What Are You "Celebrating"?
In the past, I really haven’t looked at it this way, but I think it’s a good way to look at your painting before you start. You need to ask: what are you celebrating? Are you celebrating values, color, an animal, a figure, or perspective? Let’s say you are celebrating an animal in the landscape. You will want to play down all the details in the landscape so you are making the animal the star. You want to make sure you are not giving too much focus on other things.
Tips to Celebrate Your Subject Matter
Research and Understand: Spend time learning about your subject. Whether it’s a place, person, or object, understanding its history, significance, and nuances can add layers of depth to your depiction.
Observe Intently: Look beyond the surface. Observing subtle details can lead to a more profound representation and highlight aspects that are often overlooked but are essential to the essence of the subject.
Connect Emotionally: Allow yourself to feel and explore the emotions that the subject evokes in you. This emotional connection will become the heartbeat of your artwork.
Experiment and Express: Don't be afraid to experiment with different styles, techniques, or perspectives to best express your vision of the subject. Innovation can be a celebration of your subject's unique qualities.
Basically, when you are looking at a scene like a landscape and think it’s beautiful, you have to focus on why you think it’s beautiful. For example, if it’s Autumn, you are celebrating the colors. You can play up the colors while playing down some other aspects of the scene.
It is really important to ask that question. It is a good way of looking at a photo reference or when you are painting from life. As a painter, of course, there is a feeling when you look at the subject, but then you need to be analytical before you start painting. If you are just painting with feelings and no analytical thoughts, it’s not going to be as successful of a painting.
“It has to be one main thing you are celebrating and everything else is subordinate to that idea.”
The feeling and emotion part will come through, but underneath that layer, it has to be thought out. This could even be skills. If you are focusing on an animal, you have to have some drawing skills. If you are painting a landscape, you need to gain experience outdoors and painting values and colors and all of those things. It has to be one main thing you are celebrating and everything else is subordinate to that idea. I believe you will have successful paintings if you think this way before you start!
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