Advice from our 2019 Guests
In 2019, I had the pleasure of interviewing six artists, ranging from mixed media to acrylic to watercolor. We covered everything from tools and techniques to materials and mindset.
At some point in every interview, I ask for advice on how to get better at painting. As you head into your next year of painting, let’s take a look at what each of these incredible artists said.
ANNIE O’BRIEN GONZALES, Mixed Media, EPISODE 1
I tell everyone to be patient with yourself and be positive. Start calling yourself an artist. Create a little of what I call an elevator speech: If somebody asked you what you do, you say, “I'm an artist, and I paint flowers and I love it.”
And if somebody says, “Well, what do you want to do with your art?”
Say, “Well, I'm hoping that I can join a gallery” or “I'm hoping I can give my children paintings to remember me by.”
Whatever it is you want to say. But have that ready in your head.
I mean, I've known people that apologize for their art or they apologize for painting. Make sure you celebrate it and enjoy it.
CHRIS KRUPINSKI, Watercolor, EPISODE 2
Study other artists and be familiar with techniques. That’s why I think a few workshops or lessons are good because you've got to start somewhere. You're not going to just sit down and all of a sudden just know how to do it. So you take what you can from different people.
But you need to practice it. You need to practice it all the time. Do you think a major league baseball player is just good at just plays baseball once a week or twice a week? Or do you think he does it every single day? It’s the same with anything that you want to be good at.
JANE DAVIES, Acrylic, EPISODE 3
Paint a lot. There's a lot to be said for just doing a lot of work.
And you have to make a lot of bad work. You have to make a lot of bad work and allow yourself to make ugly paintings to get to the stuff that is really you. You have to get past all the copying of your teachers, and the copying of your teachers as an important step.
But you'll know when you start to see work that is really yours.
I say where to start, where to focus is just doing a lot of work.
PEGGI HABETS, Watercolor, EPISODE 4
I would say if you know what you want to explore, what are your goals? Be clear about that. What you want to do?
Do you want to paint portraits. You want to explore color. You want to paint plein air. Figure that out first and then find somebody who's doing it the way you want to do it. Follow them and take workshops from them.
If you can't get time off for workshop, the second best thing is to try to find videos, but it's not quite the same experience as being in the workshop and watching the instructor and asking them questions and watching the other students respond and interpret what that instructor saying.
So I would say workshop and videos... and just paint. There's no substitution for hours.
Paint 100 ugly paintings. Throw them in a drawer and don't show anybody. You'll be amazed at number 100.
MARK MEHAFFEY, Acrylic, EPISODE 5
Mahaffey suggests starting with drawing and then going from there:
Drawing is a learned skill. And it's a repeatable, learned skill. It's just like I would tell the athletes that I got in class. If you're playing basketball, and you shoot three point baskets for an hour, every day, I can pretty much guarantee you, you will get better at shooting three point baskets. There's no doubt about it.
If you draw every day, especially drawing from life, you will get better at drawing. It's a learned skill. And the high school kids always surprised themselves and me too. Sometimes it will with their acquisition of that particular skill.
Once you've acquired that skill, then it becomes about more of the content of the work. The storytelling and the emotional connection that you like to form with yourself and the viewer in there. The skill level just helps you get there. You'll acquire the skill by just doing lots of paintings and because you get more comfortable, your hand eye coordination gets better. Your vision gets better.
So my advice always is, sure, take classes, go to museums, read, listen, watch videos...do all of that. But the best thing you can do to get better: Paint.
ANNE ABGOTT, Watercolor, EPISODE 6
Paint every day.
If you really, really want to get good, take workshops or classes. But be very careful who you take from.
There are all kinds of ways to paint out there. There's glazing, there's pouring, there's wet on wet.
Analyze the paintings that you like. Find out what style that is, and then go to the teacher. That's going to help you. I mean, you could sign up for a workshop with Jean Gradorf or Linda Baker who are pourers, and they're wonderful pourers. But that's not something you will ever use.
So you need to be careful who you take from.
Maybe you want to take that workshop because you think that’s an element you will use sometime. Then take it.
But in the beginning, just paint every day.