How to Paint Almost Anything

By now, I’ve established a painting process that works for me (most of the time). This process saves me from that overwhelming feeling of not knowing how to paint something - a feeling I struggled with BIG TIME when first starting out.

What I didn’t know in the beginning is that painting is much less about skill and more about preparation. The experts know this. If I follow my process, I can paint anything decently well. If you prepare correctly, painting comes easy. That’s the secret to becoming a great painter - learning how to prepare.

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Step 1: Don’t Rely on Memory

I used to be guilty of this. I’d say “I want to paint a house today,” and I would just think of a generic one in my mind. The problem is that my painting would be just that - generic. For the purpose of this article, I’m going to paint a swan, and walk you through my process as I paint.

Prior to painting, I look up 3-5 inspirational images online (or from pictures I’ve taken) and make note of my favorite elements from each. I don’t just assume I know what something looks like. I really observe which details make that thing interesting.

Not only is the end result better, but the painting process is less stressful. It takes pressure off me. I’ve really come to enjoy this exploration before I paint. I’m not sure why I didn’t used to do this in the beginning. I think it’s because I thought it’s something amateurs did, and I was desperate to get better. It was more about my ego than common sense.

Below are the images I’ve chosen as inspiration for my swan. Swans in real life are much different than what I pictured in my head, especially when it comes to the beak and feet.

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Step 2: Always Sketch

This is something else I didn’t used to do, and I would always be upset when my paintings had sloppy errors. Well, no wonder. It’s impossible to crank out a great painting without a basic blueprint. Also, if you want your painting to have a great composition, you have to play around a bit. It never comes on the first try.

Again, I used to avoid this step because I thought amateurs sketched. After studying the process of many great artists, I know they all sketch first.

The way I follow this step is to do a light sketch underneath all my paintings. You can also do a quick smaller sketch before this step if you’re really feeling insecure about what you’re painting. The more sketching you do, the more confidence you will have.

My number one tip for sketching is to squint your eyes and see your inspirational images (from step 1) as a series of shapes, colors, and outlines, instead of for what they really are. This will help you get the structure right, especially when drawing something complex like a human or animal.

Another tip is to create a test painting on your iPad prior to creating the actual piece. If I’m really feeling unsure about how something will look, I love doing this type of exercise. It always results in a better painting. It’s also great for when you get a good idea on-the-go and want to capture it quickly.

A quick sketch I did on my iPad prior to my actual sketch.

My light sketch under my painting.

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Step 3: Decide on Your Color Palette Beforehand

This is something I started doing recently, and it has made a world of difference in my work. The best artists use color tactfully, and they know when they’ve taken their color palette too far. By choosing your colors beforehand, you will have a more interesting end result. Also, it will make the painting process less stressful, because you will have a plan going in.

My favorite tip is to make little swatches of all your favorite colors, so you can play around with fun combinations before you start your piece. Write the color mixture formulas on the back, as a great reference tool.

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Step 4: Color Block

The way I used to approach my paintings didn’t make any sense. I would start in one corner, and finish in the opposite corner. Now I know that layering is key. It’s also the secret to not feeling overwhelmed by a piece.

Before adding any details to a painting, I block in large chunks of color. This step is similar to laying the foundation when building a new house. In my mind, this is the most difficult step, because it is more permanent than a sketch, and it dictates the remainder of the painting. However, it’s always much easier than I think, because I’m just shading in big areas. My sketch has prepared me for this step, so there’s nothing complicated about it. Once I’m done color blocking, the rest feels like a breeze. I know I’m in the home stretch.

A tip for color blocking is to use a dry brush texture (as I’ve done below on the dark areas), so some of the paper shows through. I also love leaving areas white (as I did with the swan). It saves time and creates a really interesting look.

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Step 5: Save Detailing for The End

To me, detailing is like putting sprinkles on top of a cake. It’s fun and spontaneous. This is my favorite part of the painting process because, by this point, I’ve done all the legwork to get the piece to a good place. It doesn’t feel difficult. It feels exciting.

The funny thing is, I used to think this was the toughest part of painting. Now, I realize it was only tough because I didn’t follow the proper steps leading up to this point. I was painting detailed areas, all while trying to decide where everything would go. It was highly stressful.

For detail work, I love experimenting with different mediums. Have some fun and try using pencil, pen, or marker over your painted color blocks. It will make the piece that much more fun and interesting.

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My final painting.

I can’t say it enough - most beginner artists don’t like their paintings, because they don’t have a process to follow. Fear of the blank page is simply not knowing where to start. The first step should never be brush to paper. It should be a fun little inspiration search, followed by sketching and color matching. If you’re not giving yourself permission to prepare for a piece, it’s important to ask yourself why. Why are you holding yourself back from your best work? If it’s because these steps take too long, I assure you painting goes much quicker because of them. Or maybe it’s a fear of actually doing your best work? Our inner critic is tough, and it will fight us tooth and nail to keep us from sitting down and doing the work, no matter how ridiculous the excuses are.

One last thing to note - when you’re following a painting process, it’s important to embrace imperfection. I’m much more drawn to art that looks a little sloppy or askew. It’s more interesting, and it actually looks more professional to me. So, please keep this in mind if your paintings don’t look like perfect photographs. They shouldn’t be. If we want a photograph, we have our iPhone to take a picture.