Artist Hints & Tips
• I use a double primed canvas with gesso, lightly sanded with a fine sandpaper in between applications.
• You can manipulate the canvas to achieve a background that is pleasing to you by tilting it from side to side. This background application is unpredictable as atmospheric conditions play a big role as well. If it’s really hot, the paint will dry quickly and the effect will be different to a rainy day where it will take longer to dry and the paint will tend to do its own thing.
• Experiment beforehand if you are not familiar with a brush to see what it can do for you, either on paper or a scrap of canvas.
• If the paint is dr ying too quickly and you want to be able to blend your layers in a bit more, then don’t be afraid to give your canvas a spritz with your spray bottle. I sometimes put a few drops of flow control into the bottle which also helps.
• Don’t put pressure on yourself to finish your painting quickly. Take your time. How do you know when it’s finished? Think to yourself about the next stroke of paint you are about to apply, will it make a difference to the overall painting? If the answer is no then it is done. One of the biggest mistakes artists make is to overwork their painting at which point it looses its life and vibrancy.
• An ar tist’s life is pretty solitary and you put your heart and soul into your painting. Then you expose it to the world and your are open to criticism. Some of it will be positive and some negative. The trick is not to allow this to deter you from your path, follow your heart and above all enjoy the journey!