Still Life Can Be Fun
Still life painting: one of the staples of art. It doesn’t matter what level you are at, anyone can find hours of enjoyment and satisfaction from this simple pleasure. But some artists get put off from doing still life work, and there is certainly a perception in the public eye that sitting down and painting a load of oranges is nowhere near as exciting as painting a landscape masterpiece. In truth, still life is as exciting as you can make it. Here are some tips to make sure that you make the most of this fantastic subject:
1) Always paint objects which have features; if your painting has a lot of colour in it or something unique, it’ll be much more fun to paint. A dull, brown themed piece of work might look elegant in real life, made from shining wood, but in paint may just look muddy.
2) Lighting: don’t confuse your painting with lots of shadows all over the place. Use one source of light—usually from the side is best.
3) Don’t concentrate on the fine details to begin with: paint in the major parts of the picture. Still life often looks better when the small details are left out anyway.
4) The internet: many sites have video tutorials on how to paint still life and other such things.
5) Make sure you step away from your work; sitting there all day, things which are obvious to other people won’t seem obvious to you. Often, coming back the next day can reveal what needs to be done or changed.
6) Fed up with painting oranges? Well, why not go up in the loft and have a look at all the stuff from the 80s which has been completely ignored. Old telephones and designer bathroom accessories (don’t laugh) make great still life subject matter, as do a number of other things like old toys, artifacts etc.
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