Mistake 1: It looked cool in the photo reference.

I have had so many times in classes and workshops that I see students choosing photo references that will not work in a painting. What might look “cool” in the photograph is unfortunately something that will not work in a painting oftentimes. I have seen, for example, a gnarly-looking tree, something in the air flying through, etc. I can go on and on. It will not look good in a painting. The way you find this out is by actually putting time and practice into painting and getting that trial and error. I have been there myself and made these mistakes. What I try to do with all my paintings is look for large shapes. I look for 3 to 4 large shapes and break them down into just a shape. Then, later on, I add some detail. If you keep those 3-4 large shapes, you’ll stay out of the weeds. It is easy to get tricked by a cool photograph, just remember it doesn’t mean it will look good in the painting.

Mistake 2: Not being patient enough.

Painting, learning, and growing takes time and it can be a slow process. I have seen students get frustrated with the painting process when it isn’t going their way quickly enough. Maybe with their career, things went a lot quicker and the process was shorter. Not for painting! Learning stages are longer and we are running a marathon and not a sprint. Don’t start working on large pieces if you don’t have the skills quite yet. Work between 9 x 10 to 12 x 16 size canvases. Don’t go too big too soon, as you will quickly get frustrated. Just because a painting doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. Put it away and start another, then another, and then another. It does matter how many miles of canvas you put in. Painting and practice can be just as much a numbers game.

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