Paint the Way That's Best for YOU

Hillside, Ocean View
Oil on Canvas Panel
11 x 14 in/27.9 x 35.6 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2015

I have blogged about this subject before, that is, painting the way that's best for you, and I was recently reminded why it's still an important thing to remember. You find out what's best for you basically by trial and error and intuition. 

Why is this important? Because it's the way you develop both your own personal techniques and style.

You may not be painting the way that works best for you because you're doing any or all of the following, as I was:

- too much reading in books and online about how other painters paint

- too much watching how other painters paint on You Tube

- only using the palettes specified by particular painters

- using only brands of paint, brushes, or supports specified by particular painters

I recently remembered I need to paint the way that's best for me when trying to paint using only a limited palette of cad yellow light, cad red light, French ultramarine blue, and titanium white as specified by a well-known painter who shall remain nameless.

Painting today's image, I couldn't mix what I consider the correct colors using this limited palette. Of course, the nameless painter is way more experienced than I at mixing limited colors. However, instead of continuing to become frustrated, I added yellow ochre and burnt sienna to my palette and I was able to create the colors and the painting the way that works best for ME.