Part 1: The Challenge. The other evening I painted from a weekly challenge offered on Daily Paintworks. The challenge, from a fellow artist, was to replicate the values in a b&w photo of her cat, regardless of what colors you chose. You'll see I decided on complimentary colors...blues and oranges.
(for my students- about the 'black"in the painting: I wanted it interesting, not out the tube. It includes varying degrees of Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson, sometimes Viridian or Sap Green, a even a dab of orange at times.)
Part 2: How to Figure Out What to Paint. If you've ever grappled with this (me? like all the time!) check out a recent segment/podcast ..from the blog talk show "Artists Helping Artists", hosted by palette knife painter Leslie Saeta. She and Carrie Waller (watercolorist) share not only their personal ideas but review an excellent article by Marion Boddy-Evans. You're give a plethora of ideas from specific subject matter to where to find inspiration. Plus exercises to get you thinking in a whole new way. I encourage to listen (be patient, there's a lot of friendly chatter along the way)...
iTunes (click on Podcasts - then search Artists Helping Artists )
Or here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artistshelpingartists/2014/01/23/how-to-find-the-right-subjects-to-paint
So, are parts 1 & 2 really so different? Nope - finding challenges (on-line or on your own) is just another resource of try out new subject matter. You never know what will get your excited. And even if the subject doesn't become your signature work, it's always a way to hone your skills.
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