ANYONE CAN PAINT

“I can’t even draw a straight line”.  It's something you often hear from people who believe they can’t paint. But the reality is that no one can draw a straight line without a ruler!

The simplest of painting forms - paint-by-numbers - has been around for a long time. I tried it when I was around fourteen and thought the results were good. Even though it's a bit of a fake way of painting, it has probably lit the flames of interest in many aspiring artists. Being able to paint pictures may feel like a distant dream to many people but I once read on a tutorial system that "Anyone can paint, you don’t need talent".

There is a truth to this, of course, and the world has millions of painters to prove it. Over time there have been lots of formulaic teaching methods, some very sophisticated and irresistible with claims of guaranteed success. The secrets of painting are revealed... all for a good fee of course! The results of this type of painting although satisfying and often surprising, is that they can have a common theme – lack of artistry and individuality.

Being a ‘painter' and being an ‘artist' are completely different things.  It is the same in the musical world. There are countless millions who can sing well or can be taught how to do so, but few become true ‘artists’. These are the individuals who stand out because of they are unique.. Painting-by-formula tutorials can be the springboard towards becoming an artist but shouldn’t be regarded as an end in themselves.

Cloning is common in the art world and is the result of not breaking out from the style of those who may have taught us. No teacher wants you to paint just like him or her….they provide the ABCs of the painting process so you can partake of the time-acquired skills of being an artist. Being an artist starts in our mental vision – a vision that can transform a scene and not merely copy it. It’s a never-ending journey of learning and experimentation.  It can't be learned by rote. It’s a challenge that is not easily taken up.

Replication is the easy way but  applying artistic vision and creating an interpretation is an artist’s way of becoming unique. The art is not in the formula but in the vision. It starts in the mind and finds it’s mysterious way to the brush.

Happy painting!

Mike Barr

White Sands – 30x15cm