Do you ever just want to throw your painting away? This happens to me (a lot).
Usually it’s the eyes or face I want to completely get rid of and cover up. Oftentimes I’ve overworked them and they look way too perfect and painted on.
That’s when I dump water on top of the face and scrub away the layers until just a few lines show through. Then I start again.
Other times, I’ll overwork a painting and make everything too busy.
That’s when I add a thin layer of acrylic ink.
This gives a transparent look, but leaves some of the pattern from my background showing through without making everything super dense and solid. I might not love the initial look, but it helps me see things more clearly. Then I’m not overwhelmed and can keep painting (instead of throwing it all out the window).
Mistakes and ugly stages always happen while I’m painting. But whenever I go back to my favorite art supplies and techniques, I feel the freedom to let go, play and make a beautiful mess. Then a whole new world opens up and magic happens.
With this new painting, I had so much fun dripping and splattering inks, which eventually became her wings. She’s called ‘Dreaming Calls,’ 16” x 16” on stretched canvas (original available).
This piece reminded me to make time to have fun and play. I hope she inspires you too!
Sometimes it just takes a bit of serendipity to push me out of my comfort zone. Then I can let go and uncover something even more beautiful.
There’s another larger painting I’m working on that I’m so excited to share with you soon (she’s almost finished)!
In this 19 minute video I share some of my favorite mixed media techniques and supplies (it’s all about color and play, which always helps me loosen up in my art, especially once I paint my eyes and faces).
With every project in Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style, I show you what inspired my painting and how I add those inspirations into each new piece. I also share my frustrations, mistakes and the tricks I use to move out of my comfort zone and strengthen my own artistic voice.
“This course was the in depth instruction that I was really looking for to take some of the quick pieces I’d done and really develop them further. Watching Juliette work through a piece until she really felt the character develop was so helpful. Knowing that I wasn’t making any mistakes and that if something wasn’t working – just changing my tool or supply could get me right through that tough spot was so useful.”
Happy Painting!
xo Juliette Crane
P.S. Want to watch an owl painting from start to finish? I’ve posted a fun owl painting project from my Whimsical Animals class here on my blog.
P.P.S There’s also more details about how I paint my eyes and faces in this blog post.
I hope it all is useful for you and keeps you inspired!