I'm having a bit of a painter's block!

After my exams every year I do a big piece of artwork (as this is the only time I get to do them these days). It's been a tradition of mine since my GCSEs (16). Well I didn't actually wait until the exams were over I just didn't revise! Good times...

Anyway it's my finals (and probably last proper exams) and I want to do a huge, technically challanging piece of work. But can I think of anything? No.

At the moment I' thinking of doing acylic on canvas as it is cheap and easy. Although I am considering mixed media to give it an extra dimension, probably collage, gutta or gilding.

I usually do portraits of animals and people, together or separate, my favourites being bands and horses. I don't really have the attention span for backgrounds, landscapes or anything inorganic.

So with that wee bit of background does anybody have any ideas?

Words, pictures, poems, songs, your own work... anything!

Cheers! :D

I'm not sure if you heard about deviantart.com but it sure is a good site for innovative ideas. Go! Fly!

Have you already come up with what you are going to do, or would you like some additional input for your question? I do apologize for not noticing your question sooner!

In the following image search, you might also find some ideas.

Painting Ideas - Google Image Search (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&resnum=0&q=Painting+Ideas&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi)

I haven't come up with anything yet but I am trying to get some stuff together to join deviantart now! I don't own most of my work and I keep forgetting to take pictures.

I've been trying to get into practice again, doing something everyday. I have come up with a few minor concepts but I'm nowhere near 'the one' yet!

I think I'm stuck because I want it to be special, not just another portrait. It's a bit depressing seeing the work some of my friends are putting out now they have been to art school. It's another level to myself and we used to be the same! I'm way too competitive for my own good.

Btw Clough the index was really good! I thought that was what you were up to!

Since you are still having some trouble coming up with ideas, I am going to alert some others to your question who also might be able to help you to come up with some ideas. A lot of times, those best able to help people with art type questions are not subscribed to that topic area.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2008/02/769273/
"The Nho mai technique is using Chinese ink (black) to draw on modern paper. After that, using blades to scratch or use hands to rub on the painting to make brightness or darkness."
I think if you could find out the technique of Nho Mai in detail,it sounds very interesting.


http://www.layersuponlayers.com/making-an-organic-collage/
http://www.layersuponlayers.com/painted-foil-backgrounds/


I remember once Jrebel mailed me pictures of paper art and they were beautiful,maybe you could try your hand at it and make it into a whole painting.
http://roomatthetop.wordpress.com/2007/09/21/paper-sculpture-art-by-jen-stark/
http://inventorspot.com/articles/exact_science_paper_art_8226

Firm, thanks for the techniques, I think I'll give them a try in my prep work. Especially the Nho mai technique, I've got some ink lying around somewhere. I have done something similar before with putting thick screen printing ink on a table then scratching away the design then putting paper on it to lift the design. Although this sounds much less messy!

I love those paper designs, I used to do a lot of paper cut pictures after I visited a gallery and there was a huge (floor to ceiling) landscape made entirly out of paper layers. It was really impressive. I can't remember what the artist was called...

I hve not seen anything as 3D before though.

My practice animal at the moment is puppies, so I will try both techniques with my next puppies. I like to constrain myself as I think the best creativity comes form working in a box. So at the moment my constraint is puppies. :P

I always find, when I have "artist's block" that I can cure it by running around local places, discreetly, of course, with a digital camera. I take many many slice of life images, go home, crop away and create my subject. I then like to paint them in acrylicon a collaged surface, usually wood because its cheaper than canvas and develops such a fabulous texture once the moisture sinks in. I keep a collection of collage materials I find at thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets such as old letters, newspapers, postcards; all kinds of vintage ephemera. When you paint with acrylic thinned with gel medium- it creates a ton of depth and interest! Hope this helps!:D

Clough if you or Templenae do not mind , Is it possible that this thread be moved to the new artist in you thread. It would be so much easier to come back to it if it were there.

I am so glad you liked them Temp.
I found another interesting technique.
Oil Paint and Oil Painting - Frottage (http://www.oil-paint.info/Frottage.html)

Decorative Painting Smoking Technique - How to Paint Unique Art Backgrounds (http://www.creativity-portal.com/howto/a/smoking.technique.html)


Thank you Clough.

I'm not sure... this might help with some ideas...

Contemporary Japanese art:
Contemporary arts in Japan (http://nezumi.dumousseau.free.fr/japon/japcontarta.htm#list)

Contemporary German art:
Art Germany presents contemporary german art and artists. Representational painting (http://www.art-germany.com/representationalpainting.htm)

Hmmm sorry I can't really help on the technical side of painting (techniques and stuff) but if you have any ideas on what your actually going to paint you can run them past me if you like :)

On the technical side I am pretty sorted, it is more of the composition and themes that I am stuck on!

frangipanis the german representational painting links were right up my street I especially like the Rabe Habdank paintings. I'm kind of old fashioned in that "I like things to look like what they look like" but I want to explore more depth of meaning and composition. Not unlike lady on the sofa, it speaks of much more than a just a portrait.

I think I am going to deviate away form my acrylic comfort zone and go for oil pastels (I can't use oil paints as I do not have the room or ventilation).

My boyfriend has suggested him and his mates playing X box (why do I feel like I have been tricked?) I like his idea of trying to capture a moment of tension, joy and drama focused on one artificial world. Technical problems I think I might experience with this is in the lighting, I have terrible eyesight in artificial light!

Other themes I think I have interest in are binge drinking and consumerism, as these both are large parts of 'modern' life. However I think the latter has been explored thoroughly in pop art.

Mental illness is another thing I would like to touch upon but I don't think I want to do it for this piece as it is too close to home and probably not a good idea as I stew waiting for results!

