Posts by Dave Kaminski

Making vibrant, authentic art doesn’t come from working harder, trying more techniques, or studying other artists. It comes from learning to feel more alive. When I struggled as a young artist in my mid-twenties, working obsessively in isolation brought only misery and mediocre results. Everything changed when I gave up, bought a plane ticket with…

Most paintings feel “fine” because they’re showing too much at equal levels. When you organize your art using the 75/25/5 frequency formula (75% dominant element, 25% secondary, 5% accent), you create work with energy and clarity that makes people stop and stare. This simple ratio transforms mediocre paintings into art that’s impossible to ignore. ___________________________________________________…

Your art never leaves you. I learned this the hard way when I stopped making art for months, then got called to complete a restaurant commission. With no confidence and no direction, I created my first large painting, terrified it was proof I’d lost my way completely. But when the owner saw it, she wept…

The number one thing that keeps artists stuck when starting a painting is using values that are too similar. When you put paint on a white canvas with close values, you can’t actually see what’s happening, so you spend hours tweaking and perfecting things you can’t clearly evaluate. The solution is beautifully simple. Start with…

I just discovered a powerful technique that will instantly make your work bolder and clearer. Choose three words that define what you want your art to feel like, then make one of those words dominate 75% of your painting, with the other two taking up 20% and 5%. This hierarchy creates work that’s immediately impactful…

Waiting for the “right time” to make art will never work because art-making operates on a completely different principle than other challenging tasks in life. Unlike difficult conversations or obligations that drain you until you push through them, art actually gives you energy and momentum once you start. The secret isn’t finding more time, a…