Brush Strokes
As a result of this fear and discomfort we develop processes and skills. Developing these takes out some of the discomfort, but these processes can make the paintings feel a little stilted. (We all know what that feels like).
The truly tenacious among us will continue learning, adapting, adjusting. This will lead us to the next stage of development. Cue trumpets, angels, etc.
This is where we become what I call “technically enlightened”. You finally have a deep understanding of the mechanics of making the marks that you want. This is a little like walking through that same bushland, but in daylight. You are able to enjoy the magic of it more readily.
This is where you get to really dance with your paint.
So, what does that mean for us? Knowing this process can give you some insights that will help accelerate your learning. Firstly, one thing it definitely means is to PRACTISE! The faster you can get to the place where you are confident with your brushes, the better. Every time you pick up a brush (and paint with it - throwing it doesn’t count), you improve. Regardless of the outcome.
Secondly, being clear about the destination for this journey will speed up the process of improvement. It’s important to be clear about what skills you want to develop. Mastering them gives you greater freedom, and
The painting process in the early stages of your “career/ affliction” is a little like walking through bushland in the dark. Scary. There’s not a lot of freedom in it, but it is still fun in a way. ( Otherwise we wouldn’t keep coming back).
gives you scope to make the process flexible, and therefore less scary.
Let’s look at a simple skill to illustrate this point.
I bang on about gradation of colour all the time. It is a great skill to have for lovely soft skies and subtle colour shifts. It’s a great skill for painting realistic images, and a great exercise for developing mastery.
If you can do a beautiful, soft, smooth gradation over a large area, you can definitely do a broken one.
By developing a smooth gradation, and understanding the process, it is easier to paint something realistically, or impressionistically.
At some point, you will realise that you have some “rules” in your painting process. Have a think about what some of these may be. It may be that you feel you have to paint every leaf in every tree, or the sky has to be “perfect”. Are these rules really important? How attached are you to them? Often these rules are self-imposed in an effort to take out much of the “discomfort”. The fact is, you can actually be fencing yourself in, in an entirely different way. You may feel that
all of your gradations have to be perfect. You spend a long time mastering them. Bliss? Hmmmm. Do your paintings look a little sterile? Can you repair it easily if you make a mistake.
Let’s do two exercises. We’ll paint the same image using two different approaches. Some of you will have an affinity towards Approach 1, and some of you will have an affinity towards Approach 2. Which is better? Who knows! But, mastering Approach 2, will allow you to paint Approach 1 more easily. This gives you versatility and a little bit of confidence, knowing that you can change your approach, and your painting is not “terminal”. You can break your own rules. Being able to paint a lovely soft afternoon skyscape, and render it beautifully and realistically is a joy (eventually). Being able to paint it in an entirely different way is even more liberating.
SUNSET LAKE EXERCISE – APPROACH 1
Mix up a dark “tree” colour using Forest Green, Dioxazine Purple, Cadmium Yellow Medium and a small amount of White. I’m blocking in the major elements (and their mirror reflections).
You don’t have to be constrained by “rules” - you can paint any part of the image at any time.
Now I’ll add the sky gradation using a mix of Dioxazine Purple, a touch of Cadmium Yellow Medium and White. I add White, Cadmium Yellow Medium and a tiny amount of Napthol Red Light and blend outwards in a loose cross-hatch fashion.
I’m allowing the pink ground to show through here and there.
I add more White and Cadmium Yellow Medium and blend further outwards to the top and bottom of the canvas. Then White and a small amount of French Ultramarine Blue is added and loosely blended to the top and bottom of the canvas.
At this point in the painting, because of the way it’s been painted, certain things have presented “accidentally”. I can see cloud banks, I can see
“shapes” amongst the trees. See Fig 1. I can now add to, or take away from this painting, without worrying about making the colours exact. And without worrying too much about preciseness of brush strokes.
For example, I’ve suggested a sandy beach on the edge of the lake using a mix Dioxazine Purple, Cadmium Yellow and White. Now I want to suggest ripples in the water. I drag a dry brush with that same mix across the lake reflection. I add French Ultramarine Blue and suggest the form of tree trunks on the edge of the lake, and their reflections. See Fig 2.
Light and dark areas are now starting to present themselves in amongst the trees. I mix Pthalo Blue and a little bit of the Forest Green and Napthol Red Light to create some shadow areas amongst the trees.
I use the previous “tree” colour plus Cadmium Yellow Medium and a touch of Napthol Red Light and add the highlights to the trees. See Fig 3.
To finish this exercise I’m going to dance with the painting for a while, adding colour here and there. See Fig 4. And because this is just an exercise, and I’m not attached to the outcome of this painting, I can really dance with it. I add flashes of unusual colour here and there, highlights, reflections, etc. It doesn’t matter. Now I’m having fun. I add reeds, clouds, and go a little crazy for a while. You try it! See how liberating it can be, and how confident you can feel.
SUNSET LAKE EXERCISE – APPROACH 2
Mix up a lovely “afternoon purple haze” colour using Dioxazine Purple, Cadmium Yellow Medium & White. Paint a band of that gorgeous purple through the middle of the canvas. Blend outwards smoothly (top & bottom) using bands of the same colour with more White, Cadmium Yellow Medium & the barest hint of Napthol Red Light. Add more White to this blend and blend outwards further towards the top and bottom of the canvas. Add French Ultramarine Blue and blend outwards to the edges of the top and bottom of the canvas. See Fig 5.
The next part of this process involves placing the trees and structure. Because this approach is more controlled, it feels as though it requires a more controlled and constrained process. The tendency is to paint it that way. See Fig 6. I’ve kind of designed a subconscious rule for myself that somehow suggests how the next step should be approached. This painting may end up being beautiful, but for me now the constraints of this approach are weighing on me slightly. Which is right or wrong? Who knows. You have to choose. But it’s important to notice this feeling, and how it drives you to approach the next part. If you feel as though you’re being pushed in a direction, that feeling of liberation and confidence is diminished (for some).
Anyway, I digress. Back to the exercise. I’m now adding the trees and reflections (using the same colours as the first exercise), but using a more calculated and careful technique and application. See Fig 7. Which approach is best? Up to you.
The process of making a painting becomes "malleable" when you have some skill and confidence. By this I mean that you are free to make changes at any time, to anything in the painting. Your skill level allows you to make changes you want. The (overpowering) fear of making a mistake becomes a quieter voice in the background.
And this can only be a good thing. The message? Be easy on yourself. Painting is fun. Laugh more than you cry - painting with confidence is easier when you’re enjoying what you’re doing. Make more things than you break. Remember to have fun, and PRACTISE!
Next time we’ll have a more focussed approach and specifically work on a particular technique, using our brushes to create lovely soft wispy clouds. We’ll look at how we can use this technique elsewhere in our paintings. ■
“Be easy on yourself. Painting is fun. Laugh more than you cry – painting with confidence is easier when you’re enjoying what you’re doing.”