The skill I have chosen for In-Depth is acrylic painting. I have chosen to learn acrylic painting because I have always admired those who can take their ideas and express them through art. I would like to be better at this because I often have difficulty expressing my ideas without using words, and painting seemed like a good way to practice sharing ideas through without words. Painting seemed like a good art median to pursue because there are so many things you can do with it once you have the basic skills.

Once you have the base skillset, you can create all kinds of paintings ranging from abstract art to impressionism. That variety appeals to me because I love to try new things and having so many different forms of painting allows me to explore different ways to express ideas. Once I find a form, I am comfortable with and enjoy creating, I will be able to challenge myself and build on the skills I already have. This will allow me to continue my learning. Watching Ross has also influenced my choice. He is so happy and calm while he paints. I would like to get to a point where painting can be an outlet for me. I want painting to be fun because, if I don’t enjoy it, I won’t want to continue to practice and progress.

I chose to use acrylic paints over other forms, such as water colours, for a few reasons. The first reason is they dry quickly. I       want paints that dry quickly because they will allow me to spend less time waiting for paint to dry and more time actually painting. The second reason I chose acrylics is they are water-based. This means they can be thinned with water instead of smelly paint thinner. This also means that to wash my brushes I will only need soapy water instead of toxic solvents. The third reason I chose acrylics over other forms is because high quality acrylic paints are easy to come by. This means I can just go down to the local art store, instead of having to drive for a long time to find paint. Another reason I chose acrylics is because, it is a common form of painting and it will be easy to find information on. This means it is ideal for someone new to painting because so many other people use acrylics and can share what they know with me.

I am going to learn to paint with acrylics through a variety of ways. The first is going to be through practice. This will help me to practice what I have learned through my other resources. One form of practice I will use a lot is repetition. Repetition is trying the same techniques and forms, until I have a good understanding of how to use those techniques. This is a great way to isolate a single thing I need to practice. When there is a skill, I am having difficulty with, (for example: mixing colours) I will repeatedly try that skill by doing paintings that use that skill a lot and by doing practices my mentor recommends for developing that skill.

The next is going to be through books. I have a couple of books about art and the basics of acrylic painting that I am going to be referencing regularly. These will help me learn certain techniques that can be difficult to learn on your own. The third way I plan on learning painting is with the help of my mentor. They can guide me through simple activities I can do to progress my learning. They will also be able to give me firsthand advice on painting. The final way I plan on learning painting is through videos and online guides. The videos will provide a visual way for me to learn. The guides can help me with anything else I would like to know and learn that my other resources cannot provide.

Others can help me by giving me constructive criticism and advice. Constructive criticism is a great way for me to learn what others think of my art and how I can improve it. I would like to get advice because it can show me things that I have not thought of yet, as well as ways that I can improve. I would also like it if other people asked me questions. I think questions are the most helpful thing I can receive while trying to learn something new. Questions are a great way for others to learn what I was trying to do. They allow insight into what I was trying to do and can help me to explain what I was trying to do.

I am expecting a few challenges and have come up with ways to get around them. A challenge I am anticipating is losing motivation. A way I can stay motivated is by trying new skills and kinds of paintings. This will keep me motivated because the new skills will be new and different then what I have already been doing. This will refresh my interest in painting, and with it my motivation to continue to improve. Another challenge I am expecting is not feeling like I am improving fast enough. This will affect my motivation and my work ethic. To overcome this challenge, I will ask my mentor for advice on what I can do to continue to improve. I will also just take a moment to relax and calm down because if I am not having fun, while I paint, I won’t want to continue to learn and progress my skills.

 

Thanks for reading my first In-Depth blog post. I you have any questions or comments feel free to put them in the comments below.