Artists

I’m really a newbie and have so much to learn, both in oils and acrylics. It’s kind of frustrating at this level because I feel I make nothing but mistakes.

Yeah, I should have put a few coats of gesso, sanding each layer, to smooth out this canvas panel. Normally I do, but I had just had a week of nothing but failed attempts at painting my cat in oils, and I felt this painting would surely be a failure as well. I was trying acrylics thinking, well at least I will be able to paint over my mistakes sooner since it dries faster. But I had no hope I would end up with a painting that was anything but garbage, so I thought, why bother putting effort into preparing the canvas if I’m just going to throw it out when it’s done?

I love painting on paper for oils actually. A bit cheaper, no gesso needed, and the finished paintings take up little storage space. I guess if I had one that I really liked, I could mount the paper onto wood or something to be able to hang it on the wall.

But I feel I need to learn and practice for a decade before I can expect to have paintings I really like.hain

Believe it or not, I did use a rigger brush for the whiskers. Either I didn’t dilute the paint enough to let it flow well or else I didn’t handle the brush properly, maybe used too much pressure on the brush. I really do have so much to learn, and need hundreds of hours of practice before I start to feel even the most basic low level competence.

I can see why most people give up on art if they do even try it, because at least for people like me, it feels like trying to climb the tallest mountain one tiny step at a time.

But I am really drawn to art for some reason, so I’m going to keep trying.

Thank you again so much!

Did you struggle when you first began doing art, like the first year?

Here are my attempts at oil painting my cat which literally left me in tears I was so frustrated.

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I haven’t thrown those away because I don’t want to waste the oil primed canvas boards, figured I would paint over this and keep trying to get it right but I feel I am just spinning my wheels with those oil paintings.