To think I should know how to paint!?

[AllyHayHay]

I was a digital designer and illustrator for many years before going into a new field. Also started working with an animal charity and this took a good few years of my time and energy.

When the urge to make art returned, I really wanted to paint. Like with actual paint, traditional media, which should have been somewhat seamless, right?

Well I'm awful. I have been trying for a few years and still don't have one single piece to speak of.

My background was in illustrator (digital) and photography, phD, working with clients from Atlantic records, Penguin, Ikea and Zara. I obviously understand design, colour, composition, etc, but just CAN'T bloody paint.

I get started with great ideas (never short of those!) but my head falls apart within minutes. Nothing makes sense, and the materials seem to work against me. I don't think it's anxiety or expectation, this has been going on for around 7 years now.
I don't really want to go back to how I used to work, I have no real passion for that, so what's the point?

So, is it silly of me to expect to be able to paint a bloody picture on canvas at this point in my life?

BTW, my education was in both photo and fine art foundation, then visual arts degree and later a fine art post grad. I never really touched painting, although did sculpture, textiles, printmaking and collage.

Have you had any training? Learning a new medium is always a learning curve and your ability will fall short of your taste/critical judgement for a long time.
Do you actually enjoy painting?

I don't understand why you think you should be good at something you've never tried before. Using a brush is nothing like using a mouse or stylus. It's like expecting to be a great soccer player because you're good at Fifa on the playstation!

Interesting question! In my heart, immensely! In practice? Frustration and confusion. I don't recall one session being pleasurable. It's quite sad.

I think it's a bit bonkers really because logically I SHOULD be able to. But of course life doesn't work that way.

I gain great pleasure making painterly digital scenes. I do this to relax. Unfortunately I can't take them seriously. Even though they're quite good. I am a harsh self critic.

True.

Crossed posts!
I'd really recommend doing a course in painting specifically if you haven't already. This one from west Dean college looks good: https://onlinecourses.westdean.ac.uk/course/oil-painting

I've tried, over the years. I am good at life drawing with charcoal, all the A+ in uni, etc, but can't bloody paint.

I think to me, it felt like a natural progression that doesn't work.
I wouldn't care so much if my heart wasn't so hurt by it

Why don't you take your digital work seriously?
Or alternatively: why do you feel you should be doing serious art?

And I should have played centre forward for England after all I spent thousands of hours from the age of 2 kicking a football.

You are brilliant at what you do. I was average, at best, at football. I'm great gardener, a good person manager, I pour a great pint, I make people laugh, I carve beautiful walking sticks.

I'd like to paint I've tried, I'm not good...hopefully with some practice I might get better but I'm not Leonardo.

Picasso knocked out a load of stuff and apparently he pics are worth a load of money now.

They don't look that good to me, but I wish I had one to sell.

I can't paint. But I can draw anything and draw portraits in pastels that are very highly thought of.
Put a brush in my hand and my confidence evaporates!
You're obviously artistic and skilled, you just haven't found your medium.

You are right that I should not 'expect to be able to do it, but I think I felt it should work. Maybe a personal thing? I have images in my mind of so many things I would paint, but they never come to fruition. It's sad really.

Interesting question about 'serious' art.
I guess in the age of AI I feel less trusting of being taken seriously in digital.

Now that's a problem that I have when I paint. It doesn't match the vision in my head so to my eyes isn't good enough.

Who do you want to take you seriously? Are you hoping to make a living (or reputation) from painting?

You seem to be torturing yourself! It's a shame not to enjoy the process and the talent that you do have because you're too busy focusing on a (perceived) weakness in another area.

No, not about money or adulation, but self fulfilment. I longed to paint for years, then when I could devote myself to it it went south.

Goodness, me too! It's frustrating but I know that practice is the only answer. But life's too short to force yourself to practice something you don't enjoy for its own sake.

I wil also be honest, so don't knock me for this, but as an artist i do want to communicate and enjoy sharing with other artists.
Sadly, when people find out my work is digital, they back off or pass on by (online).

I do think there is a weird kind of antipathy towards digital art, probably because it is now ubiquitous and many people mistakenly believe that the software does the work for you.

At heart, I also truly longed to paint, so it's a bit of both personal desire and public awareness if that makes sense?

Definitely! I'm now treating it as an amusing foible. I've taken classes, everything.
My last attempt at a watercolour I called "Not so much a painting more a cry for help"
I'm concentrating on portraits as that's my talent. As long as no brushes are involved...

I always try to do abstract landscapes and often wonder if that is the problem, it's like going back to school and trying to do fractions (for me!).
If I paint other stuff I'm not 'too' bad.

It's interesting trying to figure out what the heck drives us isn't it?

Then again, if we have a certain passion, it's a bugger if we can't do it.

I think I recall musicians who said they'd dreamt of being painters but couldn't hack it. Even though people loved their music more!

Wasn't it Joni Mitchell who preferred painting? She is famous for it now, but only because of her success as a musician.

And the Moomin author Tove Jansson - famous for cute stories but was a dedicated oil painter.

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Edit for blithering typos.

Post one of your paintings! You’re deffo better than you think.

Gimme a few mins, I need to find one!

The fact you have just said paint means to me you have not really looked at this with the same rigour as perhaps your previous disciplines.

Which paint?

Oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolour?

All entirely different mediums and each an art in themselves.

I used to not be bad at acyrlic. Oil never really got to a good level. But watercolour! My god that evaded me for a long long time and I really wanted to be good at that.

I have invested lots of time now understanding the basics of it and investing in decent paint. That's made a huge difference. I think if I practiced enough I could now get ok at it.

Which mediums do you like? Join a class for lessons!

You know, the more I studied and took it seriously the worse it got.
I loved all mediums, although can't much tolerate acrylic, which is a shame since it's so convenient.
Not too bad with watercolour, and loved pigment, brusho, and experimenting with mediums like salt, granulation and water techniques.

sadly everything I created was nondescript.
I could study till I am blue in the face.

This was about as far as I got with watercolour.

I’d go back to drawing. It’s easier in my opinion. Then try pastels! Lovely
to blend. Then I’d try getting some
water colour and acrylic books from the library for ideas. Build up to it!