One of my secrets for letting go and painting more freely is to make it easy for myself to create, so I always have a few backgrounds going at once in my studio, I add layers whenever I have a few minutes – some acrylic inks. acrylic paints, paint pen and water-soluble oil pastels.
Painting these first layers helps me stay loose and adds whimsy to my artwork. It gets me in the mood of playing, with no right or wrong, so I can be more in the flow when I begin to add my character.
There are fun videos below to get you started… I hope it all keeps you inspired!
I love mixing inks together to get unusual colors that I then repeat throughout a painting collection. If you’re looking to paint more freely and make your paintings look more organic, don’t cover everything up in your painting. Instead, when you don’t like something, add a thin layer of oil paintstick on top to redefine your painting, but keep the underneath layers showing through.
Whenever I mix up my supplies, it pushes me to find new ways to paint and reminds me there’s no right or wrong. It’s so often the things I don’t plan in my paintings, that reveal the most beauty.
It’s taken a lot of paintings and mistakes to create with freedom. But learning to paint whimsically and develop your own style are completely do-able — you can learn how in my Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style online course (which starts January 1st) and Serendipity 2 – Loosening Up With Mixed Media (which is available as a self-paced course for a limited time).
xo Juliette