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Does art paint itself?
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Message
Posted
When I feel a piece of artwork looks complete I leave well alone, put it out of sight for a few days and look again, then and only then 'I might' fiddle with bits of it.
If you think its finished, as I've uttered, leave well alone.
I don't believe a painting paints itself, we are the artists in control of our chosen medium. It is the viewers, as always, that decide whether it is good or not. Keeping in mind everyone has their own thoughts on art.
Posted
Has anyone had this feeling? Always towards the end of a picture when you know it’s a good one… whatever you do works, almost as if the picture paints itself.yes, I know the feeling, although only very, very rarely. It is a flow that is difficult to describe. You are in a state where you feel light and you paint as if it were happening "by itself". That is the state where you no longer perceive yourself as such but are completely immersed in the act of painting... I am sure that Google Translate is not capturing my words properly... well
Posted
I have to work hard on every painting that I turn out, right up to the last brush stroke. I’m talking oils here…
But that’s what keeps me motivated I guess… if it was too easy I’d probably lose interest!
And… unlike many artists, I’m rarely pleased with the result at the end of it! I’m always striving for better!
The only exception are my rapid plein air watercolours which tend to paint themselves, probably because I’ve usually got five minutes max to complete one, so I’ve basically thrown caution to the wind…
Posted
I often look at what I’m painting and think it’s someone else’s work especially when it not good , joking aside occasionally do a painting thst I look at and think it’s almost done by it’s self . I suppose it that everything just worked without to much effort , occasionally the paint just seems to flow where you wanted it but in a better way than you thought it would.
It’s actually a difficult thing to explain but I’m sure a lot of people experience it now and then , reading what Alan said I think it’s probably more common with watercolour which is my chosen medium.
I have before wet a sheet of paper and dropped colour onto it then used that to make a painting.
Posted
Yes it feels same. My name is Sanjeev Mansotra from India. It sounds like you're describing that magical moment of creative flow, where everything just clicks into place and the process feels almost effortless. Many artists, including photographers, experience this sense of being "in the zone," where intuition takes over, and every decision—composition, lighting, timing—seems to naturally lead to a beautiful result. It's as if the art guides you rather than you consciously controlling it.
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