I'm a beginner at painting with acrylics.....I love it but I'm horrible at it....is there any hope?

Question

Whenever I paint something, it just looks so elementary....I have a horrible time thinking of something to paint.....and I always critique myself and worry what others' opinions of my works will be....I believe I'm an artistic person but it definitely doesn't show in my artwork....How can I become more creative and make it show in my paintings?
Thanks

Answer 1

Yes there is hope.
Its just that you have to work at and practice more and more. It tooks me several years to accomplish my skill, I'm still learning, but I love it. It'll take time. I hated critiques earlier on, but now later I got used to it. I do like other peoples opionions, because they can tell what needs to be done even if its good or bad. Just keep on praticing. On a pieces of fruit/vegetable/ still life like a wine bottle, grapes, vases, anything laying around the house would be a good object. Or even a self-portrait.

Answer 2

You must practice, practice, and practice. Every time you do a painting you will find new values to color and interpretation of your work. Never give up, just keep trying. One piece of advice is that when you look at your work and say, "It is finished", don't play with it any more; because you will probably do something you didn't want.
Acrylics are forgiving, in that you can sometimes cover up a mistake, but if you do over painting to much, you will loose the effect you were looking for.
Just be patient, it will fall into place.

Answer 3

Were you great the first time you rode a bike? Like everything else.. it takes practice and patience and determination and commitment. Just keep at it.. acrylics can be hard at first.. try watering them down.. you'll have more control and less resistance. You don't want to fight with your medium. Maybe try gouache for a while, it's much kinder, then go back to acrylics once you've found your "hand." Don't give up! I wish you so much good luck. Wasn't it Ben Franklin who said "I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have....!"

Answer 4

My son is in an art school, and the teachers always say: "practice everyday, and have fun with it, because painting is not about perfection, it's about inspiration. In the first semester it looked like kindergarden painting, but in the second semester he was getting better. Now he's going to his 2nd year. So keep on practicing, and don't throw away your first paintings so you can observe your progress.

The teacher's also told me to buy him and subscribe him to art magazines,and books. There's some great ones at Borders. Wish you luck and inspirtion.

P.S.: Everytime I'm learning something new in life I remember myself that when I was born, I didn't put on my champs and left the hospital running. It's just a matter of time, and you will master it. Chao.

Answer 5

I think acrylics can be hard to work with...they don't blend easily, they dry too fast, and the colors dry darker than when you laid them down. You can get an acrylic medium to mix in your paint and extend the drying time a little. There are also a lot of how-to books that will teach you ways to work around the medium's limitations.

You might also want to consider oil painting. :D

Answer 6

I'm a big believer in copying. There are lots of books available that teach this way. Once you have some success it is easier to branch out on your own - and trying all the projects shown in the how to books will help you find what you like best to paint (I can't stand still life but love landscape)

Answer 7

You are a Leo so you don't give up easy.You just need to work at it and develop your own style.It takes a little practice but you can do it ! I just bet you are going to be great ! It is like driving a car,or walking in real high heals,the more you try the better you get ! Maybe you can join a class to give you some good pointers.Here is a star for you ....and I'm cheering for you !

Answer 8

You should allow yourself a year at least to learn the basics.

I`d reccoment to following
.

1. Paint using just black and white for a couple of paintings
2. Dont mix more than four paints to get a colour
3. Keep your palettte, brushes etc clean
4. Find a painter you like and copy their work.

Remember being a good painter is slow, so dont be hard on yourself when things go wrong.

Answer 9

Can you draw. Here are some simple exercises. Draw a cylinder, a cube, a triangle and sphere. shade them in as they would appear with a light cast on them. The sphere should have a gradation tone and end up looking like a ball. A brush is the same as a pencil, or charcoal, sharpie, except the head is softer. Practice makes good, when you have accomplished the pencil, change over to the brush. Art school is a good place. Takes discipline.

Answer 10

Painting is an endeavor that takes a lifetime to master. It all starts with good drawing skills. Set up some still lifes and paint them. Paint from life and start with simple academic subjects to work on your technique. Get some good books on paints and brushes. Have fun!