When working on a new body of work, I try to start my paintings by first putting in the larger shapes and then using those as a guide going forward.
How do you start a new piece?
26 Comments
Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
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Thank you for sharing. I am always happy to see your emails in my in box, they are helpful and easy to understand.
Thanks Jeanie!
I’d love to see how this painting progresses. Thank you for sharing.
Can’t get enough of your videos Nick! Thanks for all that yous share with all of us!
Thanks Nick, I was hoping there would be a video this week, they are always so helpful.
Wasn’t there? I can see one but maybe there’s an issue I’m unaware of?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, they are always helpful. You are such an inspiration and a breath of fresh air to listen to.
My tendency is to get lost in the texture and the detail before the composition is determined. I end up with an interesting background … but where is the substance that “drives” the painting”? This way of beginning, I think will help resolve that issue. Thank you for sharing this process!
I’m so glad you saw this Yolanda… this could change a lot for you, This way of beginning. Keep me posted and let me know how it goes. It was a game changer for me!
Hi Nick, Thanks, that helped me move on from a frustrated place in the studio this morning,
Happy Funday Sunday
Marti Schmidt
Fantastic Marty!
Hi Nick– Thanks for the video! I just finished 2 hours and 6 boards. ( The coffee pot timer went off, reminding me to stop, otherwise I would still be playing.) My struggle is when you ask me (us) to paint non-objective shapes and make them as different as possible. That totally frustrates me and it is not fun. My mind goes blank, I paint whatever, but I get bored so quickly. YUK. And I hate what is on the boards, hate my brush strokes, etc. My joy in painting has always come from mixing and trying to match colors I see in nature– and now pushing value ranges– thank you– and now also, the large pattern of all the darkest darks and lightest lights– Thank you again.
My work this morning consists of the view outside in the early morning light, matching values and mixing colors. Then inside my house with patterns and objects and walls in my space, etc., always analyzing and staying away from middle tones– which was total fun. I am not attached to any of it, and ready for round 2… but, my question is, “Should I be forcing the non-objective shapes?” Am I missing something by not? OR, what part did I miss from the instructions? 🙂
Speaking from my own experience, when I try to force anything in my work, I seldom feel its really from a part of me. Focus on those things that resonate from within you while painting. If you break up any painting into puzzle like shapes you will find the nonobjective.
Very well said Carly.
Roxanne, it’s really important, crucial really that you follow what feels right for you. Only do what really feels aligned and the inspiring. For you right now it’s painting from life in seeing the colors And values. Now of course when you’re doing a course, you will try some things that you may or may not like… try to learn the lessons but don’t stay too long doing anything that doesn’t feel like a big fat Yes! Sometimes I end up spending a lot of time doing something that I really don’t feel like doing and it takes me a while to realize that I shouldn’t even be doing it… but there’s something much more satisfying waiting in the wings.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4b0bea9d34e442f3b59ae8bd0ff072f7efc71769adcf6b471ca16ebc2a475d35.jpg Hi Nicolas. You’re chats are really helping me think sideways and not get bogged down with a single piece. I used to write screenplays and my biggest crime was falling in love with and refining scenes before I had the whole story down. The same thing can happen with a painting. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ff806d46a5e1bf707a87c8731a4e503a6354c644665f04cd7387fb5ff9223a19.jpg Here’s a large multi panel piece I’m playing with using the computer to move photo’s of it around. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/014fff4d883395f8fe88ddac3b0671ec16b906ca3414b8df4e00096ce2a83804.jpg
Thanks George. And I guess there’s nothing wrong with falling in love with one party spending a lot of time on it… it’s just that what can happen and this probably happens in screenplays toO, is that you don’t end up keeping that piece because it doesn’t fit into the overall story or painting. At least with screenplays you can copy and paste and say that scene for something else, But in paintings it kind of gets buried. Which in the case of paintings often makes the work better as it adds richness. So really nothing is really wasted, It’s just a matter how much time you have available.
Thanks Nick… as always on time and on target! Happy Sunday painting!
You too Janet nice to hear from you.
Thanks Nick… a great reminder to get those big shapes in quickly . Always helpful to watch your videos… thanks!
Hey Mary! Yeah doing this in this recent body of work that I’ve been working on has saved me so much time! I love what you been making lately!
I love it when I step back and find the spot where the painting begins to vibrate, that doesn’t always happen however your experience does shift with the distance you view it.
Diebenkorn said “1. Attempt what is not certain. Certainty may or may not come later. It may then be a valuable delusion.”
Thank you for that I’ve never even read that the one before…
Thank you for sharing your ideas with us. I always learn something!
Thank you so much. You are helping me so much in my art growth quest.