Problem Solving in Paintings
Questions to ask when you feel stuck.
“I don’t think there’s an artist of any value who doesn’t doubt what they’re doing”
Four Principles to keep in mind
1. Respect the Rectangle
See your work as a rectangle, not as a person or a thing in the middle of a rectangle. If it won't hold together compositionally as a rectangle, it doesn’t matter how well you painted the details, it’s not a painting.
The shape of the canvas and the edges of the page are active elements in the design of your work.
See each artwork is a universe of its own that must follow its internal harmony.
Ask yourself:
Are all four corners of your painting the same?
Can I make one lighter or darker or warmer or colder?
Is something throwing my eye out of the picture plane?
How do I bring my viewer to the focal point? Does the painting have an entrance and an exit, a path for the eye to follow?
Can I create a window, door, or a bit of sky that offers a nice exit?
Do the figures look like they belong or do they look like cut-outs?
Can I find adjacent light or dark colours in the background that can connect to the lights or darks in the figures?
Where is my ‘river of light’ and my ‘river of dark’?
Is there a balance between positive and negative space, or does the painting appear to be weighted too far to one side as if it were ready to tip over?
Are my intervals too much the same?
2. We need Contrast to ‘See’
Contrast is how we judge and understand the world. We struggle to comprehend in a vacuum. Contrast is what makes you feel. You don’t know how to feel about a price, yourself, a situation, an outfit…. until you can contrast it to something else! Even the structure of our eyes is unable to see if it can’t contrast/compare.
The artist uses contrast to compare things to each other, forcing the viewer to see that one of the stimuli is perceived as better or more intense. Contrast creates a hierarchy. The less contrast there is, the more bland and unimportant everything looks.
Ask yourself:
What elements can I push and contrast against each other?
• Abstraction vs detail
• Relief vs flat
• Straight vs curved
• Luminous vs dark
• Warm vs cold
• Focal point vs periphery
• Transparent vs opaque
What am I aiming for and how do I underline it with contrast?
For example:
Do you want the foreground to stand out? Mud up, dull, smudge, and shatter the background.
Do you want something to look brighter and more beautiful? Make the rest duller and uglier.
Do you want a light to have a lot of volume? Contrast it with flat and indefinite shadows.
3. Draw more!
Drawing is the most basic start in art and if the underlying drawing is wrong, it’s the beginning of an uphill battle.
This is the step where you save yourself the most time and hassle if you take the time to slow down and draw first.
A good drawing is not defined by realism or details. Good drawings show that your eye is observing and your brain is engaged deeply with reality. We do not see things as they are, but as we are. There is no ‘right’ perception of reality, just like there are no perfect people. Your heart is allowed to distort what you see, but you are not allowed to be lazy and not look!
Drawing is an act of loving life.
Everyone can learn to draw!
Ask yourself:
Is it correct in size, shape, and position?
Is that really what I see or am I drawing a schema in my mind?
Where do shapes intersect or correlate?
Does it look right upside down?
Keep a positive dialogue with yourself!
Simplify!
Use only those details that help you tell your story. Don’t nurture an 80s prom dress, get rid of the ruffles! You don’t need all the details, take them out!
Start with the big shapes and see if you need all the small shapes.
Use Value to group things together. Clump values together to make things less fragmented and busy. Use the ‘river of light’ and the ‘river of dark’ to create unity.
Accuracy is a secondary asset compared to harmony.
Ask yourself:
Is there one dominant idea expressed by shape, colour and value?
Do I have a clear focal point?
Am I emotionally confusing my viewer? Can they ‘read the room’ correctly?
Are other elements drawing attention away from the primary focus and confusing the viewer?
Is there a center of interest and are all other elements truly subordinate?
Can I reduce or eliminate unnecessary details or unimportant portions that are attracting too much attention.
Is there a balance of colour, or is there an isolated colour spot drawing more interest to itself than its merits?
Am I using too many colours? Can I limit my palette? Or can I repeat colours spots in the painting or mix in a mother colour?
Are your backgrounds really backgrounds or do they draw too much attention?
Does a background colour, interesting shape, or a scattering of eye-catching objects interfere with your focus or cause conflict?
“A work of art must be harmonious in its entirety; for superfluous details would, in the mind of the beholder, encroach upon the essential elements.
The painter chooses his colour with the profound concentration suitable to him, just as the musician chooses the tone and intensity of his instruments. The colour does not govern the design, but harmonizes with it.”