I like the nihilistic themes you put in your work cal, and the intensity of your characters.

Thanks for listening I can't cope without talking through what I want to do!

I like the fact that you are open to more than one type of medium and ideas, templelane!

I love to experiment. From mud to silk painting. If it can make a mark I'm for it. I also like utilising nature such as covering stones in wet leaves. It's all good!

Every technique mentioned on here I'll have a go at in an experimental piece (provided I can gather materials). It is also fun to mix medias up even if you care told it isn't a good idea.

I have been a bit stifled of late but I feel it all coming back to me again. :) I think I missed the art discussions. I didn't get to join in with the artist in you thread as much as I would have liked due to life getting in the way.

Binge drinking sounds interesting, sounds like a really good theme too, because of the emotion and meaning you can put into it :)

Temp, I have been giving this some thought. I don't see myself as being terribly creative so I sort of hit a wall with your post, yet tonight, I had a thought!! Mark it down, it doesn't happen that often! LOL Anyway, hitting that wall... how about finding an outside wall of a building in your town that is exposed to lots of traffic passing by and painting on it (with owner's permission of course!) Bands and horses, what better to be bigger than life and add so much to the town!! We have a few here and I am absolutely mesmerized as I drive by them. I just want to stop and study all the detail and know what the artist was feeling at the time they painted it, how long it took etc. What do you think?

I have felt like a part of me is missing since "The Artist In You" thread closed! I am glad to see you posting here about art. Best to you!

You know, that's a really great idea about painting on a wall! Think of the exposure your art would get then!

I want to explore more depth of meaning and composition. Not unlike lady on the sofa, it speaks of much more than a just a portrait.

I like that portrait too. The mood, colours, composition and light come together beautifully. And I'm similar to you in as much as I'd like to explore more depth and meaning in what I do. My boyfriend and I are going to start life drawing classes together from early May, so I'm hoping to improve my technique (I want my drawings to be cleanly finished, able to be framed) and to stretch my creativity.

Painting on a community wall would be exciting. I love that idea.

Painting on a community wall would be exciting. I love that idea.


Funny you mention that but I used to be a mural painter. I did all sorts, my best piece technically (size complexity and composition) was an ecological message about pollution and conservation done in an atrium for a outside swimming pool/ecology museum. But my favourite was one of my first I did in a library in a school for the deaf. It was a really dull oppressive area and it really made a difference to the kids. I'll never forget the day we went back to see the kid's reactions.

You'd be surprised how long some of these things can take with getting permission. It's quiet tough you have to prove you aren't going to leave it unfinished/do something completely unsuitable.

I really miss those days!

I haven't done anything since I moved, if people want any projects done they just go to the art school. Apparently biochemists are minutes away from death creatively. :p

I just saw your painting on the link and you have loads of talent and creativity... I adore cats. You're a biochemist? That's great :)

Temp, I probably live in a less complex city than you do. Our town isn't exposed to enough art and artist are really appreciated in their endeavors to liven up the downtown area with color and expression of town history or a tribute to someone. Sounds like you have "been there, done that". It is OLD HAT to you. Once I have created a piece, I generally like to move on to something else also. Keep us posted. I will be interested to view what you decide on for this project.

What mixed medias have you worked in previously? I need a little inspiration myself to move into some new areas of creativity so reading all these ideas are getting me a little pumped to get off my duff and get busy! Thanks for the inspiration.

Hm... maybe you are expecting the work to be too perfect? That's often the case with artists block. I would get out a pencil and go for a walk. Stop every couple of minutes, and draw anything you see. Spend no more than a few minutes on each drawing. Bin them when you get home.

jreble I will definitely go back to murals one day, I just kind of lost interest after being separated from my friends, we were a really good team. There is nothing better than using everybody's strengths to produce a synergistic result. Maybe one day we'll do a reunion!

Tomterm8
I think one day perfectionism will kill me! It is definitely one of those equally cursed and blessed part of a person's personality. It an make you do great thing or it can completely cripple you. I'm going to do that walk thing, I'm quiet voyeuristic I like ot draw people in public places when they don't know I am. Airports are great for this, the range of body language is fantastic.

Jreble A cool mixed media thing I like to do is sketching, scanning and printing on tracing paper. When you print on tracing paper it looks really cool (you have to set the printer to draft to avoid overloading with ink). Or you can overload the ink and then work into it when it is wet with a brush/fingers or a blender. Then when you scan the tracing paper print the light interacts with it very strangely. You can produce really ethereal pieces. Due to the iterative process you can get more than one piece and really manipulate the image.

Other things I like to use is silk painting gutter on cardboard or any other surface, or in paintings to add dimension. There are loads of medias you can mix that you are not technically supposed to. I did gouache paint with oil pastel the other day and it worked quiet well. I can think of tons more if you are interested, some stranger one as well, fruit and screws/tacks and nails is a good destressor if nothing else.

You seem to mix up your surfaces a lot already which is really cool.

Here is a great artist for mixing things up have a look at his altered books.
Tom Phillips: Sculpture&Mixed Media (http://www.tomphillips.co.uk/sculptur/index.html)
EDIT A Humument (http://www.tomphillips.co.uk/humument/031060.html)
If anyone has some spare time I would recommend browsing his work :)

This link has soe other people's take on the same idea
altered books (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.quietfiredesign.com/abgillianletters.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.quietfiredesign.com/byhandmarch2003.htm&h=291&w=400&sz=62&hl=en&start=98&um=1&tbnid=b8-mZaIMjQXnoM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddefaced%2Bbook%2Bart%26start%3D90%26n dsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26hs%3D7Tx%26sa%3DN)

This thread has really been a great help so far! I have started to get into everything again. I really did miss just chatting about art