3 Tips for Getting Started With Painting
Being a beginner at painting, when you are used to being great at a lot of other things by now is a weird place to find yourself, but here you are!
Glad you’re here! I think it’ll be worth the trip.
No one likes to be bad at something, at least not for long. Some people will avoid new things altogether because they dislike the feeling so much. Others aren’t so concerned. I don’t know if it’s Nature or Nurture, but everyone handles it a little differently--with more patience, or less.
Why don't we enjoy being beginners more?
Isn’t it kind of cute and sweet how naive we are? Totally oblivious to all we need to learn and instead just imagining all the paintings we’ll be doing (hopefully sooner than later).
I say enjoy it. Take notes on it even! It will be over soon enough and you’ll be deep into a painting practice, and challenging yourself in ways you can’t imagine when you’re just starting out.
So, here are those 3 Things...
Have Some Perspective
I’m not talking about the kind of perspective where the thing in front of your painting is bigger than the trees way off in the distance--no, I’m talking about the kind of perspective where you pause to get a grip on yourself.
I mean, seriously, you might have natural, exceptional talents--but the learning curve is REAL. It’s real for all of us, and it’s the thing that separates the doers who do from the thinking-abouters who wonder why it’s not all happening faster like you planned. You’ll get there, keep at it, and you WILL get there.
Work Within a Skillset, Then Expand
Sometimes we just need a few quick wins to give us some confidence and get us on the right track when we’re just starting out. I like to teach one key skill at a time, and really dive into that one with several examples and variations so it becomes second nature. Then move to another, and add them together as we go.
If you’ve been working on learning to mix colors for example, be sure to practice a lot on the side, rather than trying things out straight on your canvas. That way, when the painting is happening, it’s not all unknowns. You have a few things in your pocket, ready to go. Makes things a lot easier!
Get Inspired, Without Copying
We all learn from other artists. They show us what’s possible, and are often what inspires us to try painting in the first place.
What’s not so great is letting that love you have for their work overshadow what you bring to the table. That’s YOUR special something, don’t miss the chance to find it!
Here are some ways to get you thinking about how your favorite artists can inspire you:
- Borrowing an idea and evolving it, so it’s no longer the same idea.
- Figuring out how they got a certain effect, practicing it, and doing a version that fits your style.
We all bring something different, and lesser versions of the greats tend to look like just that. So when you are first learning, ask yourself what it is you love about that particular artist’s work.
- Is it their unusual colors? Could you use similar colors in a totally different style of painting?
- Is it a certain recurring element that you like? Could you think of something that has meaning for you that you could start using as your own recurring element?
Think about what you can do that ticks those same boxes for you--but isn’t the same thing.
Painting is skill, but ideas and how they are put together are like a fingerprint. The more personal they feel to you, the more compelling your work will be to you--and to everyone else.
If you are really feeling inspired while you are working, and not giving any thought to others while you are working--you’re on the right track.
Just remember, the beginning stages of learning to paint--or really starting to paint well--is pretty unique. It’s the most temporary of all the phases you’ll go through. Have fun with it, don’t worry too much about making “great” art for now. Just do it as often as you can, take notes on what you learn--what worked, what didn’t. Then use those notes on your next piece.
Don’t be afraid to try something, how else will you know what you are capable of if you don’t? Just keep in mind--you can always paint over it!
Hey there! Thanks for checking out my blog! ... I'm Lea, I teach acrylic painting and creative mindset over here at Painterish.
Join Painterish Mail (it's free!) and you'll get painting and creativity emails, with Q & A's and demos sprinkled in.
Just click the button, enter your name and email address and you'll get some Painterish Mail soon!
