I need some ideas!

Art can be intimidating, even for those of us who consider ourselves artists. But it doesn’t have to be. There are so many ways to draw and paint. Styles truly are as varied as we are.

Below, you will find a few “Where do I start?” idea lists that should serve as good launching points for your compositions. If you ever find yourself stuck when doing any of the art based exercises in this workshop, reference these ideas for a little inspiration. Try different things. You may be surprised by your discoveries!

Colors:

Soft

Fantastical

Neutral

Vibrant

Pastel

Black and white

Strong

Natural (real to life)

Primary (red, yellow, blue)

Monochromatic (one color, various tones i.e. light to dark)

Complimentary (yellow and purple, red and green, blue and orange)

Composition:

Busy

Simple

Blocks of color

Angular

Soft

Linear

Clusters

Off kilter

Centered

Organized

Aligned

Real to life

Cartoonish

Aspects exaggerated/out of proportion

Small on the page

Filling the page

Filling the page so much, the item is partially cropped

Strokes:

Rough

Smooth

Continuous line

Pointillism (many dots: close together for dark areas; further apart for light areas)

Hatching (lots of parallel lines: close together for dark areas; further apart for light areas. Vary the length of your lines to add extra interest.)

Cross hatching (lots of criss crossed lines: close together for dark areas; further apart for light areas. Vary the length of your lines to add extra interest.)

Scribbles!

Combine all of the above!

Some fun things to think about:

Next time you peruse Instagram or Pinterest for things you love, or when you look at your favorite magazine, notice what your eye is drawn to in the context of these lists. Notice if you are drawn to neutrals when it comes to clothing and maybe bright, bold things when it comes to table wear. Do you like the really pronounced (rough) brushwork of some paintings, or do you like things to look smooth? Are you drawn to very symmetrical spaces, or are you more intrigued with spaces overflowing with haphazardly arranged antiques? You get the idea.

Next, take a look at your surroundings. Look at your furniture, your walls, any art you have, your clothing, etc. Do these things match what your eye is drawn to when searching the Internet, or no? Does this surprise you?

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