How to make your art stronger

How to make your art stronger

Getting clear around what your abstract painting is about is vital if you want to make it stand out and attract attention. So often abstract art can be overwhelming and confusing becuase the artist hasn’t decided what the painting is REALLY about. In this video I talk you through what to look for in your work to discover where it’s strengths lie and how to make it stronger and more powerful. How to make it stand out from all the other work on the Gallery wall.

Don’t miss out on my upcoming Workshop. I’ll be demonstrating through guided painting videos and Live Calls, how you can make art you love consistently with a process you can trust. June 24 - 28, 2024 register here: https://www.judywoodsart.com/starts-wkshp-reg-june-2024-soc

What to Do When Your Painting Is A Disaster!

What to Do When Your Painting Is A Disaster!

Sometimes your painting session just goes WRONG! We all have days like that. In this video you will see me create a really Ugly painting - I never intended to - it just WENT WRONG! But then I fixed it. So watch the process of finding a new direction and resolving a mess. There are some fundamental studio practices that we can learn from this

🎨 when conditions in the studio are not right - don’t just persevere - correct the problem

🎨 Take a break, always walk away from a painting when you’re getting frustrated - otherwise you’ll continue to make bad decisions

🎨 Come back to it when you’re ready, with clean brushes, clean water and a fresh paint palette

🎨 Trust yourself and your process. If you don’t have a process you can trust - GET ONE! Check out my stARTs Course: https://www.judywoodsart.com/starts1

How to Use Masking Fluid in Your Painting

How to Use Masking Fluid in Your Painting

I’ve recently experimented with Masking Fluid which is traditionally used in Watercolour Painting. But as a mixed media artist, I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to create new marks and surface effects in my acrylic paintings. Watch this demonstration as I explore using Masking Fluid as a drawing tool and then have a go in your own work.

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What I do after the Gesso

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What I do after the Gesso

In this video, I demonstrate what I do after I’ve applied a couple of coats of Gesso. I use black and white Gesso so that my painting already has a variety of marks, effects and tonal values. My process is intuitive - I don’t have a plan, but rather decide and respond to the colours and paint effects that arrive through experimentation. There is a method that I use to avoid creating a mess which has no direction which could happen when painting in this explorative way.

Watch the video to see how I start my paintings with colour and line and make sure you watch to the end to see a surprise tip for getting the BEST results.

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Reviewing Techniques and Media Used in My NEW Paintings

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Reviewing Techniques and Media Used in My NEW Paintings

In this video, I reveal four newly finished paintings and talk about the techniques I used and the combinations of media used in each one. I also share how these paintings direct me to new work and what I want to focus on more in these.

This practice of reviewing your work when it’s completed is really important in understanding how your work is evolving and where the clues lie for future work.

I talk about media: paint, ink, and drawing media and how and why I’m using them in my work.

How to Create a Mixedmedia Abstract Landscape Painting

How to Create a Mixedmedia Abstract Landscape Painting

Using acrylic paint, ink and drawing media in this video I demonstrate how to create an abstract landscape painting. This technique can be used to create a painting of a place from your memory or to create a landscape you’ve only imagined. Watch as the painting emerges from building layers of colour and then by adding suggestive details at the end the landscape is found. This is an exciting way to paint!

A Demonstration on How to Integrate Drawing into Abstract Painting

A Demonstration on How to Integrate Drawing into Abstract Painting

This is ideal if you want to move towards abstract art but don’t want to let go of a representational element altogether. In this video, I demonstrate how I build a painting in layers using acrylic paint and line. The drawn line refers to botanicals in this case, but you can combine any subject matter into your abstract work using this method. You could draw from life, photos, or even include collage - which I also demonstrate in many of my other videos.

