Exercise: Half Hour Study

I have been trying to increase the speed at which I paint. Recently I was forced to complete a small study in 30 minutes. It was an interesting exercise. Not only did it force me to paint more quickly but it also required that I focus on the big picture without being distracted by details.

Here is the finished study. You can see that I did not produce a great work of art but it is not that bad either. You can probably guess where I was painting when the time ran out and I had to put down my brush.

Here are the instructions we were given in case you want to try the same thing yourself.

1. Use a small panel (such as, 6" X 8").
2. Premix the essential colors on your palette before you start. This will give you more time to focus on painting.
3. Take about 5 minutes to plan your composition using a pencil or brush.
4. Spend the next 15 minutes placing your large color masses on the panel.
5. Reserve the last 10 minutes for loading on the paint. Use thick juicy strokes to represent objects and light instead of details.

The key is to leave out the details and to focus on the overall effect. Move quickly without concern for how it will turn out and you might be surprised what you can accomplish in 30 minutes of painting.