Monday, February 06, 2017

The art of not giving up


 Pick Eyes Cove - SOLD
24" x 36"  oil on canvas


Every drawing or painting is created using a process that starts with the basic shapes and transitions through progressively more complex layers until completion.  There is no magic solution that speeds up the process.  Buying the paint brands or tools that a successful artist uses won't speed up the process.  Reading how to books or watching endless DVDs on technique won't speed up the process.   It takes time, patience and lots of practice.



During that transition between stages, its difficult to keep the vision in your head for the original outcome and the frustration of how long it takes or how difficult it becomes can overpower the artist and they give up long before the turning point is reached that brings the painting to completion.


Details become more interesting than the hard work of background, colour and value.  Wanting to see the finished product becomes more enticing than working your way through the weeds.


"Its about the journey, not the destination." is true as you learn so much along the way.  Persistence and patiences are key.  Allowing yourself to make mistakes and understanding how to fix them, and knowing that it IS a process that is not quick, but that will end up at the destination if you allow it sufficient time.

3 comments:

Jennifer Rose said...

I'm a bad artist now lol I don't have the patience anymore for most types of art. Working digital has ruined me lol

but yes, practice is what I tell everyone must happen, whether digitally or traditionally

Jeanette Jobson said...

Digital and traditional art are very different and if you've spent a lot of time on digital, it takes precedence. Quicker too in some ways but there's a huge learning curve to do it well.

Practice is one thing and is vital, giving up before a piece has reached its peak or not being willing to push through the hard parts is another.

RH Carpenter said...

I think that's why watercolor suits my personality = not much patience but I am willing to start over fresh if I ruin something...but lose my way when painting in acrylics (which can be changed and changed and changed). Love your oils and your dedication to your work/art :) Wishing you a wonderfully productive and fruitful 2017!