Category: Tips and Techniques

I’m sure you have done it – ended a painting session with a whole lot of paint left on the palette and wondering how to save it. Here are some tips for each type of paint. Watercolour: Your freshly squeezed out paint is a lovely creamy consistency that is lost if it is let to dry rock hard. I never squeeze out a whole tube into the wells of a palette. It does not reactivate to the same lovely texture if it all dries up. So, if you have accidently put too much out, simply spray your palette with water and put a layer of plastic wrap on top. It should keep moist for a couple of days that way. Acrylic: The water spray and plastic wrap work for acrylic paint too. There are also special palettes sold that will keep the paint moist longer. They usually consist of a thin sponge that you keep wet that is below the main palette area. You can make your own stay wet palette with a damp paper towel folded up and placed underneath wax paper or parchment paper that you put your paint out onto. Lastly, there are times you will want some of the acrylic mediums that make the acrylic dry more slowly. This is especially useful if painting out doors. Stir a generous gob of the medium into each of your colours as you put them onto the palette. Oil: Oil paint cures by exposure to light rather than evaporation. So the simplest way to keep paint on a palette wet is to put the palette into a dark drawer. I have found this method effective for a week or even more. In conclusion: I hope you are not shy about putting out generous gobs of paint onto your palette. You are more likely to make beautiful painterly works with a well loaded brush. Perhaps knowing the tips above will help to encourage you to be generous with your paint knowing it can be saved for awhile. Happy painting! 

I am so in love with colour! Colours and the way that they interact hold endless fascination and equally endless expressive possibilities. Most artists have a few favourite colours that they incorporate into many paintings. For the last while, there seems to be a lot of quinacridone nickle azo gold, or beige and ochre combinations in my work. I came across this article written with home decorating in mind, but I see no reason at all that these beautiful palettes could not be used in a painting. I am eager to try some myself. So many possibilities! I love #2 (featured here), and #10. #4 has been a long time favourite with many painters. Here’s the link: 11 Beautiful Color Palettes Inspired by Nature. Which appeal the most to you? 

I’m guessing that a lot of artists have several paintings or painting ideas that they are waiting to find time to try. So, if that is true for you, how do you keep track of these? Do you make lists? Do you keep scrap paper nearby for capturing these inspirations? Or do you use your iphone or ipad to track these sparks? I have not been too disciplined about this. Yet I have the distinct sensation that some good ideas are getting lost in the gray matter so … I think I need to make a new habit. How about you? 

Wet oil paintings can be difficult to take from here to there without getting that paint all over the car – not desirable! Here’s a method that works for me. Cut a piece of light plastic corrigated board (available at art stores) to be just a little larger than your canvas size. Then, when painting, be careful not to paint the corners of the canvas, leaving about a half inch square of blank canvas in each corner on the surface. Into those 4 unpainted corners put a very generous gob of sticky tac and then press the corrigated board firmly on top. Once in place, the canvas can be put into a plastic bag, and then into your car with no fear of getting oil paint anywhere it is not wanted. I have even successfully bicycled with a wet canvas hanging in its bag from the handle bars using this method! 

In some ways, painting a portrait is the ultimate painting challenge. Even when painting in a more free style, the artist is hoping for a recognizable likeness. That means accuracy in lines and shapes. Move that nose over a quarter of an inch – and it’s someone else. There are some common errors that those learning to do portraits struggle with. Here are a few of them: 1. Shrinking areas of the face where nothing is happening – for example the forehead or cheek space is too small. 2. Making the eyes too large. In some ways, this error is the opposite of number 1. We know that eyes are important, and we tend to make them larger because of this. 3. Putting lines in to complete a shape, when there are no lines on the model. This happens often with the mouth, which usually does not have a solid outline unless the model is wearing lipstick. The rule here is – if you don’t see it don’t draw or paint it. Some of my favourite quotes about painting portraits are from John Singer Sargeant who said, “A portrait is a painting of someone, but the mouth is not quite right.” and “Everytime I paint a portrait, I lose a friend.” It takes a lot of concentration to do a good portrait. Hats off to those students in the current portrait class – but don’t make the forehead too small after the hat is off! 

Here’s a tip for oil painters. Buy lots of brushes in your favourite sizes so that you can wait till the end of your painting session to clean out your brushes. It takes a lot of time and energy to properly clean oil paint from a brush. Better to set it aside on a paper towel, and grab a fresh brush when you change colour. That means the you can keep with the flow of the painting and leave clean up till later. Otherwise, you run the risk of not completely removing the colour as you continue on. Even a small amount of a complimentary colour left in the brush, can muddy your paint. Keep it fresh! 

Here are some fun ideas from Artpromotivate. “Painting Without Brushes”. What unusual tools have you used for putting paint down? 

Here are just some of the things that you get to know about yourself as an artist as you progress with your work. 1. Your favourite materials. Which type of paint do you want to use? What about mixed media or collage? Do you love a smooth surface or do you respond to a textured surface with your paint? What give your results you like – thick paint, thin paint, large brushes, or unusual painting implements such as palette knives? 2. Your inspirations. Are you inspired by viewing original art – in galleries, books or on line? Are you inspired by techniques – a flow of colour, a calculated brush stroke? Are you inspired by being part of an art group – or does your best inspiration come from quiet alone time. Naturally, I have to mention that many people are inspired to paint by being in an art class since it gives weekly goals and friends to cheer you on. 3. Your favourite subjects – or not. When I was first into painting, I thought I wanted to be a wildlife painter. It didn’t take me too long to figure out that I would not be limited to that subject alone. Animals still show up in my paintings, but at this point I really have not chosen only one subject to be my painting theme. For me, the switching around of subjects is part of my creative process. However, if you do find you have a favourite subject, it will help simplify your art journey. 4. Your best place to paint. Some artists do their best work when painting on location. Others find that the moving breeze and sunshine distract them when they are trying to paint. Do you work best going to the same place, a small studio or simply the same table, to go to? 5. Your working stamina. How long can you paint without getting fatigued and overworking? What type of a break will recharge you – a short brisk walk, a flop on the couch, a cup of coffee? 6. Do you work best with music on, or in silence? If with music, which type? These are just some of the elements of yourself that you will get to know as an artist. It’s about figuring out what brings out your creative best. What do you think? Which aspects of knowing yourself have most benefited your art? 

Anyone who puts serious effort into painting has run into this – comments about how nice it must be to spend so much time painting. Yes, that is true. I am the first to admit that I’m incredibly blessed in my profession and truly love what I do. That said – it’s still not easy sometimes. Sometimes the vision in your head or heart doesn’t form on the canvas. Sometimes the atmosphere you want eludes you, and the shapes seem to fight with each other rather than working in harmony. The frustration and disappointment are tangible. Even when it is working out as you hoped, there are still many hours at the easel that represent discipline and perseverance – just plain work – to bring the whole thing to completion. Painting is a skill that needs to be learned, and continued to be practiced for an artist to be able to express themselves well. I get what Michelangelo was saying. What do you think? Is being creative sometimes work for you?