’s glue, then re-install the canvas.
• The primary colors which are yellow, red and blue are all you need to paint a picture. Due to the impurities of the pigment in paint you will also need white. Mix them and see the colors, any color from these four. Using a smaller number of colors makes your work easier because it is easier to blend all your colors in harmony as you do the painting.

The same materials are needed if you paint in acrylics except use water instead of oil and turpentine.

Importance of drawing

If you have three hours to do a painting, spend two hours drawing it.

Before you paint, learn how to draw. Start by sketching everything in sight and practise every day. Use a soft lead pencil sharpened to a chisel point on sketching paper. The same applies to charcoal. Use a soft eraser and don't worry about mistakes. You learn by making mistakes.

If you want to draw people, study anatomy. Get a friend to pose for you. Visualize the bones under the skin. Get a book on anatomy. Draw the human figure in the nude, then the clothing over top. The figure is drawn from the inside out.

Learn how to draw first if your aim is to do classical fine art, the kind the old masters did. We will never reach their level, but we can learn a lot by studying them, even copying their work. Never sell copied work and it's best not to sign it. In short, never copy and call it your own unless it's from your own photographs. 

Go into nature and make sketches there. All you need is a board to put your paper on and away you go. Nature is the best teacher regardless of subject matter.

Or you can easily find any subject online too. Careful what you copy. Some are protected by copyright. So don't copy. Just use them for inspiration and change to suit what you like. 

Pinterest is a great source of inspiration for artists. They will send you emails of your favorite subjects if you opt in.

Once you have done enough sketches and are pleased, it's time to start painting. But roughly draw it first either on the canvas or paper to be traced onto the canvas. Blacken one side of the paper with a soft pencil and trace it. That way you don’t have to draw it twice.

Paintings that sell

Some paintings are more likely to sell than others....Here are some of the subjects most likely to sell:

• landscapes
• paintings of houses
• paintings with red in them or red underpainting
• snow scenes
• subjects familiar with viewer
• smaller paintings known as 'pot boilers' approx. 8x10
• large paintings sell but have a much more limited market due to wall space

Brushes

Brushes used in oil and acrylic painting are long. There is a reason for this. It enables the painter to stand back and view the work while applying paint. It also enables one to work around the canvas instead of just one spot, thus providing a balance of tone and color throughout the work.

Never hold a brush close to the bristles, but always near the end of the handle. Always see what you are doing in relation to the entire work for best results. If you are too close you can't see it all. Get up if sitting, or step back about six feet if standing and take a good look and you will do much finer work. I usually stand up when painting.

Values in painting

Values in drawing or painting are more important than colors. Objects get lighter as they go into the background. An object in the foreground is always stronger than an object in the background. A good way to learn values is to paint in two colors, raw umber and white for example or grey and white. Add white as you go deeper into the background. This produces a value change. Values create depth and give the work a more three dimensional look.

Second time around

Very often I come across something, such as an old grey broken rundown house on a dirt road, to give an example, that really turns me on and is just waiting to be painted. I am not always prepared to capture it at the time and so I go back for it another day. Almost always I never get the same feeling that I had before. It's even worse when I finally photograph it and return to start the painting. Some paintings never get started because of it.

A photo can be drab and unexciting and I have to try and imagine what it was that turned me on in the first place. I'm told that this is common. You never see the same charm that second time around as you did the first time you saw it. However, using artistic license you can bring back the charm and mysticism by changing it just a bit and adding your own thoughts to the work as you paint. Done properly, and with your original reflection on the subject, it can again become alive.

Professional and seasoned amateur photographers know how to capture the charm but most of us who paint only use the camera as a tool for painting, and we don't always get the best photos. I use the camera mainly for detail.

Tweaking and working on more than one at a time

Sometimes I get lazy and don't paint. I found the reason I do that at times is because I don't always have in mind what I want to paint. The problem solves itself when I have several canvases on the go at the same time. This may work for you too. At present I have about five in the works.

Do you ever tweak old paintings that you have had lying around for years that are not quite up to snuff? I do. As the years go by I learn more and when I look back at some older paintings I have to either burn them or tweak them. Mostly I tweak them. Sometimes they change completely.

