2 Things to do BEFORE You Begin Painting with Ian Roberts
You made time, you’re feeling inspired, your brush is poised mid air for a surface landing. There’s nothing standing between you and a great painting.
But wait, says Ian Roberts, Ep.36, there are two necessary steps to take before you pull out your paints. Have you done them?
Step 1: Have you found a good subject…for painting?
Not all subjects are created equally. Just because it’s pretty doesn’t mean it’ll make a good painting.
Step 2: Do you know your composition?
Finding a good subject is an important first step, but it’s just a first step.
Next, you want to make sure you are confident in your composition.
Does it have big, interesting shapes? Is there contrast? Do you know your focal area? Do your values reinforce that?
Put it to Practice:
The way to check off both these answers is through compositional thumbnails and value studies.
These are small studies, no larger than a few inches, where you quickly sketch the large shapes. You then design your values (the light and dark) to see if you have something visually appealing.
That way you’ve auditioned your subject to have confidence it’ll make a good painting.
Because if you get to the end of your thumbnails and don’t have something you like, it probably means your subject won’t actually make a great painting.
You’ve now just saved yourself a ton of time (and maybe a little heartbreak.)