5 Ways to Stay Consistent and Paint Every Day

We’ve all been there:
It’s been weeks since you last painted.
Your brushes are still in the sink, you’re out of paper, and your mind is empty.
You are doomed.

Okay, maybe that’s a wee bit dramatic, but that’s how it feels when you’re trying to get out of a painting rut. If you really want to improve your art, it’s important to stay consistent by painting as often as possible. Every time you sit at the easel, you learn new techniques and strategies—and if you stop practicing, you can easily forget these tiny nuggets of wisdom and have to re-learn them all over again the next time. Infuriating! I’m not even exaggerating when I say that if I go a month without painting, I come back feeling like I don’t know how to paint at all. And the longer I put it off, the more likely I am to lose momentum or even start dreading it altogether. Thankfully, if you’re looking to get into a habit of painting more consistently, there are several things you can do to help. Spoiler alert: it’s all about preparation.

1. Have your supplies ready to go
When inspiration strikes, you do not want to be caught without the tools you need to take action. So many times I have suddenly had an idea for a painting, only to find that my paint is dried out, or my brushes are dirty, or I don’t have any blank canvases. By the time I am able to grab all these supplies, I might have lost the window of availability I had to actually engage in my painting practice. So make sure you have everything ready—even if you don’t plan to paint today!

2. Prime your canvases in advance
Hot take: There is nothing more satisfying than wanting to paint and then actually having a canvas primed and ready to go. For some people, this may mean buying canvases that are pre-primed, but if you’re painting in oils, it’s always a good idea to do additional layers of gesso to prevent your canvas from eroding. Keeping a stock of fully primed canvases means you can dive into painting at a moment’s notice.

3. Have a designated art space
I’ll admit, this is a bit of a luxury, but having a separate space that is always reserved for painting makes a huge difference. Maybe you don’t have the space or finances to have a separate studio (I certainly don’t!) but carving out a portion of your living area for your painting practice is such a gamechanger. For me, this looks like an L-shaped desk with lots of drawers and a desktop easel. All of my paints, paintbrushes, and mediums are within reach, and my lighting is consistent. This means I don’t have to sort out where or how I’m going to paint every time I want to start. It might not seem like a big deal, but any obstacles preventing you from getting started can become massive barriers to remaining consistent. When you have a designated space to paint, all you have to do is sit down and begin.

Keep your art space well defined, clear of clutter, and within reach of your art supplies

4. Schedule time to paint
Have you ever noticed that it’s way easier to complete a task if you always do it at the same time? For example, I do my laundry every Friday after work (yes, I lead a thrilling life, thank you). But the thing is, it’s now so ingrained in me to do this that it’s almost automatic. It feels less like a chore because I’m so consistent with it. What would happen if I didn’t schedule my laundry? I would put it off until there was a teetering pile of clothing on my bed and a Great Underwear Crisis. It’s the same thing with painting—forming a habit makes it automatic and easier over time. Maybe you only have time to paint Tuesday evenings from 7–9 p.m. That’s okay! Pick a recurring timeframe that works for you, no matter how small it is. Just make sure you put it in your calendar and keep that time available. If someone invites you to a movie on Tuesday night, you’re not available—you’re painting!

5. Keep a bank of painting references
The best thing you can do to keep motivated is to always have ideas readily available for paintings. For some people, this may be an album of images on their phone or Pinterest board. For others, it might be a box of magazine clippings or photographs. I save inspiration by taking lots of photos when I’m out and saving them in a digital album. That way, even on days where I’m in a creative lull, I have a bank of images that can get my artistic energy flowing. Sometimes even just scrolling through my image bank helps get me excited to make art because I’ll see ideas I had and forgot about.

When it comes to staying consistent with your art and avoiding procrastination, the key is preparation. So keep your supplies ready, designate an art space, make a schedule, and always save your ideas for a rainy day.

3 Tips for Painting from Reference Photos

Regardless of your artistic ability, painting from reference photos can be a vital part of your craft. While many fledgling artists have fallen victim to the false belief that the masters paint only from memory or life, most professional artists have used photos to enhance their work. In fact, many rely on them religiously in order to accurately portray likenesses and perspective.

The wonderful thing about painting from a photograph is that you can get up close and personal with it; you can analyze and compare colours, measure different elements in the layout, and capture small details that would otherwise escape your memory. Unlike en plein air, a photograph is static, so you never need to worry about the sun changing position or your subject sneezing. If you’re just starting out and wondering how to best use reference photos—or you’re looking to use them more effectively—I’ve compiled three tips to get you started.

1. Choose a photo with high contrast

This is a useful tip for anyone, but especially for beginners. Painting from an image that doesn’t have a wide range of values (strong darks, mid tones, and highlights) can be much more challenging. It will make it difficult to plot out the image and recognize where colours shift. A bold light source or dark shadows can help you find your bearings. It will inform you of what is salient within the image. I get a lot of positive feedback on the way I capture light in a painting, but I actually think the types of strong lighting I capture are easier to paint than diffuse lighting. Sometimes style is born from necessity!

2. Create a digital grid

You’ve likely heard of using a grid to map out your painting, but have you tried using a digital one? Rather than drawing a grid on a physical photo, simply scan it and upload it to Photoshop (or similar—Photopea is a free option). A digital grid is easier for several reasons. For starters, you don’t need to draw it; just click “show grid” and adjust it to the size you want (Note: For most paintings, assuming they aren’t mural-sized, I use a grid of 1x1”.) Secondly, you can use a much smaller reference photo than your painting and still use the same grid size for both. This will save you the headache of converting measurements from a smaller photo to a larger canvas because you can size the digital version to match the size of your canvas. Lastly, having the reference photo available in Photoshop will allow you to measure accurately. You’ll be able to hover your cursor over any part of the image and it will tell you the X and Y axis. I usually switch the grid to centimeters if I’m measuring—even if I’ve drawn the grid in inches—since the metric system is easier to use than the imperial system. I fall under the stereotype of an artist who can’t do math, and that means I avoid fractions at all costs.

3. Make sure you have copyright permission

…especially if you are selling your paintings! It is not uncommon to be commissioned to paint from a photo that is actually under copyright. Often people will see an image they like and want a painting of it—which is understandable! The average person is not well-versed in copyright law, and it can be difficult to make heads or tails of it. I’ve actually gone through the process of getting permission to paint something copyrighted through the Copyright Board of Canada, and I still don’t fully understand it. It’s important to do the work to ensure you are legally allowed to paint something, however. If you’re painting a commission, ask the client if this is a photo they took. If it’s something they found on the internet, I would recommend using Google Lens to search for it and then go from there. See if you can track down its origins, and if you can’t, try reaching out to the copyright board in your country.

Now that you know what makes a good reference photo, you’ll be better able to identify which ones will translate into successful paintings. This will help you make informed decisions about the art you create and the commissions you accept. Happy painting!

This photo has strong shadows with defined edges. The high contrast helps create a starting point for mapping out the features of the face and shape of the clothing.

Using a grid system makes it easy to accurately sketch proportions of the face. I use a coloured pencil to draw the grid so that I don’t end up with graphite smudges. Light colours are best, as they won’t show through the paint.

The final painting looks lifelike because of the initial planning that went into it.

Painting by Lynda Tierney featured in the North Shore News

Read the article

Recently I had the opportunity to talk to the North Shore News about my latest painting of the Seven Seas Restaurant. This North Vancouver ferry-turned-restaurant is an iconic piece of history in the Lonsdale area, and many people shared their memories of it with me after seeing the painting. To read the article, head over to the North Shore News website. If you would like your own print of the Seven Seas Restaurant—or you have someone you’d like to gift it to—head over to my print shop.

How to Find your Art Style

If you’re just getting started on your art journey—or if you’re feeling stuck along the way—you may be struggling with finding your personal art style. Perhaps you started off creating realistic portraits but you’re finding it too tedious, or maybe you’re wondering if abstract art could work for you. No matter your current circumstance, the following questions can help you find your authentic style. Even years into my art career, I still ask myself these same questions to get unstuck.

What am I trying to say?

If you’re feeling stuck in your craft, it may be because you aren’t feeling inspired and you don’t know what your message is. What feelings are you trying to evoke? What emotions do you want to tap into? Storytelling and art are inherently intertwined; when you see a piece of abstract art, you may concoct a narrative for it, even without any figures or identifiable elements. So think about what the story is that you want your art to tell. For example, the majority of my paintings revolve around the themes of nostalgia, loneliness, and introspection. These are feelings that have played a dominant role in my life, so conveying them through art comes naturally. How do I do that? I try to capture these themes in every aspect of the painting.

