Design Elements and Principles are the tools artists have to build their paintings.

 

Take ownership of your tools. Building mastery, like building any skill, takes time and practice. There are no shortcuts to practice. These blog posts and write-ups are meant for you to build a basic understanding of these tools. Like most, you’ll favor one over others. If there are ones you tend to avoid, like Perspective or Texture, then this is a sign you need additional training and experience to build and even out your skill set. This training will build confidence and eliminate any poor habits, because fear does sneaky things when we’re not aware. We all tend to take the easy way out and fall back on what we know works, and avoid areas that give us discomfort. Pain tends to do that. 

 

I often tell my students, the best thing to do for growth is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That unstable and vulnerable area often leads to breakthroughs in reaching new levels.

 

When visitors walk through the Palette and Chisel during our Fall show, I want them to walk away saying, “These artists are striving to be their best. They are fearless of their subject matter, and their courage is giving me the power to live my life courageously.” 

 

Dear reader, I hope by now you are seeing the interconnectedness of all these Design Elements and Principles. It’s your knowledge of these various Elements and Principles, and the degree in which you use them in your art, that will determine the connectedness of your painting. 

 

And once you know these design tools and use them instinctually, you’ll start to use your brain power for other things like Story, Emotion, Virtue; or dimensions like Time; or even Spiritual connectivity; plus many more things your art can make once you learn these design tools.

 

​​A word on Stickiness:  In 2007 a business book came out that became very popular, Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath – Why some ideas survive and others die. This book was on the best seller list for quite some time. In it they used an acronym – SUCCESs

As an artist, I’m going to bend the rules a bit and use an acronym within an acronym. So stick with me, (pun intended). 

We can use the Made to Stick formula to create art that has more “stickiness” properties. The other acronym is the word IDEAS:  I read this as Intent, Design, Emotion, Awareness, Simplification.  

  • Simple – find the core of any IDEAS or thoughts
  • Unexpected – grab people’s attention by surprising them with unique IDEAS
  • Concrete – make sure your IDEAS can be grasped and remembered later
  • Credible – give your IDEAS believability and credibility
  • Emotional – help people see the importance of your IDEAS
  • Stories – empower people to use your IDEAS through narrative

 

Final Thoughts: I am 100% convinced that the degree of imagination we have as artists is in direct proportion to our level of curiosity. I challenge you, on your next painting, to ask more Why?, What if?, and How come? about your scenes and soon you’ll be pushing the boundaries of what is truly important and what can, with a little simplification and embellishment, be an excellent piece. You’ll also be eliminating the noise and increasing your focus in creating remarkable, compelling, and imaginative art.

 

Curiosity and Confidence

These two attributes are in short supply in our world today. We also have a dreadfully short supply of people living out their lives as examples for others to follow. Children have an abundance of both of these attributes. Artists are the closest thing demonstrating this child-like attribute that I know. As artists, and specifically Plein Air artists, I challenge you to demonstrate your curiosity and confidence in public. Give other people a reason and an example of what vulnerability and playfulness look like. These two attributes, when seen, are extremely contagious. 

 

Paint on Plein Air Painters of Chicago!

 

P.S. I often give a handout to my students in workshops. Something they can keep and refer to as time permits. Here is a collection of points to ponder, my ever-evolving 2021 points to ponder. 

The Fine Art of Painting

24 Thoughts to Ponder

Steve Puttrich – Workshop

 

  1. Find the art in the ordinary. Find and feel the story.
  2. Don’t copy, interpret. Don’t describe, imply. Think poetry, not a police report.
  3. Unify Sameness, Paint the differences, Keep it Simple. Concentrate on Form, Shapes and Value.
  4. Find the Forms. Paint the Shapes. We’re artists yes, but better to be intriguing form finders and shape makers
  5. Plan slow, Paint Fast. A plan comes from the head; art comes from the heart.
  6. Priorities – 1. Intent (Why Paint it) 2. Design (How best to tell your story)
  7. Never stop drawing, whether with a pencil or a brush. One is drawing with line and value, the other is drawing with shapes and color.
  8. Gravity is another great tool. Use it wisely.
  9. Less is often more. Don’t get lost in making pretty pictures vs. expressing feelings.
  10. Use fresh, clean, confident brushstrokes. Avoid the urge to control everything that’s happening.
  11. When painting, think Dance. Allow your brush to dance by painting with your arm, rather than your fingers.
  12. Learn to listen to your painting as it evolves. Use what it’s telling you.
  13. Know when you’re finished. Resist that voice that says to do “just one more thing”
  14. On Design: Recognize the value of great design. Great design reflects the truth in nature, truth about yourselves, truth about life. And it’s these truths that attract people to your art.
  15. On awareness: Be aware of what attracts you. Ask why?
  16. On wonder: Feed on wonder daily. Use it and it will grow.
  17. Begin with the end in mind. Spend more time thinking about what you see and how you might paint it, vs. actually painting. See the art first.
  18. On painting: Knowing how to paint is good, knowing why to paint is better. Growing in your love of painting is good. Growing in your love of seeing is better.
  19. The scarcest resource is not your time, but your attention. Say no to tech, to all those many distractions that may be good in and of themselves, but often kill your best accomplishments by stunting your ability to wonder.
  20. On Comparing: Compare your work only to your previous work. Not to others. Everyone is on their own art journey. As much as it depends on you and you alone, do remarkable work.
  21. Be vulnerable: Learn daily. It is okay to say, “I don’t know”, “I made a mistake”, “I need help”, and “I’m sorry”. “Vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity” – Brene Brown
  22. Be grateful: Gratitude destroys fear, fear kills creativity. Fear is negative wonder.
  23. Be curious: Ask Great Questions = Get Great results. Wonder why. Ask even more questions of yourself, for it’s the questions you ask of yourself that determines the person you will become. How else can this be done? Why does it have to be this way? What’s my intent? Where’s the dynamic tension? Who’s the hero of my story?
  1. Be extraordinary: Nobody is stopping you from being extraordinary. So be extraordinary.