How to Loosen Up Your Brushwork (And Actually Enjoy the Process)
Let that brush dance! 🎨
I was a happy camper last week in the studio!
Music was blaring as I grabbed a brush and started making some small but significant changes to a canvas I had started earlier this year. The big rock area was unresolved. I started slowly, breaking up larger areas, adding darks and lights and I’m happy as it's looking so much better.
All this made me think. What did I do differently on this canvas? What worked this time because some other times, I go back into a canvas and I struggle to make progress? Something that was different was my attitude. Instead of wrestling with the painting, I set out to play. I had the timer on for 20 minutes and said “What If…”: What if I add this dark here…. What if I thicken this line? And so it happened. Before I knew it, I was totally immersed in the process AND enjoying it!Instead of putting the heavy weight on my shoulders of “You have to finish this painting and it MUST work”, I knew this was just a short session, I could stop in 20 minutes and make it work some other time. The stakes were lower. Now, by tackling everything with this attitude, I actually finished the painting!
Sometimes the best thing we can do is just let the brush dance. We can force accidents to happen by holding the brush in weird ways, at the end of the handle, barely holding on to it, at a strange angle, using your left hand. In my humble opinion, those accidents can be totally delicious and are where the magic is.
It's like I go into the canvas with the intention of wrecking some areas that got too precious. Instead of trying to fix something, I allow myself to play. And somehow that always makes me happier than being careful.
So my plan now is to go “wreck” some more canvases. 😂 Wish me luck!
If your brushwork has been feeling a little stiff or paintings are getting overworked lately, here are 4 practical tips to try:
Hold your brush further back: the further from the ferrule you hold it, the less control you have, and that's the point. Less control means more life.
Use ALL sides of the brush: The brush has different sides that allow all sorts of marks. Use one tip, the other, sideways, full on, press down or barely touch, twist it in your hand. Square brushes are wonderful for getting a variety of marks.
Paint standing up and use your whole arm and body: when you paint from the wrist everything gets tight and fussy. Painting from the shoulder loosens everything up immediately. Standing up will help you with the temptation to creep your hand to the end of the ferrule.
Give yourself a time limit: set a timer for 10 minutes in one area and stop when it goes off. Urgency will help you with overthinking and keeps your marks fresh and decisive.
And remember: lively brushwork isn't just about tricks and techniques. It's also the result of practice and consistency over time. The more you show up, the more natural and confident your marks become. That's something I see in my own practice and I get to see firsthand with my students. I get so excited when I see their progress as they follow my “suggestions” and put in the time. Skills stack month after month and what was awkward and forced starts to flow much more easily. That's the goal.
How do you tackle an unresolved painting? I’d love to know. Share your thoughts in the comments below! 👇
P.S. I showed you this video in last week’s email, but this is the painting I’m talking about in this email. Take a look at my dancing brush HERE