Be Confident. Have Patience. And Just Paint.
I'm not quite sure when or how I fell in love with painting but I feel fortunate everyday that I found such an amazing hobby that challenges me in so many ways and continues to teach me so much about myself. The first painting I truly started feeling like an artist was a portrait of my niece. I'm not sure when it happened but somewhere along the process I started seeing colors and shapes in the image that I hadn't seen before. I started using my brush in ways that suddenly felt natural and created images on my canvas that exceeded my expectations. I became obsessed with mixing colors and blending them on the board. It was magical. I'm no professional, but I am self taught. I don't sell my paintings because
- If the original is by another artist, please support them as they deserve all the credit for bringing such a beautiful vision to life
- If the original is by me, I'm usually making it for someone important to me, or someone that I think of when I see the painting
- I believe art should be shared, I love the different emotions it brings people or the way it inspires them!
*** This painting is by Sofan Chan, I have recreated her work, if you love it, please buy a piece from her! (Her name is a link!) ***
1. Print a picture of the image you're painting. A large size on a good paper with as much detail/color as possible is best. Office Depot always does a stellar job for me!
2. Draw a Grid
I use gesso board, I love how sturdy it is and how smoothly my brushes and paint can glide over it. I like the 18x24 size, so I tend to draw 3inch blocks and get a 6x8 grid. To make your life easier I suggest getting your image printed in some 3:4 sizing as well so recreating your grid is mathematically easier. Make sure to use very light pencil. Don't worry about erasing, the paint will cover it all.
3. Base Color
I try to identify an underlying base color for the image. It can be anything. My last one had red, blue, yellow and white. This just allows me to identify major sections in the painting and basically break it down into smaller sections. This one however I only saw yellow! lol!
Once this is complete and dry I really just pick a section and start painting. I personally LOVE making my own colors, I also think the texture of self made colors are much better to paint with than those that come out of the tube. I also have a habit of turning the painting in every which direction and height, sometimes painting things upside down or sideways makes it easier! Try all the things!!
5. Messing up
If you're painting with oils, don't worry about messing up. It takes forever to dry you can truly just wipe away the paint and try again after a couple days. Oil paint is also versatile, it's not difficult to cover up pieces by painting over them after they're dry. It took me what seems like 100 attempts to the get the robe!
6. Have Fun!
Remember, painting is about getting lost in the art. Get your mind off of things and let it wander. Let it destress you and calm you. Just be care free and enjoy the moment. If you truly let everything go your inner artist will just take over!
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Overall this painting challenged me in many ways. It definitely tested my patience....a lot! It tested my love for color and more importantly my understanding of color. It allowed me to discover new paintbrush shapes and sizes. The different sections also challenged my blending skills!! This painting was an excellent choice to recreate as I feel like I've grown as an artist in so many ways!
Hope I inspired you today!
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