How to Stay Loose While Painting Abstract Art

If you are reading this post, please know, I have been in your shoes, and I try on those shoes a few times every year.

I know you might have seen what I am about to describe on Instagram, but I want to shed more light on the subject and tell you why I think that people get “tight” while painting abstract. My hope is that if you recognize the feeling, and understand why it is happening, you can slowly start to avoid tightening up while painting abstract art.

Over the years, I have helped thousands of online students in my teaching network (the network is provided to all full-sized workshop customers for life) by trying to help them understand why their paintings develop into something they do not like. The most common denominator here is that they are tight, which results in abrupt paintings, paintings that look forced or just flop paintings in general (I know we all have a few of those).

By understanding a few of the most common reasons artists “tighten up”, we can learn to lesson or prevent the behavior all together. Do any of the following things happen to you?

Artist, Julie Prichard, working with the early layers of one of her abstract paintings.

The artist does not practice the art on a regular basis.

My colleague and I see this a lot. Artists take a workshop and when the workshop is over, they take a break from painting. Painting is like anything that requires practice. The more you do it, the better you get. In this case, the more frequently you paint, the easier it is to recognize that you are tight and the easier it is to overcome this feeling altogether.

Let’s think about an example. In tennis, my daughter’s coach wants her hitting every day of the week. The muscle memory that is built while doing this helps her to make less errors in her matches the next time she steps onto the tennis court. The same thing applies to painting. When you take a break, expect to feel sluggish. Recognize this feeling and try to expect it.

The artist is trying to replicate an organic abstract stroke by stroke.

All of my paintings are derived in some sort of organic fashion. The designs are not sketched out beforehand, and I never know what I am going to get when I start a new work. This is my painting style and subsequently the same style of paintings I teach to my students.

Painting organic shapes, is an art form in itself. The brush moves randomly, resulting in different energy and natural movement in the brushstrokes. Attempting to sit down and force your hand into the same movements that you may have created in a previous painting can subconsciously change those natural movements and while you start to recognize that, you may feel pressured and tighten up. Resulting movements may end abruptly where they previously flowed onto the canvas.

The artist is thinking too hard.

I spent a long time when I started painting, trying to replicate certain sweet spots that I saw in work that I admired. In my imagination, I wanted to make entire paintings based on these sweet spots and as I concentrated on making them, I grew frustrated. The same feelings will probably take place when you are trying to replicate steps in an online workshop. When I work with my own students, I encourage them to always try the techniques a few different times: First, try them on a practice substrate. Next, try to replicate the technique the way it was shown in the workshop video. Finally, venture out on your own and try to incorporate the technique using your own creative voice. (This is the key reason that I allow the students taking my full-sized workshops personalized coaching. I know incorporating the techniques in your own voice can be challenging.)

Learning to stay loose during the abstract painting process can be difficult. Here, Julie Prichard, works to ensure her movements stay fluid throughout the entire painting, not just in the early stages.

The artist is placing too much value of the early stages of the painting.

Beginning students are always excited when something spontaneous happens on the canvas. One of those sweet spots I mentioned earlier may appear early on in the painting, and great caution might be taken to avoid covering that spot with subsequent painting layers.

If you are trying desperately to protect an area in your abstract painting, take these things into account first: Is the area substantial enough to contribute to the composition of your abstract painting, or is it just a small tidbit that looks cool? Is the location of the spot beneficial to the composition? Does the type of spot contribute to the composition or is it mismatched to the desired feeling of the art?

It’s just paint. If you answered “no” to any of the questions above, you may want to reconsider the area or try to recreate it once you have more of the painting built.

The artist is concerned about wasting (insert your favorite expensive supply here).

Good quality art supplies are expensive. I get it. However, you will never know the full potential of those supplies unless you practice a lot with them. Use the supplies. Learn from your mistakes and experiment. Experiment with the supplies that you will be using in the art you sell, because those supplies may perform differently than less expensive supplies.

The artist is working with an unreasonable self-imposed deadline or project.

There are two different scenarios that I can think of regarding deadlines: The painting commission and the 100 day project:

I think 100 day projects can be great or they can be really bad. If you can understand that there will be days where you don’t feel good, and if you feel like you can proceed through those 100 days without comparing your success to others in the same project, then by all means, do the project. Recognize these types of projects for exactly what they are: 100 days for you to practice your art and to keep the creative wheels moving.

Finally, a word about taking commissions. I don’t advise taking commissions if you are not totally comfortable with your process yet. Painting for someone other than yourself can really add a lot of pressure to your process. I believe that if your process is firmed up, and you know who you are as an artist, that would be the best case scenario in which to take on a commission.

If you decide to take a commission, a word of advise: Trying to replicate a painting that you may have sold previously may cause you to tighten up. Ensure that the client understands your painting style. Secure a contract. I personally never take commissions because I do not want to be painting for someone other than myself. But, if I were to take a commission, I would make sure to have all the details written down, including my delivery timeline, for the client beforehand.

I think the most important takeaway from this article is that all artists at some point or another may tighten up. Everyone has days where they feel like their work could have been better. You may have a string of days where this happens. Creativity ebbs and flows. Learn to expect the slow periods and be kind to yourself.

If youre interested in taking my latest workshop which outlines my process for staying loose while developing complex compositions, please click here. I would be thrilled to work with you. This workshop is especially valuable if you are a student who enjoys the presence of your instructor throughout the entire process. I offer daily feedback when you work- not only on the class samples, but across any of your paintings where you would like to apply the techniques we learn in the workshop. Responses are generally given the same day!