If you keep your paintings smooth, tweaking them later is no problem. Remember though, you can't paint acrylics over oil but you can paint oil over acrylics. So you have to know which is which. It's hard to tell the difference.

Some tips

Values are more important than colors in painting. Values create depth and are absolutely critical.

Color is important too but a painting can be of any color scheme. I use the color wheel from time to time to improve my work. For example red and green go together.

Never leave a hard edge on anything you draw or paint. The subject must emerge into view and not look as though it were pasted to the canvas. I used to leave hard edges on some of my work and I blame the problem on my drafting background where hard edges are necessary.

Lay the paint on with quick strokes. Don't mess around with it. The more you play around the more trouble you get into. 

Covering the canvas with linseed oil

You can paint smoothly either by covering the canvas with linseed oil and applying the paint without using medium, or by making sure the paint goes on smoothly by brushing out the texture as you go. I prefer to cover the canvas with oil first. That's how some portrait artists work and it's how I paint portraits. It's amazing what happens using this technique. If you paint in oils the work takes ages to dry and this can be an advantage because you can come back the next day or so and make corrections, or even start all over again.

Paint smoothly

Sometimes we are scared of our painting. By that I mean we are afraid to make a mistake and ruin our work. The secret is to forget about trying to create a masterpiece and paint smoothly. If you paint smoothly you can always correct your work even to the point of using the canvas, or panel, to paint an entirely different painting. I've done it several times. We all have successes and failures, even at the professional level. Don't worry about it. Let your soul paint what it likes and eventually you'll get there. Remember though, most artists are never satisfied with their painting. That's one of the things that keeps us painting. We are always trying to do better.

No need to use turpentine

You don't need to use toxic turpentine to paint in oils. Linseed oil is non toxic so why use turpentine if you are watching your health. I use only linseed oil when painting in oils and I clean my brushes with non toxic Turpenoid. No fumes. I also use warm soap and water when I want to get them really clean.

The downside with oils is that the painting can take a week or more to dry but I don't have a problem with that.

Negative space

What is negative space?

It's very important in drawing and in simple terms it's the space between objects. It contributes to good composition.

Examples would be the space between the limbs of a tree, the area between the legs or ears of an animal or the space between an arm and the body. It is the space or spaces between things and it can be an aid in getting your drawing right.

Try drawing something with limbs or legs or anything that protrudes from its basic form. Now compare the space between the limbs with the space between the limbs of the subject you are copying. It should be the same. If not, correct it and you'll have your drawing.

Pliers

What have pliers got to do with painting?

I always carry a pair of pliers with me when I paint. Often I will come across a tube that just won't open. I use the pliers. The caps on older tubes tend to stick at times. I still have paint in tubes that are many years old.

Red

I was trained to start landscapes using red. Just a wash, paint all your trees, rocks, everything in different shades of red.

Having done that I would paint in the shadows and the shadow side of trees, etc. by mixing a little blue or purple with the red. From there I would start painting in the true colors.

Some parts of the canvas would be left unpainted at first. For example snow would not necessarily be started in red, but the shadows might.

By painting in this way, the colors all blend and the reds and purples show through giving the finished work more vibrant color.

Big brush

I use a big brush whenever I can. If you haven't already, give it a try. A two inch brush of good quality so the bristles don't fall out, bought from your local hardware store, is all you need. I use it for softening outlines, blending colors already painted on the canvas and much more. The old masters used big brushes.

With a big brush you can lay on a slab of color or different colors and with a dry two inch brush you can do magic. I like to have a little linseed oil on the canvas first, then the paint, then the big brush. The effects you can make are endless.

Outline

In oils it is difficult to draw over a painted surface in pencil. Let's say you want to draw in a figure or a dog or some object that takes a little discipline to create. To do this I was taught to use a script brush, or very thin brush, and with the maul stick and very runny white paint sketch in the object as though you were using a pencil. This works very well and you can easily erase the lines simply by running your finger over them. Paint over the lines for the finished product.

