How I decide what to paint

A question I often get is what I have in mind as I start a new painting? Do I know the colors, the design, the theme? So today's blog post will be about how I go about starting with a blank white canvas and the very initial phase of my painting process.

My general answer to that question is, as I start a new painting I have a very high-level intent of colors and composition in mind.  When I look at the blank canvas (just before I start), I spend maybe about a minute standing still in front of it and I try to feel my desire for colors and high level composition. Sometimes this desire can be influenced by some external visual clues, photos (which composition I like), places (triggering certain color themes), or other artwork that I saw recently that inspired me. And often it is just what I feel in my mind right that day.

Let's talk about color first, as this is my first thought before I start.

With every new canvas I quickly think about few key colors that I really want to use.  This is often just a spontaneous desire to enjoy seeing those colors. It could be that one day I feel like using some colors inspired from a floral theme, like greens, magenta, yellow, with some teal as accent…. Another day as I start a different painting, I may just want to switch things up and use blues, turquoises, and browns (changing things up between paintings keeps it all more interesting for me). As an example, if one day I used very intense and playful colors, another new work may emphasize some cooler or muted tones. Simply said, I look at the blank canvas, and just decide what color theme I want to see today (it is like picking your theme  and key ingredients for a meal that day, based on what you crave to eat).  Whichever colors I end up choosing, there will always be some complementary and contrasting colors in the mix.

The key colors I chose are really only to get me started with a "direction" of how the painting will "feel", but there is absolutely nothing set in stone. As I go along I add more colors or accents (or reduce the intensity of some colors I started with) depending on how I see the painting evolve and what I wish to bring out more for visual interest or color balance.

Now let's talk about composition from a shapes and flow perspective.

As I look at the blank canvas, along with deciding on some colors, I try to feel how I want the composition to flow.  This is really just an idea and instinct about an overall shape and flow that will give me a direction as I start. But just like the colors, a lot of the compositional aspects are altered as I go.

I look at the blank canvas. Sometimes I feel it out for a few moments with a clean and dry brush, just going over it pretending I'm painting, and imagining some broad shapes and flow.  Say I have a big square canvas. I look at it, and feel it, and contemplate quickly where I will make it color heavy (dark or bold colors) vs spacious (light colors), or which direction my main flow will be such as:

- Bottom left will be color heavy, with a gentle flow towards upper right....

- Top left will be color heavy, and bottom right will be heavy... with some spaciousness in between, or …

- I want a U like shape (dark at bottom but lightness/space in the upper center, or

- I want the color to be concentrated somewhere in the center-left, with a bust-like shape... Sort of like a blossoming flower (abstracted that is).

(these are just examples, there can be many more forms that I visualize, sometimes including an intent for just being all random and letting the form appear later)

I call this quick contemplation of color and flow my "high level intent of composition", as it is only a vision, a feeling, a craving, an idea of a possible layout.  But the next stage (starting to paint) is very intuitive and more about expressing myself.

My one- or two-minute contemplation in front of a blank canvas is only to help me have a direction of flow as I “start” with my painting. It helps me get into the zone, and get my mind focused. Once I start putting color on the canvas, things can (and often do) change a lot. And I am not tied to being stuck in this high-level layout I envisioned, but it helps me create an idea in terms of where my initial strokes and colors will concentrate and how I can build on it later... and once I start painting this initial stage is very fast.

Knowing the high-level direction is what helps me work fast at the beginning, get the colors out on canvas quickly, and build my base layers without much further thinking.  This painting stage is usually accompanied with some music that moves or inspires me (and helps me to think less and move fast). I'm not worrying about making mistakes (there are no mistakes) or where which color goes. I can decide to add blue here, pink there, and then see if I want to put yellow in this corner... if I don't like the yellow I paint over with magenta or white, and put some purple over there... so everything is rather unstructured after that.

Having said that, as I continue to build the colors and layers in subsequent sessions (I never finish a painting in one session), I keep an eye (it becomes an instinct after a while) on creating good focal point(s), and make sure I build visual interest as I go - and the effort for having some good form and points of interest becomes more concentrated toward the end (I will share more about creating visual appeal and good points of interest later).

Creating a design for commissioned artwork

Of course, the direction of a new painting depends on other factors if the work I'm going to create is a commissioned piece (which is a custom piece for a client). For commissioned artwork, the client will typically share the desired color palette (or photos of the room) and often also provide a reference to few of my previous paintings (to share some of the styles/compositions she really liked). This input will already set me up with the key colors I will use and the overall feeling and forms I want to aim for in that artwork. This will give me the high-level direction on the composition. But then, even with a custom-made piece, there will be the same level of intuitiveness and spontaneous flow as I start to paint, to allow a unique and authentic expression to come out in every painting.

Previous Comments & Answers on this post from my old WordPress site:

• Connie Norstrand
  April 12, 2019 at 3:23 am Reply
  
  I just love your art work, and can not wait until you do online courses with your techniques, Happy Easter Deniz!

  • Deniz Altug
    April 12, 2019 at 5:57 am Reply
    
    Thank you Connie – I’m happy to have you here! Have a great one too!
    
    

• Nancy Woodling
  May 14, 2019 at 9:14 am Reply
  
  The best day of my creative life is the day I found Deniz and her beautiful art. I, too, am looking forward to the on-line journey we may all take together, not just Deniz, but all of us that have found her.
  

  • Deniz Altug
    May 18, 2019 at 11:54 am Reply
    
    Dear Nancy, your comments really touch my heart! I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to make something better in your day and that you have found me. Thanks so much for being here on the journey!
    

• Gay Stephens
  June 28, 2019 at 3:58 pm 
  
  Thank you for the tips on medium. I’ve painted with oils an watercolor,but am new to acrylic.. since it dries so fast, it can be a challenge.
  

  • Deniz Altug
    July 2, 2019 at 12:54 pm 
    
    Thanks for the comment Gay! The fast drying of acrylic is both and advantage and a challenge at the same time. I also like to prolong the drying time and therefore I use use fluid acrylic mediums. It’s a great way to extend drying time to allow for more time to move or blend paint.
    
    

• setareh
  April 17, 2020 at 10:35 am 
  
  your soul is really associated with paintings and i even enjoy your description ! and about your paintings i think they don’t need explanation , they are wonderful !
  

  • Deniz Altug
    April 21, 2020 at 2:25 pm 
    
    Thank you!! I really appreciate your very kind words.
    
    

• Maryse MARCOTTE
  April 25, 2020 at 7:37 am 
  
  Bonjour Deniz,
  Merci pour vos partages, en vous lisant je decouvre que nous les artistes avons les mêmes, doutes et angoisses , que l’on se cherche beaucoup avant de trouver sa voie. Pour moi c’est cette periode de confinement qui remet tout en question , je me pose et je réfléchis à d’autres expériences.
  J’ai découvert votre travail par hasard, et cela m’a émerveillé, que de fluidité, si il fallait choisir une de vos toiles , cela serait impossible , elles me plaisent toutes.
  Bon , J’aimerais vous poser une question , je ne vois pas votre signature sur vos oeuvres , vous les signez seulement derrière la toile ?
  Amitiés de France , prenez soin de vous.
  

  • Deniz Altug
    April 26, 2020 at 2:15 pm
    
    Thank you so much for your kind words Maryse. To answer your question, yes at this time I choose to sign on the back of my paintings.