Developing your own style

February 8, 2016

When I painted these tulips today I was thinking about how there are little pieces of things I have learned from taking workshops, looking at DVD's,  and studying online blogs. 

These are things I was thinking about today and yesterday doing these two paintings: 

Robert Johnson - put a brush stroke down once and leave it alone  (scrape it off if it looks wrong and start again rather than messing around with it on the canvas.

Qiang Huang - just watched his new DVD which is terrific.  I like the brushes he uses, too.  Qualita from Jerry's Artarama.  Awhile ago I bought the 1-inch angular one that is very versatile.  I recommend his DVD.  Great info about value and basics of oil painting!

Nancy Franke - starts on a white canvas but retains her darks so well.  Use big brushes.

Dreama Tolle Perry - having a transparent dark underneath to help retain the darks.  Use color like confetti.

Every teacher I have ever had emphasizes darks and artists I have studied online also do this.

Carolyn Anderson - don't paint up to the lines (from original drawing), but over the line and inside the line.  She is a great person to study regarding edges.  Think of shapes, not lines. 

Somewhere I read that using red, yellow and blue in the background gives it luminosity.  There is also a lot written about pulling colors of the painting into the background.  Color is in the air.

It's impossible not to develop your own style

 A question I used to have is how to develop your own style in your paintings,  but in classes and workshops that I've taken, the teachers always answered pretty much the same way saying it is impossible not to have your own style.  

My own theory is that your choices of instruction and studying other artists plays into that process.  I've noticed when deciding what class or workshop to take,  I usually look at the paintings of the teacher.  It's obvious, but i would never take a class from someone whose paintings I didn't like.  

I've been looking back at my own choices of classes and how they have influenced me.  In the end, I think you use a little of what you like from every class you take and before you know it you have your own style.  Maybe that is obvious, too.  

When I first started to paint and didn't even know about workshops, I was looking through an art magazine and noticed that a class was offered by the author of my favorite book at the time.  It seemed amazing to me how I could actually take a class from someone so accomplished.  There it was in the magazine.  I got online, signed my husband and me for the class and we attended the class in South Carolina, a great experience from a wonderful teacher.

To show you what I groupie I was, here is a photo of the teachers book that I had autographed.  In my next blog I'll tell you more about that workshop and other workshops that I have taken.    

Paintings that I did during and right after that class: