Practical Tips for Developing Your Observational Skills

 

Art is an observational medium. As such, it requires you to pay attention to details and observe things from different angles. If you are serious about learning how to paint realistically, you will have to develop your observational skills as an artist. You can’t just hope that the instructor of your painting class or the owner of your local craft store will take notice of how good you are at capturing the essence of a scene and pass down their secret to the next generation of pro painters. You have to put in a lot of work and practice — as much as any other art form — in order to hone your observational skills. Fortunately, there are some tips that can help you improve your observational game right away. In this article, professional artist Charlie Steg covers some practical tips for developing your observational skills as an artist.

 

Look for Pattern and Structure

Painting is a creative process where you attempt to capture the essence of a scene from different angles. This process is similar to when a photographer takes a series of photos and attempts to create a compelling image from them. The photographer must keep their eye on the overall shape and composition of the subject matter in order to capture the essence of the subject. If the photographer does not look for pattern and structure, then the image will not come out looking realistic. You have to make an effort to look for pattern and structure in everything you observe. In fact, as Charlie Steg reveals, it is one of the essential skills for any artist. Artists who develop their observation skills will notice that real life is often filled with repetition and patterns. This is what you want to emote away — the repetition and the patterns are what make the subject matter real.

 

Choose a Subject Matter that’s Realistic to You

If you are just beginning to pick up a paintbrush, you might want to start with a sketch or two before you tackle any real work. This will give you a better idea of how the real thing feels and what it looks like. The most important thing you can do is to decide what type of subject you want to paint. Realistic subjects are always nice to paint, but if you are not very good at anatomy, you might want to stay away from them.

If you are an experienced painter, then by all means, use whatever subject you are most comfortable with. However, if you are just starting out, it is smart to choose a more realistic subject. Realism comes into play when you are painting the details. For example, your character’s dress, the setting and the tools he or she is using are all important to the realism of your painting.

 

 

Stay in the Moment

Art is often observed, but rarely done. In order to develop your observational skills, you have to stay in the moment and look at the painting from the inside out. As an artist, you have to look at each painting you do as an opportunity to learn. The perspective, the light hitting the subject, and the details you choose to pay attention to will all change as you develop your observational skills, explains abstract painter Charlie Steg. The most important thing you can do is to look at each painting as an opportunity to grow as an artist. When you are in the moment, you are allowed to be absorbed in what you are doing. When you are looking at a painting, you have to be totally focused on what you are seeing. You have to put away all your other thoughts and focus only on the painting in front of you.

 

Practice Makes Perfect

The best way to develop your observational skills is by practicing. You can’t go around telling everyone how good you are at painting because there’s no point. You have to put in the work and improve your skills in order to get better. You have to put in a lot of work and practice — as much as any other art form — in order to hone your observational skills. When you are starting out as an artist, you have to work very hard to become a better painter. You have to practice, practice, and then practice some more. There is no shortcuts. And if there were, the pros would never use them. You have to put in the time and effort so that you can develop your observational skills to the highest possible level.