Good at painting but no imagination... help?

Question

Ok so i am probably one of the best artists in my grade and everybody is usually amazed with my work, drawing or painting. ONLY when i have something to look at for reference. However, when i am asked to draw something that means something, symbolic or imaginative or creative WITHOUT a reference, (photo or still life) i am terrible! i have no imagination. ;(
i have always wanted to be an artist because i am very good at capturing something i see and putting it on paper. However, am i doomed if i cant imagine anything? Is there any way to "acquire" artistic creativity through lessons, or is it something i naturally dont have and should give up on?

Answer 1

Go to some museums or galleries and start exposing your self to other paintings, sculptures etc.
Some of what you want comes with life and your experiences.

Stimulate your mind with all forms of art and creativity, don't be afraid to start a painting or drawing not knowing where it might go.

Answer 2

I have this same problem- I can replicate, but not independently make something up. I suggest first just going through with a couple of sketches of still life, or photos, or w/e, like you're doing now, and slowly take a subject and change it, ie, for a person, you could draw a different set of clothes, or change their hair, or for a leopard, change the pattern of his spots. By and by you'll get the hang of creating something without having to actually look at something.
Another way I think would help is if you knew what you were drawing really well, without having to look at a picture or object or whatever. For example, an artist would need to know proportions and shadow, angles and depth, to be able to create a good work of art. If you had an idea of whatever you plan to draw or paint in your head, without the need of it physically, it would help a lot.

Answer 3

Ok. i'm going to paint with acrylics as well, and here is what I'm either going to do: Do still-life (flowers in a vase) The black silhouette of a tree against a pale background (white?) The Earth in someone's hands A sunset Look around the room you're in now, what catches you're eye? Look outside paint something from there Paint some snow covered mountains reflected onto a huge lake with pine trees on the bank, whilst several blackbirds, ravens, piqeons, robins or sparrows flutter through the air with amazing speed. Or a tornado/hurricane/lots of wind/just a simple breeze that makes petals and dead leaves on an autumn floor rise up and fly (show the motion trail of each petal/leaf) Hope I helped

Answer 4

Good artists borrow - Great artists steal.

A famous Scottish artist - Jack Vettriano painted The Singing Butler,

http://www.gallerydirectart.com/cg-907.html

My local newspaper printed pages from the art book that he copied this and other paintings from (must have been a slow news day). The Singing Bulter sold recently for over a million dollars. So, don't fret about copying other things and needing to have images available for inspiration.

It isn't the subject matter that counts, it's what you do with it - composition, colours, tones, etc... Skill in any one of these is not easy to achieve, so practice, practice and practise some more.

As regards the creativity side, get a lot of small pieces of paper, write different things on them (animal, vegetable or mineral) - one per piece of paper - put them into a hat and draw off 3 - 6 pieces of paper at random. You are going to get some REALLY weird ideas from that, but if they succeed in sparking other ideas - your being creative.

Hope this helps

Answer 5

Painting from memory is not a need to be an artist. All artists use reference photos. Or paint something they feel.
I use reference photos and scetches all the time. Being an artist and mastering your craft doesn't take imagination it takes years of study and hard work. Don't get discouraged by what people say, even your closest friends and family, just continue doing what you do and with lot of work and perseverance you will succeed as an artist.

Answer 6

Oh Baby! Sounds like you are a PORTRAIT painter born to do it! The GOOD news about that is this: You will be able to make a LIVING FROM YOUR ART!!! Do you KNOW how many "artists" there are out there who "express" themselves on canvas and are starving or flipping burgers or waiting tables to pay the bills. You are NOT doomed if you can't imagine anything. I am a portrait artist and while I have never found a "message" I want to convey or "something to SAY" through my art, I am making a very comfortable living "immortalizing" members of humanity at this time in history. I have a real knack for capturing accurately human features and their "souls". LISTEN... study anatomy...study PEOPLE, study fabric folds, fur, the sparkle of jewelry... you can be a wonderful artist and make a LIVING at it!!! If you can accurately "portray" what you see you are SO GIFTED and SO LUCKY!!! Relax and enjoy just being able to render in 2D what you see in 3D. It is a great gift! My motto is: If I Can See It, I Can Paint It. IGNORE the "Insider Art Community" who is looking for the next "genius" to discover. ENJOY your gift and make it support you! Good luck and God bless!

Answer 7

I just read a book about creating your own paintings and it said that you should keep a note book of pictures for inspiration. That you should take pictures of things you see and alway carry a small camera with you for this purpose. I have a friend who is a professional artist and went to school for 4 years to be an artist and she has boxes and boxes of items that she uses for inspiration. things like paper, pictures, fabric samples, calendars, greeting cards, etc. So my suggestion is to use things for inspiration. This doesn't mean copy someone else's picture or work but use items in a picture as inspiration and use several pictures to make your own, or use a picture you took as inspiration. I think most artists use models, pictures or actually paint their pictures at the scene of their subject. (ever seen a painter at the park, beach or in front of a historical building?) I use to work in a historical building and we would see painters out front painting a lot. Don't give up! I think creativity is something that you work at and the more you work at it the better it becomes.

Answer 8

NEVER give it up if you love it. i think you're looking for a super-imaginative symbolic piece of artwork, but you just need to paint what you think about, not what other artists seem to paint about. creativity is your own thing, it's different with every person. one person may be more creative about music while another may be more creative about a sport. you can imagine anything, but don't imagine what you think you're supposed to be imagining. does that make sense to you? just do what you think is best, not what you think is the "correct" way of being creative. if you're good at capturing something, capture what's in your head or your feelings. creativity cannot be "acquired". it's in you, but you have to know how to bring it out and use it.

Answer 9

It takes practice, but because you're good at rendering real objects, you might be a blossoming "realist" painter. Realist painters have the unique ability to extract hidden ideas from what they see, rather than "conjure" ideas out of the blue. Andrew Wyeth is a realist painter, and with practice, he's learned to look beneath reality with his style to show us ideas and images that we could not see without him. Instead of trying to come up with ideas, learn to look more deeply at your subjects, and paint the more subtle, hidden shapes and colors that only you can see. Believe me, your perceptions are much more intense and focused than the average persons, and you're artwork will show them things they can't see on their own.

Answer 10

make some very simple and very fast scetches of whatever comes in your head, and make a lot of them until it becomes very free. this is how it happens with our writing character as well, we focus on the expression and not on the technique. scetch with many different materials and see different results. once you have the ideas then you start thinkink about technique again. you can also try altering some finished works that you have finished already creating some weird things