The ground

The 'ground' in painting is the color used to cover the entire canvas or panel before starting the picture. Often white is used but any color that suits the work to be done is suitable. The ground should be of a paste texture, smooth and workable, but not too thick. I apply it with a large, two inch brush. It's the first thing to do when starting a painting in oils or acrylics.

Where to paint

You can paint anywhere you like. You don't need a studio, although it's nice to have one. Painting outdoors is fun and healthy and all you need is an easel or something to rest your canvas or panel on. Panels are more suitable when painting outdoors. Never use a large canvas outdoors as they are too difficult to carry around especially when they are wet. You are after a feeling, colours and a sketch when outdoors and not a finished painting. Finish it at home later.

Always paint in a well ventilated area when using traditional oil paints.

A small room or just enough space to put your work on the wall and stand back about four feet is all you really need.

I use a combination of fluorescent and halogen lighting when painting at night and north light if you are lucky when painting during the day. You don't want shadows and you don't want glare or you can't see what you are doing. Fast forward to 2020 and LED lights work best. Use daylight equal to 100 watts. I use Sylvania.

Solitude is the catalyst

Art is a solitary occupation. For it is only in solitude, like in a dream, that we can really be in tune with our creative self. Whether you are a plein-air painter or prefer to work in the confines of a comfortable room or studio, solitude is the catalyst behind great works of art. One can be most happy while in this mode.

This is not to say that we artists are anti-social. Quite the contrary. The more social we are, the better. It's just that when we are wanting to make serious work, solitude is for the time being, our best friend.

Large or small paintings

It is well known that landscapes sell best. But what sizes sell best? Smaller paintings sell well because they are less expensive and they take up less space on the wall.

Large paintings are easier to paint than smaller ones. There's more room in larger paintings to draw and paint especially when it comes to detail. You can use larger brushes that get better results than smaller ones. But your large painting might not sell.

One solution is to paint the larger painting, then paint a smaller one just like it. That way all the bugs get ironed out on the larger one and it becomes easier to paint the smaller painting, which may sell. If the larger one sells, it's a bonus. Or you can keep it for yourself.

As for me, I prefer larger paintings that knock you out the moment you enter a room.

Pricing art

A simple and fair way to price art is by size. Of course there are different categories such as charcoal, oil and acrylic work that may have a different pricing structure. Also there are so called 'specials'. For example a larger series of paintings could each be sold at a fixed price that is less than other paintings not of the series that are the same size.

A lot of people buy art as an investment. For this reason an artist should never lower his/her prices. By contrast the prices should increase on a regular basis regardless of economic times. 

As artists we have to be able to ride out the economy should our art not sell at a given time. Sometimes we have to find other sources of income in bad times while we keep on painting. The life of an artist is not always an easy one. My Mother used to say 'an artist paints and starves'.

Portraits

So you want to do portraits. Good. There is no greater satisfaction for both artist and client than a well done portrait. The aim of a portrait painting or drawing is not only a good likeness of the sitter, but also the character of the person being painted. Showing the character is most difficult. 

To aid in depicting character it is advisable to talk to the client, even get to know him or her and in doing so the artist might gain some insight into character. We are all different and it is these subtle differences that we should try to capture. These together with brush strokes, background and composition are the attributes that make a portrait come alive. In my opinion it takes larger portraits, almost life size, to make this possible.

One has to master the art of sketching from nature and drawing with great accuracy in order to paint a successful portrait. Portrait painting is the most difficult of all subjects, the most frustrating and the most rewarding. Not all portraits turn out and not all portraits are accepted by the client. The portrait painter must be able to accept rejection.

To get started with portrait painting it is best to master still life first. Still life teaches form, composition and light. Painting light is most important. Paint a dozen apples, for example, arranged in a pleasing composition and when you are finished match each apple you have painted with its equal on your painting. If they all match up you are well on your way to painting portraits.

When you start to paint portraits use only greys and no colors. This will help you get used to values, another very important requirement to painting portraits.

Care of your brushes and more

If you paint in acrylics like I do half the time, to keep your brushes from drying with paint on them, after wiping the heavy paint off, dip them in water enough to get them wet then lay them down flat on your table or whatever you use to paint on. This will keep them moist until you are finished for the day and then you can wash them properly in soap and lukewarm water. If you leave your brushes in water they will eventually fail and fall apart. Give them a squirt of water from time to time. 

On the other hand leaving them in oil or painting medium when painting in oils does not seem to harm them. I do it all the time and they can remain for days or weeks that way.

When I paint I have a habit of painting for maybe half an hour or so, then clean my brushes, then a while later go back to the painting again for another short time. I seldom stay at it from beginning to end. That way I give myself time to decide where I am going wrong and what the painting needs to look right. Art never comes easy. But when it does come through it lasts forever.

One should cover the canvas in each sitting. What I mean is to work on all areas and not concentrate on just one spot. This allows better colour harmony and helps avoid places on the canvas that look over worked.

Glazing

Here's some tips. I think of these sometimes when I'm painting, as I did just now.

Give a painting an airy feeling. It's easy. All it takes is a glaze. A glaze is any thin transparent color with lots of liquid, oil or water depending on whether you paint in oils or acrylics, applied with a large brush to all or part of the canvas depending on the effect you wish to achieve. It's amazing what a glaze will do for a painting. It's like looking through a colored lens. The glaze can cover up a lot of mistakes and turn them into real good stuff.

Oils or acrylics

Can't decide which to use?

Acrylics, in my opinion, are best for plein-air painting (painting outside from nature) unless the temperature is below freezing. Acrylic paint dries quickly and therefore the panel or canvas is more easily transported without getting paint all over everything. I like painting on small panels for plein-air work. In general acrylics are a wise choice. They clean up with water, there are no fumes and you don't have to wait days or even weeks before they dry.

I use both. Oils can be painted over acrylics, but never acrylics over oils. So you can start a painting outside in acrylics and finish it later in oils in the studio if you wish.

Oils are good when you need the painting to stay wet for hours or even days. I always use oils for portraits because I need the paint wet until I finally get it right. You can keep acrylics wet too but not without effort, constantly spraying with water. I never use anything but water with acrylics and nothing but artists' linseed oil for oil painting. 

I never use turpentine or any other toxic substance. I clean my oil painting brushes with non toxic Turpenoid, then bar soap and warm water.

As far as I can tell, acrylics are an acceptable medium in the same class as oils. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference in the finished work. I always write on the back 'oil' or 'acrylics'. 

Acrylics do not need to be varnished as the paint becomes very durable and hard after a period of time. That's not to say they should not be varnished. It's a matter of choice

Painting skies

Skies are easier to paint when painted wet on wet whether you use oils or acrylics.

For acrylics, start with a light coating of water applied with a large brush. Then brush on a coating of gesso or white paint while still wet. Use circular strokes. Wipe your brush and dip one corner of the brush into one colour of paint, the other corner into another colour of paint. No water. The colours you choose will depend on what type of sky you are painting. Without fear fire in the colours on your brush and mix them right on the canvas using 'x' strokes as you go. Keep the canvas wet. That's important. If it tends to dry squirt it with water. Keep working it. Add more colours and keep working them until you reach the desired effect for your sky. Always do the sky before you start your foreground.

Oils are similar but you don't have to worry about the canvas getting dry and you don't need a coating of oil in the beginning. Rather, a coating of white mixed with linseed oil is all you need to start. The mixture should be creamy, not too runny. Then follow the same procedure as you do with acrylics.

Painting trees

Trees, as in most objects, should have at least three values to make them three dimensional. They are never just green or just any one colour. They are of many colours. Various shades of green, red, burnt umber, orange, blue and purple are some of the colours that go together to make trees. I'm not talking Autumn either. These are summer and sometimes winter trees.

Take a close look at some well known artists' cards and you will see many colours in trees. You can't get the right effect unless you use lots of colours. I buy artists' cards from time to time just to study their art. You would be surprised what you can learn. A word of caution though. Never copy another artist's work.

It's best to learn from many artists and not just one. This way you will keep what you need and discard the rest. You will develop your own style in time and you will have a broad knowledge of painting in general. If you continue learning from only one artist you will eventually paint like that artist and your style won't be your own.

