What Should I Draw or Paint?
By Heidi Chapson, N2Arts Correspondent
How to come up with ideas
 

efore drawing on that good piece of paper or painting on that canvas, you need an idea! Decide if you would like to make something representational (so that it looks like what it is - realistic) or abstract (something non-representational).

Start with thinking about things that you like to do, maybe a place that you have visited, a memory, or perhaps even objects that you have found that looked interesting in shape. Ideas do not necessarily have to be complicated. You will be surprised by what you can achieve with keeping ideas simple and basic. You can use different elements from the items that you have gathered to create something unique. It can be a combination of those objects that you have found along with your own imagination.

Doodles, or thumbnail sketches as they are called, are a great way to help develop an idea for your drawing or painting. Take a sheet of paper and create a series of squares or rectangles that are equal distance apart so that you will be able to see your progression. Make them fairly small like 2” x 2” or 2” x 3”. This is so that you can draw little sketches to sort out your ideas and composition.

A composition is how you compose or arrange your objects/ideas so that they are placed in the most interesting visual manner possible. If it is a representational drawing that you seek to do, arrange your found objects on a table and proceed to make little thumbnails. Within each square or rectangle, add or remove some elements from the previous thumbnail as a way of trying out different arrangements of your objects. Just produce as many of them as you need until you feel the image you have looks good.

This is drawing from observation. If an abstract drawing or painting is what you prefer, you can use the same method as mentioned above but this time, using your imagination even more! Abstraction is usually about making something so that it is in its most basic form.

For example, let us say you have a bowl of fruit sitting in front of you. This can be turned into an abstract work by just using the shapes of the fruits without including all the little details. It could also mean changing the colors of the fruits so that they are not representational.

Again, use your imagination! The same can be done as well if your idea stems from a photograph instead of actual objects. Colors do not necessarily have to be the same as what you see. Try different color combinations that you might like to have as part of your drawing or painting.

Once you have made a few decisions, and done a few sketches, you are on your way to creating a great piece of work!

Heidi Chapson graduated with a BFA in Fine Arts (Major in Studio Arts) from Concordia University (in Montreal). She has a huge passion for the visual arts and music. She is currently working for Cirque du Soleil Musique in their 'new music' division, as well as for an artist management company.