Painting and inspiration: 7 methods

This is the fear of all artists: having to face the blank page syndrome, or for painters, more precisely, the blank canvas syndrome! Lack of artistic inspiration is not inevitable. Imagination and improvisation are easily cultivated, but maybe you don’t know it yet! So how do you come up with ideas for paintings ?

In 7 essential points, you’ll be reenergized and ready to welcome new painting subjects into your studio.

Let go: inspiration will find you

It’s a funny idea for an artist not to give in to the temptation to delve into his own imagination!

Artistic inspiration is not a trait of a painter’s character, nor an innate gift that comes to some and leaves others behind. Inspiration emerges from elsewhere, from the environment, from an atmosphere, from feelings. It is external to the painter, and usually intrudes on him spontaneously and often haphazardly.

So finger snapping doesn’t work in art. The more you force your mind to find a subject for painting, whatever the cost, the less it will escape into the spheres where it hides! Don’t intellectualize the search for inspiration, it’s completely counterproductive.

That’s right! It’s in the depths of your daily emotions, in diverse and above all unexpected situations, that your creative spirit will draw its imagination.

Take a break: energize your imagination

Allow yourself the luxury of stopping your current painting project as soon as you perceive a drop in inspiration. When you’re designing a painting, your brain is hard at work, drawing on all its available resources: intelligence, intuition, personality, sensitivity, motivation and so on.

Feeling a little sluggish? It simply tells you that it’s saturated.

Theadvantage of acrylic paint is that it can be worked on in several stages and in several coats. Even when it’s dry, it’s ready for new brushstrokes without compromising the quality of your finish!

So put down your equipment without getting frustrated: it’s not a failure. Relax, move on to another activity with peace of mind: in 24 hours, your creativity will be back in full swing!

That’s how I’ve made the most progress in my artistic practice, and paradoxically on paintings for which I was totally stuck.

Sudden inspiration: write down your painting ideas

Surprisingly (or not!), when you stop pressuring your brain to come up with an idea for a painting, that’s when it will choose, independently of your consciousness, to spontaneously send you the creative breath!

By letting go, by detaching yourself from the compulsory and forced need to find something to draw at all costs, you open up fully to your emotions and feelings, in a variety of situations.

Whether you’re out for a stroll, preparing a meal, gardening or meeting up with friends, you’ll be surprised to find that it’s when you’re totally relaxed that an idea for a painting comes to you.

Don’t let it go, write it down ! Gather and write down everything that comes to mind around this theme. Write down your emotions, the words that come to you spontaneously, the images you visualize at the same time.

Here are just a few examples:
– Looking at the bottom of a coffee mug (“Now that’s a cool shape!”)
– Looking at the sky (beautiful shapes and colors)
– Watching water trickle down a sidewalk with the sun reflecting off it.
– Seeing a bluish light in the night

For note-taking, you can :

• Google Keep: This is a Google service. It’s free and powerful. It allows you to enter text, audio or even photos. You can synchronize it with any Internet-connected device.
• Simplenote: Simple and powerful, it lets you find and synchronize your notes.
• Microsoft OneNote: Included in the Office suite, quite powerful but not ideal for synchronization.
• NoteLedge: NoteLedge’s strength lies in its ability to draw.
  
  In my case :
  
  I use Google Keep. It really does meet all my needs and allows me to capture my ideas in writing, audio or even photos.
  
  The big advantage is that it’s a Google service, so I can find my notes at any time on a smartphone, tablet or computer by logging into my account.

Boost your creativity: art in all its forms!

Escape and get in touch with art in all its forms. Visit museums, sharpen your artistic perception. Contemplate sculptures. Read on. Take in the beauty of the landscape. Let yourself be charmed by the architecture. Give your emotions new experiences: develop your 5 senses!

The emotions you’ll feel when you come into contact with all these artistic designs will enrich your creative spirit. You’ll refine your perception of things, put a different eye on the works.

Nurture your emotional personality: it’ll sharpen your inspiration!

Muscle your imagination: practice regularly

The most dreaded word: practice !

How do you practice when you have problems finding inspiration?

Quite simply: don’t put pressure on yourself. Get out your equipment, grab your brushes and get started. EXPERIENCE, try, practice. Listen to your emotions, your desire to create, without worrying about the result. Listen to your feelings, let your hand decide which colors, which mixes, which brushstrokes to use.

Then step back and analyze: note what gives you satisfaction, point out what you don’t like.

Doing this exercise with passion and the will to progress can only be beneficial.

Be whimsical: unleash your imagination

Don’t limit yourself. Every work of art is unique. Don’t get stuck on unstoppable principles that must be respected to create a beautiful painting, techniques that must be applied to a canvas: be spontaneous, paint what you want, what comes to mind, what gives you pleasure.

Artistic satisfaction is based on the notion of pleasure: the pleasure of creating, the pleasure of listening to oneself, the pleasure of putting emotions into canvas.

Trust yourself: there’s an artist in you!

The ability to produce art is not always innate; it can be acquired and developed. Some will be predisposed, while others will need more practice.

Developing your imagination, opening up to inspiration, acquiring dexterity, learning the secrets of mixing paints, or any other technique to master acrylic painting is within everyone’s reach.

You’ll go through phases of doubt as to your ability to paint, of being fed up with the difficulties. But if these situations frustrate you, it’s probably because you’ve skipped a few steps inlearning the art of painting.

Theawakening of your artistic sensibility should take place gently, step by step, but always with passion and regularity!