Painting grass

Slap on a thick color, really thick, no water, no oil. This applies to both oils and acrylics. Using the flat side of a brush, lay it over the color and push up. Continue until you reach the desired effect but don't blend it too much. This will produce grass. Remember the grass in the distance is lighter than that in the foreground and there should be many value changes between the distant grass and the foreground. Fire in yellow and orange mixed with white for sunlight on the grass. Use darker greens or purples for shadows. Shadows almost always have purple in them. Use the same technique for sunlight and shadows. Remember, the paint must be thick for this to work.

Painting from memory and imagination

Painting from memory or imagination is hard to do. You start out and things look fine for a while. Suddenly you can't quite remember how the edge of a river should look, or what was the real shape of that tree, or what were the real colours of those rocks. At this point I usually leave the painting before I ruin it. I'm guessing here instead of being sure of what I want to paint. Sometimes when you guess it works. Most times you get into trouble.

I had those very problems with my last painting and I ended up scrapping it. By that I mean I scraped all the rough paint off, sanded the panel, and re-applied gesso. It waits for inspiration.

I ran into the same problem with a new painting. I began to get worried. This is where an artist has to remember the words of his former mentor. "Never give up". "Make it turn out".

So I took the dog and myself up to O'Hara Mill, a natural pioneer setting about five minutes drive from home where I often go for peace and solitude. Most of the time, today included, I was the only one in the park. There are a thousand paintings waiting to be done there if you like landscapes. I made a sketch and observed what water looked like at the edges, what trees really looked like in November. Nature is wonderful and as I spent my two hours there with my dog, both of us sitting quietly in the warm sun taking it all in, I think we both regained our composure and charged our batteries. Now I can paint and my dog can look forward to going there again soon. She loves it there. It's wild and beautiful. It's just what an artist and his dog needs.

Darks first

When painting in oils and acrylics, not watercolours, I always paint the entire area in the darkest colour first. For example bushes or tall grass and weeds have a common dark colour between the leaves or blades of grass. This colour may vary from dark green to almost black. (I never use black paint) After the entire area is painted, I add the other colours but leave spaces in between allowing the dark background colour to show in between the leaves or grass.

In oils I form leaves or grass over top of the dark background colour. This is done by painting lighter shapes over the dark to represent grass or weeds. With my brush I carve the paint over the background the same way you would carve leaves out of clay.

Plein-air painting

When painting outside it isn't necessary to paint what you see in the same order that you see it. For example, you are in the field and in front of you is a still pond with reflections, some tall grass, a few pine trees and shrubs, maybe a cabin. You don't have to paint all this. If you wish, paint some landscape out of your head and use what you see in front of you for detail. It's a bit like taking bits from several photographs and using the details to make up your painting. Don't worry about what passers-by might think, or say. Only you know what you are doing. The results will be better than if you did it in your workplace from memory.

Something to think about

This painting in acrylics is an example of what I sometimes do after seeing an interesting home built in the eighteen hundreds. I didn't copy it. Rather I changed it and added window lights for colour. It is intended to be mysterious and that is why I chose it in the first place. To me the actual home has an heir of mystic about it and that's what grabbed me.

This painting was on display for several months along with some others. For some reason this one attracted the most attention. No buyers though.

It illustrates that it is not necessary to copy what you see exactly in order to achieve the atmosphere that brought you to it in the beginning. In fact an exact copy of the house would not have achieved the desired effect.

More than one teacher

It has been my experience that if you study art from only one source or one mentor, it may inhibit your own style. Every time you go to paint something the words of the teacher or mentor will come to you. This is sometimes good and sometimes not so good. We all have to develop our own style and subject matter. Art is like handwriting. No two are the same.

Learn off your mentor or mentors but don't copy them. Break out on your own. I have found that to be a very necessary step in producing worthwhile art. You can also learn from other paintings. 

For example, how does that artist paint water? Learning how another artist paints water when you may have trouble painting water in a particular work is good practice. I have done this many times, not just with water, but with many subjects. So doing can give you a clue as to what your painting needs and how to paint it. Again, never copy another artist's work no matter what country you live in. It can land you in court.