Subject: I paint urban areas that are usually densely populated, and I remove all of the people. This gives a sense of eerie quiet.

Colour palette: I use a limited, naturalistic palette of red, yellow, blue, black, and white. I stay away from paint colours that are unnatural, as they can look too modern. I want my paintings to look like a vintage photograph. This helps capture some of that nostalgia.

High contrast light and shadow: The long shadows created by the late afternoon sun will always remind me of childhood summers. I put a lot of emphasis on strong natural light sources and bold shadows.

Framing: This is a bit harder for me to explain, but I try to make the focus of my paintings feel like a moment of tunnel-vision, like something mundane has drawn me in. I find that painting ordinary subjects and framing them as salient revives the childlike habit of taking the time to hyperfocus on something unremarkable.

The high contrast between light and shadow evokes memories of being home alone during summer vacation, while the naturalistic colour palette creates a sense of realism.

If you know what you want to say, it’s much easier to find your style. All you have to do is gear your art process toward your message.

What am I not enjoying about my current art process?

Seriously, creating art doesn’t have to be difficult. You may have noticed that some of your best work came easily to you, and that’s no fluke—that’s you tapping into your natural gifts. Examining what is frustrating you within your art practice can help you find your path. Do you hate colour mixing? Try a limited or monochrome palette. Do you find it impossible to capture someone’s likeness in a portrait? Steer away from realism and try something impressionist. Are you always feeling bogged down by the detail work? Do an entire painting with a palette knife. Give yourself permission to stop doing the things you hate. Art is about creation and enjoyment. Your authentic style will feel freeing.

This oil painting was a departure from my usual medium of gouache. Despite taking a fraction of as much time to complete, it has been one of my most popular paintings.

What am I afraid of?

Ah, yes—we’re going to open that door. Creating art (and especially sharing it) is a deeply personal thing. You may even feel exposed on some level. Being truly authentic and explorative in your art requires bravery; it demands that you look in the mirror and showcase your insides. This is obviously terrifying. When I’m feeling stuck in my practice, I ask myself what I’m afraid of. Why am I not taking more risks? Why am I not pushing myself to experiment? The big reasons for me are always the same:

• I’m afraid of failing

• I’m afraid of judgement

• I’m afraid of deviating from what I know I can do well.

Fear controls so much of our decision making. I still have never attempted abstract art because I am afraid to fail at it. So, rest assured, you are not alone in your fears. You cannot find your voice as an artist without failing first. If your fears are holding you back from experimenting, your only way out is through. Try creating something low-stakes on a scrap piece of newspaper or a cheap canvas. Take the pressure off. Give yourself permission to make something truly hideous, and then laugh about it after.

Final note

When you see other artists’ work on social media or in galleries, it can seem like their entire body of work is seamlessly cohesive. It may even seem like their art has always looked the same, like they started their series of moody collages right out of the womb. What you see is likely a sliver of what they have created though. There are probably many failed paintings and projects in the crevasses of their desk drawers, and many dead ends they ventured down. All of this is necessary, but it usually goes unseen. Furthermore, there are lots of great artists who have changed their style many times over—just take a look at Picasso! He had entire periods of completely different styles and subjects, and that doesn’t deter us from taking his work seriously. In fact, it makes it feel genuine, like it’s a natural product of the human experience. The three images below show how much his style varied from one painting to the next, and how much freedom he allowed himself to experiment. Finding your style can be a lifelong process, even for the masters. So find your voice, look inward, and take risks!

“The Old Guitarist”, Pablo Picasso, 1903

“Les Demoiselles d'Avignon”, Pablo Picasso, 1907

“Bullfight Scene”, Pablo Picasso, 1960

The Pros and Cons of Painting with Gouache

When I tell people I mainly paint using gouache, they either say, “I LOVE gouache!” or “what the heck is that?” Even though it’s been around for centuries, it never gained the same level of notoriety that acrylic, watercolour, and oil paint did. I had never even heard of it until my mid-20s! I was taking an illustration course at Emily Carr University, and one of my classmates was exhibiting a painting of hers. I was blown away by how vibrant and saturated the colours were, even though they looked natural and life-like. When she told me she used gouache to paint it, I immediately knew this was something I was going to invest in. Now, 7 years later, I paint almost exclusively with gouache and have come to appreciate its unique qualities. It’s not the best choice for every project, but here are the pros and cons of gouache (from my perspective).