Drawing with Freedom & Expression for BEST RESULTS

Drawing with Freedom & Expression for BEST RESULTS

The key to good drawing is OBSERVATION!! Having the ability to observe the subject and represent it on paper doesn’t have to be a laborious exercise. Instead, by keenly observing the subject and allowing your pencil the freedom to record what you see AS YOU SEE IT you can create a drawing that has personality and is much more expressive. This type of drawing will convey a feeling rather than recording a photographic likeness. This is my favourite type of drawing.

In this video I show some examples of figure drawing done during a Drama Festival while I was watching young actors on stage. Then in my sketchbook, back in my studio I draw my daughter in the same style and this time create a composition with abstract shapes, line and markmaking. Watch to see how I integrate the drawing with the painting and use different media within the work.

When and How to Create Large Paintings

When and How to Create Large Paintings

Is it time to upscale your Art? In this video I discuss why people often go large too soon and what you need to consider before you decide to create larger work. I share my process of painting large scale, show the tools I use and invite you to come along with me as I work on a large painting.

Combining Paint, Acrylic Ink and Drawing

Combining Paint, Acrylic Ink and Drawing

In this video I show what media and tools I use to start my paintings. I want to quickly create a surface full of interest with shape, line and colour as well as creating texture and variety in paint effects. Watch me demonstrate in my sketchbook exactly how I start my large canvases by combining shape, line and texture with a range of media.

The stencil shapes used in the video can be purchased from https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencils-by-Judy-Woods-s/2196.htm.

Avoid the Blank Canvas - Use Gesso to Paint

Avoid the Blank Canvas - Use Gesso to Paint

Starting a painting and making that first mark on a blank canvas can be daunting. In this video, I show you how to avoid this nervous starting point by using Gesso to create a beautiful surface instead of a flat blank canvas.

By painting with Gesso, applying it with a variety of tools, and allowing water to flow through the thick paint, you can build depth and subtlety into those first layers. Before you know it, you’ve started a beautiful and exciting painting and avoided the nervousness altogether.

Watch this video and alternate between Black and White Gesso to create depth and interest to your canvas. Using a variety of tools, from squeegee to comb, you can experiment and discover the effects you love as the foundation to your next painting.

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A Quick Exercise to Create Good Design

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A Quick Exercise to Create Good Design

Recognizing good design in your painting is imperative to being able to create successful artwork. So exercising your ‘design muscle’ so that you can recognize and create good design and correct bad design is part of an artists creative fitness routine! In this video I show you a quick exercise you can do in your sketchbook using pages from an old Calendar. Ripping these up to create new and interesting shape and linear combinations, and then improve the design by layering more collage over the top. All you need is some bold graphic collage material and some glue. Within a fun half hour you will have created a bold design that could be the inspiration for new work. Have fun!

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My Painting Process from Beginning to End

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My Painting Process from Beginning to End

In this video I’m creating a big red painting from beginning to end. I’m often asked how long it takes to create a painting. Well this video will give you an insight into my process. My paintings are created by going on a journey: playing, experimenting with media, and looking for direction in design by what excites me.

👉Take note of how I alternate between using acrylic paint and dry media: pencils, pastels and oil sticks.

👉Look at how I integrate collage at the beginning of the painting to provide surface interest.

👉Watch me use templates to create unique and interesting shapes.

👉Listen as I explain how I know I’m finished at the end of the video.

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Playing in my Sketchbook before I paint

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Playing in my Sketchbook before I paint

Playing in my Sketchbook before I paint on canvas is like stretching before going for a run. It reminds me of what I want to see in my work and sets the intention for a playful, exploratory studio session. Sometimes when trying to ‘finish’ paintings there can be a tendency to tighten up as we don’t want to mess up the good work we’ve done. But I want to remain loose and in exploration mode right up to the end - so limbering up in the sketchbook ensures my painting will stay loose and I get the effects that I love. In this video a quick 30 minute painting, starting with collage and ink led me to create a painting with loose fluid shapes and line to provide structure. Allowing the paint and ink to mix and flow provides beautiful accidental effects that speak of freedom and flow - which is exactly how a painting session should start. Try starting your painting session with a quick play in your sketchbook to set the intention for your exploration in paint.

