As featured in Leisure Painter magazine; issue 633.
1. Hone your drawing skills. As little as ten minutes of drawing a day will make a difference. Poor application of paint over a good drawing can still give you a reasonable result, but a bad drawing always shows.
2. Focus on tonal values. If tone is correct, colour becomes irrelevant. You can choose any colour and it will work.
3. Strive to do better and overcome the problems that will always arise. I was once told that if you can’t motivate yourself, you will always be average, even with natural talent. Ability has its downside, as it can make painting too easy, and you can lose interest. A big part of art is the challenge it presents.
4. Don’t be overly critical of your work and learn from your mistakes. Try to see a result as neither good nor bad; it’s simply a result. If something doesn’t work, learn from it. I still have disasters. I accept the failures, learn from them, find out how to something better, and move on.
5. Don’t compare your artwork to other artist’s work.
6. Be consistent. If you only have one hour a week to paint, use that hour to paint. Don’t be side tracked by tidying your brushes or looking at an art book. Take out your paints and use that hour wisely. If possible, stay in touch with your practice every day. If you don’t paint for a while, it can be difficult to start again.
7. As you learn and develop, the expectations you have will rise. Understand that there will be ups and downs, and you must learn to move through them. I can be critical of my work, but I move on immediately afterwards.
8. Always have something on the go. If I’m not painting a picture, I’m practising brushstrokes, making small studies of trees, or working on producing simple figures that can be included in street scenes. Even if you only have 15 minutes, use the time to keep yourself in touch with your chosen medium and how to use it.
9. Make your space work for you. I’ve just moved into a new studio space in the loft, which means everything is ready for me and I don’t need to waste valuable time getting paints our. I am incredibly grateful for this. Like most people, I spent most of my life painting on a kitchen table, where I would lose time looking for and taking out art materials. What can you do in the space you have to make your preparation time quicker?
10. Copying other people’s work is a good way to learn, but never make a copy and think it is yours. Your work should show how you feel about your subject. Learn how a favourite artist did something then fit it into your own style.
Richard G Green Watercolours 