Experiment Fail Learn

EXPERIMENT FAIL LEARN

Think back to when you were a child. A blank sheet of paper and some crayons was all you needed to be an artist. No-one had to tell you what to do. It was instinct. Experimentation came naturally and it was fun. We need to go back there as adults! One of the most important things you can do for yourself as an artist is to experiment and have fun with your art. When you rediscover that childlike, reckless abandon where failure isn’t in your vocabulary, every brushstroke you make becomes a new adventure.

But… experimentation.That’s a big, scary word for most artists.

We are creatures of habit. We want to do what we know, what’s comfortable, and, if we’re being honest, what’s easy for us. To become better than we were yesterday, we have to get outside our own box. One of the best ways to do that is to experiment!

Let me give you just a few ways you can

experiment as a Photoshop Artist…

• Look at the work of an artist you admire. Zoom in (if you can) and really take a close look at the brushwork. Is there a way you can emulate that artist’s brushwork in your next painting? Emulate, but don’t copy. This is a great way to experiment!

• Notice the choice of materials other artists use. While we focus on an oil painting look in Beyond the Brushes, there’s no rule against experimenting with a more mixed media style. Adding unique textures and elements to a painted artwork can create a totally unique look that is unachievable any other way. This is a great way to break the monotony of day in day out oil painting!

• Think about a technique that has worked particularly well for you in the past. Is there a way you can apply that technique to a totally different subject for a unique result? This is one of my personal favorites for experimentation.

These are just three simple ideas but the possibilities are actually endless.

But… what if you fail?

Why is failure is such a dirty word in the art world? Any time you’re creating things, you’ve got a potential for failure. For whatever reason, no one wants to admit that they’ve created a work of art that was a total flop. It’s like the dirty little secret that every artist tries to shove in the closet.

Newsflash: If an artist tells you they’ve never had a total fail, they’re lying.

I could wallpaper my bathroom with the number of failed paintings on my hard drives! The thing is — I don’t consider them failures. Why? Because I learned something from each and every “failure”. Every single one has made me a better artist. If they’ve made me into what I am today, how can that be considered a failure?

Experimentation is essential to the creative process. Without some degree of risk taking and pushing boundaries by experimentation, we will become stagnant as artists. In my opinion, that is far worse than the occasional artistic fail.

My advice?Experiment.Fail.Fail spectacularly!

Eventually you’ll find the perfect experiment that makes you, YOU as an artist. Then every single experimentation (and fail) will be worth it!