FIVE THINGS TO AVOID AS A BEGINNER PAINTER
I’m a lifelong creative and have always strived to grow and learn to be better. So when I come across some great advice on creating more dynamic works and improving my technical skills, I’m all ears. So, today I’d like to give a few tips for beginner floral painters about the five things they should avoid when painting their florals with some added suggestions. I’ve picked these five because they are the most common mistakes I see in beginner works and I actually did the same thing too in the beginning. If you’re not a beginner, then just read on for fun.
#1 Avoid Painting Colors Straight from the Tube
Nature is made of infinite color combinations and using it straight from the tube is very limiting. By mixing colors, you can achieve a wider range of tones, shades and hues, creating more visually interesting and dynamic works of art. Also, creating new colors is more expressive and experimental and most of all, fun! Don’t limit yourself, mix those tubes of colors and see what you discover. Practice color formulas in your sketchbook and take notes. That way you can refer back to it and create that same color again if you need it.
#2 Avoid Using Black
Black is a very harsh color to use in floral paintings. Even if you have a “black” flower, it’s actually made of shades of blues, purples, greens or reds. So, don’t use black straight from the tube which can make your work appear dull and flat. Mix your own. If you mix the three primary colors together, you will get a more natural black. My favorite combination is Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue and Sap Green. I use this all the time to darken a color or shade an area that appears “black”.
#3 Avoid Using Only Small Brushes
When you only use small brushes, you limited your ability to create expressive brush marks in your paintings. Always start off with a large brush and lay in color for your underpainting. Continue with the larger brush (I used 3/4 inch flat) when adding your transparent colors. I only switch to the smaller brushes when I’ve almost completed my painting. The finest thin brush, which is my scrip liner is used right at the end to add a touch of highlights. Artwork is meant to be seen from a distance and if you paint only with a small brush with all these fine tiny details, no one is going to notice. Have you’ve ever seen the detailed landscapes of early Dutch paintings? When you observe them up close, the colors are just blobs and dashes of paint strokes. It’s truly amazing. So, start out with a big brush and then gradually shift to smaller sizes.
#4 Avoid Placing Your Focal Point in the Center of the Canvas
I learned this lesson in my high school art class. My teacher said putting things in the center can be boring and gives the sense of a target; where your focal point is the “bull’s eye.” He must of been into darts or hunting maybe? When creating a more interesting composition, use the Rule of Thirds to place your focal area. The Rule of Thirds is a composition guideline that places your subject in the left or right third of an image, leaving the other two thirds more open. So in other words, your focal point is off centered, making your work more interesting. This technique allows your viewer to scan the whole piece and spend a longer time appreciating and analyzing it. If it’s placed in the middle, the viewer looks quickly and then moves on.
#5 Avoid Showing Too Much Background
I use to do this all the time and focus only on the vase of flowers with a lot of background showing. This also created the “bull’s eye” effect. When creating your composition, have something touching all the edges of the canvas, like a leaf or flower. This helps lead the eye around the picture plane and draws your viewer into the piece. To avoid too much detail, I will often create a shape of a leaf/vine/branch in a darker shade of the background color and have that extend off the “page.” You will always want to paint your focal point more detailed so paint the outer edges more loosely and with only a suggested shape of colors.
I hope these tips have been a little helpful in your own painting journey!! Thanks for being here, Debbie
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