April 2023

If you are an artist you may need to loosen up your art work. You know it can be easy to get stuck in a rut and feel like your work is lacking energy or spontaneity. I frequently find myself trying to change my focus and loosen up my style.  It seems to be a never ending saga for me.  So I decided that if I have this problem, others probably do to. I recently tried doodling to change up and loosen up.  You can see that post here.

One way to break out of this is to try change up your style and approach to creating art and here are some tips to help you do just that:

Tips to Try:

Use larger tools:

Switching to larger brushes, pencils, or markers can encourage you to make bigger, more sweeping gestures that are less controlled than what you might create with smaller tools. Using larger tools can be a great way to break out of a rigid, controlled style and encourage more fluid, gestural marks. Here are a few examples of larger tools you can try using:

• Bigger paintbrushes: Switching to a larger brush can help you make broader, more sweeping strokes that are less precise than what you might create with a smaller brush.  When you change to a larger brush, you find you are unable to get the detail that you can with your smaller brushes, but that is exactly what you are going for.  With big brushes, you can capture the big picture without all the detail.  Just that will definitely loosen up your work!
• Large markers: Using large markers, such as chisel or broad-tipped markers, can help you create bold lines and blocks of color with minimal effort. This is a great way to experiment with graphic, abstract styles.
• Charcoal sticks: Charcoal sticks come in a variety of sizes, including larger ones that can be used for expressive, sweeping marks. They’re also great for experimenting with different textures and blending techniques.
• Wide-tip pens: Similar to large markers, wide-tip pens can be used to create bold, graphic lines and shapes with minimal effort. They’re particularly effective when used on smooth surfaces like paper or illustration board.

When working with larger tools, it’s important to remember that you may need to adjust your technique accordingly. Using larger tools may cause you to hold your implements differently and that may feel uncomfortable at first.  Artists everywhere claim that just by holding their paint brushes back toward the end of the handle helps them loosen up considerably.  You might try that first.

Embrace imperfection:

Remember that not every line needs to be perfect or precise. Let yourself make mistakes and embrace the happy accidents that occur when you’re not trying to be too precise. Some of the best artists alive will actually make errors on purpose just to create a sense of tension in the piece.  Perfection is not what you seek as an artist, if you want perfection, take a photograph.  You are trying to capture the mood, impression, or what you see when you look at something, not what actually presents itself.

Change your perspective:

Sometimes, getting out of your comfort zone and seeing things from a new angle can help you loosen up and create more freely. Here are some ways you can change your perspective:

• Draw from life: Instead of drawing from a photograph or your imagination, try drawing from real life. This can help you see things from a new angle and capture the energy and movement of your subject.
• Try a new medium: If you typically work with paint, try using markers or pastels. If you usually draw with pencils, try using charcoal or ink. Switching to a new medium can help you see your subject in a new way and create more spontaneously.
• Work with a limited color palette: Instead of using every color in the rainbow, try working with a limited palette of three or four colors. This can help you focus on value and form, rather than getting caught up in the details.
• Work on a new surface: Instead of using your usual sketchbook or canvas, try working on a new surface like toned paper, wood, or fabric. This can help you create marks that feel fresh and unexpected.
• Draw with your non-dominant hand: This might sound counterintuitive, but drawing with your non-dominant hand can be a great way to loosen up and create more gestural marks. Because you’re not as comfortable or in control, you may be more likely to create marks that are spontaneous and expressive.

Work quickly:

Set a timer for a short amount of time (say, 5 or 10 minutes) and challenge yourself to create a complete piece of art within that timeframe. This will force you to work quickly and instinctively, without overthinking each detail and help you focus on the most important elements . Setting a timer can be a great way to create a sense of urgency and encourage more spontaneous, gestural marks. When you’re working against the clock, you may be more willing to take risks and try new things. Finally, working with a timer can help you develop a more efficient workflow, which can be helpful if you tend to get bogged down in the details.

• Step back: Take breaks during the creative process to step back and look at your work from a distance. This can help you get a better sense of the overall composition and see where you might want to loosen up or add more energy.
• Try a warm-up exercise: Before diving into a larger piece, try doing a quick warm-up exercise such as blind contour drawing or scribbling with a large marker. This can help you get into a looser, more relaxed mindset before tackling a more complex piece.
• Use short bursts of time: If you don’t have a lot of time to devote to your art, try working in short bursts of 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day. This can help you create more frequently and develop a habit of working regularly.
• Try timed challenges: There are many online challenges and prompts that involve creating art within a set time limit. You can find many such opportunities online, or if that is not your thing, you can set up your own challenges to help you loosen up

Create a strong underpainting (This is your road map):

When you have a very strong and accurate underpainting, you can be more confident and adventurous with the brushstrokes that
you lay on top of it because you have a map to follow. Choose a color that complements the color combinations that will be placed on top of it.  This layer should be defining your subject. It will show light vs. dark and show crisp vs. loose to make your work easier for you.

 Just stop blending!

Walk away from the painting! Get yourself a cup of coffee. Run an errand. Just give yourself some time away so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes.  We all know the horror of creating mud by blending, and blending.  This one thing has ruined

more artwork than any other.  You think if you just do one little thing more it will fix itself.  But the truth is you probably have already done too much. So, just stop.  Put your brushes down.  Walk away. Come back later with a better perspective.  This can sometimes save your work.

Remember, there’s no one “right” way to create art. Loosening up your style can be a great way to inject new life into your work. It will help you rediscover the joy of creating. Art is totally subjective and it really doesn’t matter if anyone else likes it.  If you get satisfaction and pleasure from it, you have done a great job.  We should not be painting for acceptance from others, rather we paint because it feeds our souls

and makes us happy.  That is enough.

Here is an artist you may find helpful in your pursuit of loose brush strokes: Ali Kay Studio on YouTube. Her work is beautiful but is not tight and detailed.  She has paint-alongs on her channel that are fun and easy.  She is a very good teacher and explains her process so anyone can understand it.

Another great artist to check out is Sandi Hester on YouTube.  Her work is very loose and fun.  She just goes with what she feels and sees when painting and it turns out beautifully.