Finding your artistic inspiration
You can learn all about the technical aspects of fine art painting, but I would contend that those aren’t nearly as important as finding a source of inspiration for your projects. If you’re lucky, you’ll continuously stumble across things that bring out the artist within you. The rest of us will simply have to accept the fact that painters’ block will occasionally strike us, usually at the most inopportune times. That doesn’t mean we have to simply sit back and take it, thoughthere are a few tricks for getting those creative juices flowing.One obvious idea is to record a catalogue of inspiration that you can turn to when you feel those tendrils of inactivity creeping in. You may hear people referring to both creativity and art journals. While they are similar in many respects, creativity journals have the tendency to contain more outside elements, while art journals are mainly reserved for the artist’s own sketches and paintings. Some painters have no problem mixing their exercises and sketches with magazine pages, articles, and other sources of inspiration, while others prefer to keep them separated. There’s no right or wrong way to go about it, but having an easy source of ideas will definitely come in handy in the future, no matter how inspired you feel at the moment.Art journals are also one way of sticking to a schedule in your painting. American photorealist painter Chuck Close said, “Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up.” If you restrict yourself to painting only when you feel “inspired,” you’ll soon find those times growing further and further apart. Instead, make sure that you put brush to canvas as often as possibleevery day, if you can manage it.Sometimes, artist’s block stems from falling into a rut. Whether it’s in subject or medium, don’t be afraid to change it up if your regular choices are not drawing anything out at the moment. You may find that you prefer oil painting to acrylic, or you may simply find that trying a different technique gives you a new perspective on your regular style.Getting out of the studio is another classic tip, but one that may be forgotten if you’re on a schedule. The closed-off studio is not likely to provide any new alternatives anytime soon, so put down the brush and take a trip. It could be an old favorite, like the zoo or your local park, or it might be somewhere entirely new. Chances are that the fresh air and movement will help improve your mood, if nothing elseand never underestimate the benefit of a positive outlook when it comes to artistic inspiration.