Being loose and free in my art is something I’ve learned to do. Having fun and playing as I paint allows me to capture the whimsy and soul of my characters.
I’m always taking photos of vast skylines, open fields and farmlands, so I often keep these landscapes in mind when covering up the white space on the first layers of a painting.
I’ll squeeze 3 colors right onto my painting surface (maybe cobalt teal and titanium white acrylic paints, then a spill of fluorescent green acrylic ink) and, using a wide or foam brush, I spread the color back and forth horizontally until I come up with a soft, very imperfect sky, horizon line and ground.
This is fun to do with a beach landscape in mind too (using coral, pink and yellow sunset hues). It becomes a meditative process, working with the color and remembering there’s no right or wrong.
It’s especially free-ing because these first layers always get covered up. Yet this way, I have some color down before I begin my whimsical character. And that initial color story always seems to inspire the direction of the rest of the painting.
Happy painting!
xo Juliette
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HELLO
I'M JULIETTE
A painter, writer, and creator of The School Of Happy Painting, online courses to help you loosen up, let go, and develop your own unique style.
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