Gouache on watercolour paper by Lynda Tierney. Prints available.

Pro: Gouache can be re-wet to fix mistakes
If you’re like me—A.K.A. constantly messing up your paintings—then you will love how forgiving gouache is. The ability to fix mistakes with ease by simply lifting them with a wet brush is truly a godsend. I find this allows me to be more confident in my brush strokes as well, since I know I can fix them later if they aren’t perfect. And when I say “later,” I really mean it—gouache can be re-wet even YEARS in the future!

Con: Gouache can get muddy when re-wet
Of course, with every blessing there is a curse. Since gouache can be reactivated with water, additional layers of paint my accidentally lift lower ones. If you’re not careful, things can get muddy fairly quickly. My trick for this is to do as little layering as possible, and use Holbein Acryla Gouache for any base layers that you definitely don’t want to lift.

Pro: Gouache is extremely pigmented
Gouache is the perfect medium if you want to create vibrant paintings with natural tones. Since it is mixed using white paint instead of water, it gives a saturated, bold look. I find this makes my artwork look more professional because it looks inherently confident due to its lack of transparency. Gouache can make dark shadows look more nuanced and deeper, especially because it has a matte finish.

Con: Gouache isn’t ideal for bright subject matter
Because gouache requires the inclusion of white paint to mix colours, it can be a challenge to maintain the vibrancy of extremely light colours. It’s easy to create a soft pastel, but a neon is going to seem impossible. For this reason, it’s important to consider your subject matter when choosing a medium. Is getting an exact colour match essential to the integrity of the painting? Would the colours you need to create be better served by an acrylic medium?

Pro: Gouache is easy to mix
I’m not exactly sure why, but I’ve always had better luck mixing colours using gouache than I have with other mediums. The consistency isn’t as thick as oil paint, and I think the reliance on white paint rather than water makes mixing colours more intuitive. I’m able to focus on exactly the colour I want to mix rather than how it’s going to blend and transform. There is less guess work involved.

Con: Gouache is difficult to colour match
Burn this into your brain: always mix more paint than you think you need. When gouache dries, the shade changes ever so slightly, usually a bit darker if it’s a light colour and a bit lighter if it’s a dark colour. For this reason, you really don’t want to run out of your mixed colour if you are painting large, flat objects that need consistency (walls, sky, etc.). It’s always better to have more than you need.

Pro: Gouache doesn’t need much drying time
Just blink and it’s dry! This is fantastic if you are on a deadline and can’t be waiting around to scan or mail your artwork. While oil paint can take weeks to dry, gouache dries almost immediately. Procrastinators rejoice! It’s the perfect medium for you.

Con: Gouache dries faster than you can paint
Although you can re-wet gouache, I find blending easier when I first put the paint down. It can be frustrating to try and blend fresh, wet paint into dried paint on the page, so it’s good practice to prepare all the colours you want to blend before you start laying them on the page. If I’m in the middle of painting an area that requires blending, I cannot be interrupted! The door will go unanswered, and texts will be ignored.

I’m sure there are many more things I love and hate about gouache, but these are the issues I come up against most often. What about you? Is gouache a part of your painting repertoire?

Digital Tools for Traditional Artists

With the advent of Procreate and Photoshop, creating art has never been easier. Now, I know saying that digital art is “easier” can be a touchy subject, but it’s true in many respects. Traditional art forms like painting do not have an undo button. They also don’t have a way to store exact colour swatches in unlimited amounts, delete layers of paint, or manipulate an entire composition with a few clicks. I’m not trying to knock digital art though; it has its place and requires its own unique set of skills. But for some artists, myself included, the process of digital painting doesn’t spark the same kind of satisfaction. The tactile nature of making art using your hands is part of the experience, even if it comes at the price of a massive clean up.

Using a grid in Photoshop can help you plan your composition accurately.

For those of us committed to a tangible canvas, we can still integrate digital art into our practice without crossing over to it entirely. There are several tools within Photoshop and InDesign that can be used on-screen to help create art off-screen. Below are the three I use most.

Grid
If you’re painting from a reference photo onto a larger canvas, using a grid is a great way to lay out your composition accurately. While you could simply draw a grid directly onto a physical photograph, uploading it into Photoshop and using the grid function will save you the trouble of drawing all those lines twice and keeps you from ruining your original photo. In addition, it allows you to zoom in on the picture which can make it easier to see small details. A grid is not always necessary for larger canvases, but if you’re working with a complex composition or subject matter that needs to have exact measurements (e.g., architecture), using a grid can save you a lot of frustration later on.