Snow scenes

Snow scenes sell. People like them even if they don't like the cold weather such as we get here in Canada. Lots of greys, purple shadows, red trees and snow covered buildings along with snow drifts and snow covered objects all go together to make an attractive scene. There is something about snow that attracts people. They are easy to paint too. If you make a mistake you can cover it up with snow.

Pack rats

We artists are pack rats. We collect things that most people throw away such as old calendars, outdated catalogues, newspaper clippings and magazines, especially art magazines. Why? Because we need these things for reference down the road when we don't quite remember what something looks like. Yes we all know what a dog looks like, for example, but can you draw or paint one without looking at one at the same time? Probably not. There is some little detail there that will make or break the drawing and the only way to get it right is to have an image or the real thing there in front of you. So that's why we take photos and collect everything we can that is art. I even buy greeting cards just for the artwork. I never copy them but I use them to learn more. We artists are always learning.

Magazines and clippings give us inspiration. It's the same as travelling to some spot for ideas. Sometimes we can find them right at home. Some artists even take the time to catalogue all their clippings and images into matching groups. I don't take the time for that. I throw most of mine into boxes and every time I go through them I get really excited, because I forget what's there.

Tin cans are another thing we all need down the road. You guessed it. I collect tin cans, especially the smaller fish cans that are great for mediums. Just throw them out when the oil dries up, properly of course.

Care of brushes

When painting in acrylics taking care of the brushes can be a real headache. That's why, at times, I prefer oils. Anyway, with acrylics you need to keep your brushes wet until you can properly clean them. I keep mine wet by first wiping off the excess paint, dipping the brush into water and then laying it down beside or on my palette with the water still in the brush. This prevents the paint from drying in the brush and ruining it. I clean them after every sitting, even if it's only a few minutes. I look after large and small brushes the same way but when I clean the large brushes with soap and warm water I always shake and dry them off then wrap them into paper towels to prevent the bristles from curling. The result is a like-new brush the next time I use it.

For oils I'm not nearly as fussy. I drop the brushes into turpenoid and leave them there until I'm ready to use them. I sometimes leave them there for days before cleaning in the same way I clean for acrylics, soap and warm water.

Using same brushes for oils and acrylics

Some artists like to use different brushes for oils and acrylics. I don't. I use the same brushes even though I know that water and oil don't mix. Since I wash my oil brushes in the same way I do acrylic brushes, with soap and warm water, the brushes have water in them anyway. The key is to make sure your brushes are dry and free of water before using them for oils, otherwise you will get bubbles. I dry my brushes by wrapping them in paper towels after washing them. I find this works well and I don't have to be careful about separating the brushes.

Draw with a brush

You have started your painting and being well into the background and foreground you find that you have lost your drawing, assuming you draw the more difficult subjects onto your canvas before you start. In acrylics you can use soft charcoal to draw in what you have lost, then rub it out with a wet paper towel later. However, I prefer to use a very thin brush and contrasting paint soaked with lots of medium to draw in my subjects. I use the maul stick when drawing with paint. The lines go away when I complete my work because I paint over them. 

Painting water

Painting water can be a challenge. Still water usually reflects what is around it and therefore all you paint is a faded version of what is above or around the water. Include sky and land colors as well as the reflections of objects and lights. Reflections will always be a little wavy or blurred and never as bright as the objects themselves. After you paint in the reflections with smaller brushes, use a dry two inch brush and quickly drag it horizontally over the wet paint in the water. This will get water. 

You can keep acrylics wet while you work on your water by misting the canvas from time to time. It is important to keep it wet. This will keep the paint wet as long as you like. Afterwards you can add leaves or highlights on top of the water to give transparency and depth to the water. Leaves and highlights should be bright, bold colors, but not too large and only in strategic places.

Running water is much different and although there are reflections, they are not like still water. You have ripples, waves, foam and mist and the method of painting is much like painting land or even sky. You are painting objects in the water in the same way you paint land except the colors are different and there is motion. Imagine what water does as you paint. It takes practice. 

