"Let's talk about how to paint....."
Are you an artist that is confused about how to begin a new painting?
Today let's talk art. I want to share with you how I begin, work on and finish one of my paintings in 10 easy steps.
Are you ready? Then read on and let me help you become a FEARLESS painter!
It is easy to begin a new painting.
To start all that you have to do is find something that you love. I enjoy painting flowers,especially roses.
1) Pick a photo of something that you love.
In the above photo you can see how I have narrowed the focus of my original snapshot to just a specific area that has captured my interest.
2) Shall we begin?
Start by simplifying your photo into a black and white image. I do this by taking my original photo and either using a copy machine or in a graphics program like Adobe Photoshop I reproduce the photo in black and white.Today I am going to paint using only my watercolors and acrylics on a canvas. What you say use water color paints on a canvas? Sure why not as long as you properly prepare your surface anything is possible when you are ready to be FEARLESS!
3) Prepare the surface that you want to work on according to your personal preferences. Since this painting will be drawn on canvas, that means I must first use a watercolor gesso also known as (absorbent ground) on my canvas to prepare the surface.
Then I draw my image onto my canvas or paper.
Now wasn't that simple? You are now ready to paint a beautiful work of art!
4) As you know from seeing my art video Fearless painter's video I like to pour my watercolor paints, but you don't have to. You can begin by wetting your surface with lots of clean water and dropping your watercolors or acrylics onto the wet surface, with a large brush, until the entire canvas or paper is toned as desired.
In this photo I have started by using only my reds and yellows.
To separate my lightest layers of pigment from flowing out of control and mixing into a dark mud I use a product called a removable "Friskit", which allows me to save specific areas by painting over them with a protective coating.
Word of advice remember before doing anything else be patient and let your surface dry completely!
NOW LET'S HAVE SOME REAL FUN!
5) Go ahead and start adding some different water- color hues. Below you can see how I have now added some blues to my painted surface also using only a wet into wet technique.The shiny spots you see are the areas where I have painted the "friskit" to protect my delicate yellows written about in step 4.
6) When done with my wet painting process I remove my "friskit" by rubbing it off. Now I get an opportunity to see what is developing.
7) Nope I am not happy with what I have here!
What is an artist to do?
Time to give this canvas a rest and study the composition.
I believe that each and every painting that I do needs to have twice as much time spent thinking about what I want to do as actually allowing brush to touch the painted surface.
I now know what I want to do to take this painting to the finish line! I am going to pull out my Fluid Acrylics
8) I start in by creating thin glazes of diluted fluid acrylics mixed with a small amount of Fluid acrylic medium.
My goal is to bring out what I consider to be the most important elements of the composition.
So I choose to glaze over the less important roses at the bottom and paint around the uppermost "star" flowers. I also am looking to push some of the leafy areas into the back ground so that I can create an enhanced depth of field. Then....
I will complete this painting by my unique use of......
Patterns...
9) I create my patterns by painting over the wet into wet or "poured" paint surface using a size 16 round brush. I use the tip of the brush to create a mixture of dots ( yes this once upon a time was called "pointillism") and lines.
"IN FULL BLOOM" 20 X 24 © 2013
mixed media using watercolors, and fluid acrylics on a canvas.
Sealed with an archival UVA/UVB semi gloss varnish.
10) When is a painting done?
I know my visual goal is finished when I have created a unique pattern driven painting that captures the spirit of my love of roses and is a fusion of representation and abstraction.
Would you like to own a signed giclee print of this painting? click here to purchase a print of "In Full Bloom" at
Well that is it. In ten steps I now have a completed work of art.
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