Using the eyedropper tool will give you a CMYK breakdown of how to mix a paint colour.

Eyedropper
I’ll be the first to admit it: I struggle with colour matching. My main issue is that I’m often reluctant to go as dark or intense as I should, and the picture ends up looking dull. I can see what the colour is that I need to make, but I second-guess myself and hold back. By using the eyedropper tool in Photoshop, I can click a spot on my reference picture and create a swatch. Sometimes being able to see a colour swatch outside of the context of the image can give you a more realistic perception of it. In addition—and this is my favourite part—the swatch will show the CMYK breakdown of the colour, which is immensely helpful for mixing colours. Our brains have very rigid ideas of how things look, and they aren’t always that accurate: grass is green, the sky is blue, etc. So we sometimes let these preconceived notions influence how we mix the colours rather than relying on what we are objectively seeing. By looking at the CMYK breakdown, you can get a better understanding of how to mix the colour, which is particularly useful when dealing with lots of similar tones or reflected colours.

Combining all of your reference photos into a digital canvas can help plan your layout.

Combining images
When you are creating one painting using multiple reference photos, InDesign is a great tool for laying out your composition. If you start a new document that has the same page dimensions as your canvas, you can combine all of your references into one spread. This is ideal for testing out different compositions before settling on one. You might find that a different layout works better than your original idea.

Even if you’re a staunch traditionalist, digital tools can still play a role in creating your art. Don’t restrict yourself by brushing off new technology. It can make you a more efficient and precise artist. If you’re a beginner, using these tools can help you understand colour theory and composition better while you’re still getting the hang of things. Most importantly, keep making art!

Framing Options for Artwork

Professionally framed prints can last a lifetime and offer UV protected glass to reduce fading.

On several occasions, I have fallen in love with an art print only to realize that it’s a non-standard framing size. How rude!

This factors into my own work because my favourite canvas size to use is 12 x 18”, which is a bit longer than the standard 12 x 16” size. I prefer this size for a few reasons: 1) the wider aspect ratio feels more cinematic, 2) it scales up seamlessly from a 4 x 6” photograph, and 3) my printer’s maximum print size is 13 x 19,” so it fits nicely on my largest size of paper.

So how do you frame something that isn’t a standard size?

Professional Framing

The most obvious answer is to have your picture professionally framed. This is far and away the easiest option with the best end result, however, it is also the most expensive. Be prepared to shell out at least $100 for even a small print. I recommend this option for people that are planning on displaying their print for many years and are comfortable with the higher price point. If you like to change up your decor frequently, however, professional framing may not be worth it.

Off-The-Rack Frames

Occasionally, art stores such as Michael’s, Opus, and Deserres will carry non-standard frame sizes. Usually there will be a limited amount of colours and styles, but it’s worth checking out. For example, 13 x 19” frames are often in stock, but only in one or two colours. Call ahead so you don’t waste your time.

Thrift stores often carry a variety of inexpensive, high-quality frames

Thrifted Frames + Professional Mat Boards

This is my favourite option because it’s a quality compromise. The great thing about thrift stores is not only the price—I’ve found perfectly good frames for under $10—but the quality. A lot of the time, these frames are from once-loved and professionally framed pieces that people have donated. Find a frame that is a fair bit larger than your print so that it leaves enough room for a mat. Then measure your print and have a mat board custom made. This is much cheaper than having an entire frame professionally constructed, but it will give you a quality finish. You can have mats cut by bringing your print into a framing shop or you can order one online. One affordable vendor is www.custommat.ca, which allows you to enter in your measurements and have a mat board shipped to you directly.

Floating frames are versatile and make it easy to switch up your prints.

Floating Frames

Floating frames sandwich a print between two pieces of glass, so as long as your print is smaller than the size of the glass, you’re good to go. This is a trendy option right now, and it works well for people that change their artwork around frequently. You can find lots of DIY hacks for this online if you are so inclined. One thing to note: floating frames are not a good option for most original artwork, especially oil paintings, because they have direct, firm contact with the artwork. Only use this type of frame for reproductions.

There are lots of other creative framing options as well, but what matters most is that your artwork is protected and you like looking at it every day! If you have any other framing suggestions, share them in the comments!