5 Essential Painting Tips to Know

Here are some of the things I've learned while studying painting that I think every painter needs to know. No matter what stage you are in your painting journey, these tips can help you get thinking and improve not only in your technique but in your concepts as well.

Tip #1 - Painting is about creativity and technique

Technique is beautiful in paintings, but anyone can learn the perfect technique. It is your creativity and voice that sets you apart. Ask yourself, why do you paint? What do you love to paint? I personally love to use the language of flowers to tell stories through my paintings, and to me, that is much more interesting than just painting flowers alone. So find ways to stretch your brain and art to places you wouldn't have before.

Tip #2 - Don't be afraid to change things up!

Try painting how someone makes you feel or perhaps try painting your dream last night. Painting things like this are a great way to get your creativity flowing. Paint from your heart and paint with passion! You don't have to paint what you think others will like. Paint what is calling you. If you don't know what that is yet, that's ok! Just start! (most likely what calls to you will change many times anyway.)

Tip #3 - Paint what you see, not what you know

What do you imagine when I say a heart? Probably something like this? ♥ But if we think about what a heart looks like in real life it is quite different! As an artist and painter, you need to let go of what you think things look like and learn to observe. This applies to even the less extreme examples like trees, hands, books, and everything!! You will be amazed at how much you will improve when you learn to deeply observe the world around you. My professors have told me time and time again that you should be looking at what you're painting more than you're looking at your actual painting! This sounds strange but it definitely works! Give it a try!

Tip #4 - Practice, Practice, Practice!

The best way to learn how to paint is to just paint!! This may sound simple, but often it can be hard to keep a habit of practicing. One thing I have always struggled with was feeling like my paintings weren't good enough so I wouldn't even start! I also didn't want to invest time into painting If I wasn't going to display it. But you NEED to invest time into practicing often. It does not need to be perfect like I once thought. What matters is that you are trying new things and keep going! Give yourself a space to experiment and make mistakes, you'll find that it's actually really fun and you'll learn a lot of new things this way!

Tip #5 - Know Where to Get the Right Supplies

Lastly, knowing where to get high-quality supplies can go a long way in helping you be able to reach your full potential. Art stores like Blick Art Supplies, Artists Corner, and even Michales are great resources. You can read more about why I love and highly recommend Blick here!

Don’t Forget That Everyone Has to Start Somewhere

Be confident and don't be afraid to make mistakes! Learning to paint is a beautiful and fun process and you will never improve without making mistakes! Comment your favorite painting tips below or what tip helped you the most!