Six Time-Honored Rules Every Artist Should Ignore

The downside
Until you master it, reworking feels like you’re losing ground.

You made a mistake.

You screwed up, again. You should have quit while you were ahead.

Maybe you shouldn’t be doing this. You don’t have much talent after all. Your sister has all the talent. Your parents always loved her more than you. That’s because you’re unlovable. You knew you’d never amount to anything and now it’s official.

OK, clearly spinning out of control here, but this is the kind of madness that can follow a minor setback in your art. I’ve actually heard such rants in my classes. They frighten me.

Rule #2.
Always Paint From Dark to Light

An academy staple that puts technique ahead of both observation and feeling.

And it’s so formulaic. We’re creating a work of art here, not baking a Bundt cake.

Start however you want, wherever you want. Don’t over-analyze. Get out of your head and dive right in.

Learn how to handle gobs of paint. Keep your drawing skills up too. Drawing is the finesse; paint volume is the punch. Yin and yang.

Connect with your subject, hesitate a few seconds, then respond with whatever’s appropriate. This will give your work more energy and truth than any procedure.

 

Rule #3.
You Have to Look at Art in the Flesh. You Can’t Look at Art Online.

Actually, you can.

Funny thing though about the words you can’t. Seems every great advance in human history was made by crazy people who ignored them…

You can’t cross the Atlantic,
You can’t build a flying machine,
You can’t fit a computer in your pocket…

Yes, there are inherent distortions in the digital image or any photographic image.

And yes, first-hand contact with a painted masterpiece housed in an architectural masterpiece is an experience that every artist should have.

But so what?
How are digital images harmful?

Why not enjoy the pleasure of viewing any masterpiece in the world, free from the crowds, noise, admission fees, aching feet, and grumpy guards that lessen the experience?

Take your iPad outside, pour a glass of wine, and it’s a no-brainer.

Rule #4.
You Have to Work Like Mad to Become a Great Painter

Must is the overbearing cousin of Can’t.

Overwork creates stress. Stress causes anxiety.

Anxiety leads to fear, fear leads to caution, caution leads to paralysis. To the point where your main artistic goal becomes not screwing up.

Does this sound like creativity to you?.

A steady, moderate work routine is way more effective than workaholism. Healthier, too. Those small, frequent breakthroughs really add up, leading to more breakthroughs. Overworking invites fatigue, obsessiveness, and depression.

Rule #5.
Never Use Black

Why then, do they make it?

Black mixed with white and a touch of warmth is the ultimate neutralizer. If you know how and when to use it the effects can be gorgeous.

Think of those silvery neutral tones as a pause, or a moment of silence.

Silence.
 
 

Nice, isn’t it?
 
 

Giving the eye a break is more effective than saturating it. Same goes for balancing details with empty space, another form of visual silence.

And lastly…

the granddaddy of them all…

Rule #6.
Quit While You’re Ahead

This one has made countless artists paint like they’re inching toward the edge of a cliff.

Your art is a reflection of you. That includes your skills and your feelings. It’s not like a meal that can be overdone, not if you’re using oils anyway.

Quit while you’re ahead stems from the insane notion that a great work of art is some fortunate accident that can’t be repeated. Or that a few wrong moves will be the death of the piece.

Either way, the approach is disempowering.

It’s perfectly OK to overwork a piece, so long as you know how to reverse it. You can always freshen up a painting with…well…fresh paint. Or remove any weak elements from the composition.

There’s no perfect moment to quit, so don’t agonize over it. Instead, become a whiz at moving forward, backward, then forward again, and watch your confidence soar.

Mary Jo O’Gara
Beets Leaning, oil on canvas