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How to Paint the FEELING of a Garden in COLOUR

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How to Paint the FEELING of a Garden in COLOUR

In my sketchbook this week I explored painting some Canna Lillies. I didn’t want to paint how they looked - I wanted to paint how they felt - focusing mainly on their vibrant colour and the movement of their broad leaves and upright sturdy stems. Watch in this video how I build depth through layering with thick and thin paint, suggesting details with loose drawing and build a rich vibrant colourful painting. Pick a few stems from your garden, take time to colour match in paint and then build your beautiful paintings in layers too.

How to take MORE RISKS and create successful Paintings

How to take MORE RISKS and create successful Paintings

To relinquish control with paint and mixed media requires risk which can be scarey especially when we have paintings that we care about and don’t want to ruin. When creating abstract paintings it’s essential we explore and experiment with paint, ink, drawing media - everything! So how do you take the risks when painting and try out new techniques and methods but still ensure your paintings are successful? In this video I talk about how I learnt to have confidence in taking risks. I give you my top tips: 1) Practice in a sketchbook where mistakes and messes don’t matter. This is where you can discover painting techniques that work and how to combine wet and dry media successfully; 2) Use a notebook to jot down your discoveries so that you don’t waste time in the studio and can pick up where you left off easily; and 3) When you feel confident, use the techniques and painting knowledge you’ve learnt on your paintings to create strong, exciting work.

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The Best Way to Get Looser with Paint - Without Losing Control

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The Best Way to Get Looser with Paint - Without Losing Control

As we get more confident as artists we often want to paint with more freedom and become more loose with media. Our abstract painting can seem a little tight and contrived to begin with. So how do we let loose with the media but still maintain control with our work to achieve great results? It all comes down to how we use the tools: paint brushes, colour shapers, pencils, pens and dry media. We want the media to flow and make marks that are free and loose, we don’t want to impose too much control when using wet media: paint, acrylic ink etc. And when we use dry media we control the types of line and marks by how we hold the pencil, pastel or pen. In this video I demonstrate how to hold brushes, colour shapers, and dry media to allow the media to flow loosely while also maintaining enough control to get the painting results you want.

Acrylic Ink in Abstract Mixedmedia Painting

Acrylic Ink in Abstract Mixedmedia Painting

In this video I explain how to overcome a common problem artists have when they fall out of love with their paintings. This can happen when our style evolves and we grow in our artistic preferences. But what do we do with the older paintings that are still lingering and no longer reflect our new aesthetic?

I discovered a new technique by using Acrylic Ink to loosen the surface of the painting and freed me up to finish the painting again, this time in my new looser style. There were still aspects of the original paintings that I loved and I was able to integrate these with my new style and create a finished painting that I am much happier with.

In the newly finished paintings I used drawing with oil stick as well as flooding the surface of the painting with Acrylic Ink and water. I used these techniques to provide variety in both wet and dry media which enriches the surface and offers the viewer a broader range of experience when viewing the paintings. I was trying to move into a looser style of expression so I needed to soften edges and lose more control of the paint, ink and drawing tools.

I encourage you not to Gesso over older paintings and lose all your beautiful painting. There will be parts that can be integrated with your new style while still maintaining your authenticity. Decide what new media you can bring to the work and without a backward glance forge ahead to bring your work up to date with your growing artistic style.

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Your Guide When Mixing Colour in Abstract Painting

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Your Guide When Mixing Colour in Abstract Painting

In this video I demonstrate how to use your first colour choice to guide your second colour choice…. until you have a beautiful harmonious colour palette to create an abstract painting. This is simply knowing the right question to ask about the colour you have already mixed when faced with the conundrum about what colour to mix next! Watch the video and then get colour-mixing!!