River cottage

This is my latest painting, River Cottage, acrylic on canvas. It may not be quite finished. I'll set it aside for a few days and work on something else, then decide. I always put quality above quantity and because of this I sometimes take longer on a painting than I expect. Some only take an hour while others can take weeks, months, even years.

With this one it took a long time because I kept changing my mind as to what I wanted. The cottage was for sure but the type of wood and roof kept changing. The danger in making too many changes is that the painting can look over worked. I was lucky here. It doesn't look over worked and that is because I applied the paint very thin and used gesso for white instead of white paint. White paint is transparent while gesso is not. Therefore you can apply it thinner and it will still cover.

The roof started out being red which is the complement of green. Using compliments make good paintings. However I decided to change it to a darker color to create a mood with just a touch of mist behind the cottage. It's off season and no one is there. I didn't want it bright and cheery when no one's there. It surrenders itself to nature and whatever may come next. I mixed purple with most colors and I always worked all over the canvas at the same time rather than just one portion of it. That way and by always using purple in my colors I was able to achieve a uniform mood throughout the painting.

Brushes varied in size from a script brush to a two inch painting brush that you can buy in any hardware store. As long as the brushes are made well enough that the bristles don't fall out, you don't always need to spend a lot of money on brushes. The in-between sizes are fine artist's brushes and they are expensive. You need these too.

Placing a figure into your painting

This is how I was taught by an old master British portrait painter. You have a painting you are working on and it needs a figure, perhaps a person walking a dog, for example. Drawing that figure without a plan can ruin your painting. It must not only look right but it has to be located to form good composition.

Start by sketching it on a separate piece of paper presumably from a photo or a model in the scale that will be needed for your painting. Have tracing paper handy because you will not likely get it right the first time. It might take several attempts to get the figures the way you want them. 

Each time use the tracing paper to trace over the figure you have already drawn and improve your drawing on the tracing paper.

When you finally get what you want, blacken the back of the tracing paper with a soft lead pencil, such as an HB or 2 to 4B pencil which you should use anyway. Place the paper and image over your painting and trace it on. Now you can paint it. If you have kept your work smooth it should trace well. If not you might have to just copy it by hand using a brush as your pencil with the aid of a maul stick.

Oil has to be dry of course. Acrylics will be already dry.

Make sketches

In learning how to draw and paint it is advisable to draw as many sketches as you can. Sketch anything that comes into your head. Use a chisel point on a soft lead pencil. You can use charcoal if you like which is more user friendly, again sharpen to a chisel point. Make hundreds of sketches of anything you see or remember. In time it will become second nature.

Basic composition L X O S

Basic composition can be summed up in four letters. These are L  X  O  S. The subject matter should follow one of these letters. A tall object at the left side of a painting is connected to an object running horizontally along the bottom for the full length of the painting. This would be an example of an L.

Basic composition using the "L"

This is an example of the "L" in composing a picture. Notice the components making up the landscape form an "L". The high tree on the left followed by the shack and foreground form a basic "L". 

Also the focal point or main point of interest is the shack and it is placed at third point across the picture both horizontally and vertically. The small tree at the right acts as an eye stopper to prevent your eye from wandering off the picture and allowing it to miss some objects shown. The arrangement should always be such that the eye stays in the picture rather than wondering off.

Basic composition using the "X"

Here is an example of a composition using the simple "X". Notice the eye travels up the road toward the centre of the "X" and then toward the hill in the background. The focal point in this case is in the centre of the drawing. Everything else is secondary and is played down. This example is perhaps the most simple form of composition.

Basic composition using the "O"

This example suggests an "O" composition. Notice the eye travels in a circle from the bottom, up the trees and is connected by the limbs of the trees. The eye does not leave the drawing as is intended.

Basic composition using the "S"

This shows the "S" in composition. It could be a road, a stream, a path or just about anything. It doesn't have to form a perfect "S" of course as it is the same with the others "L", "X", and "O". 

You merely suggest them in various forms. The main point of all this is to keep the viewer's eye in the picture.

There's lots more to composition than I show here, such as negative space, grouping objects, balance etc. I've tried to show you the basics.