This past month, I skipped inktober and took on a new challenge: trying out different kinds of paint, which I called the #brushtober challenge. I usually make digital paintings, but always avoided traditional paint because honestly, I was too scared. Brushtober was a way for me to get over this fear and try some new media! Here are the main lessons that I learned from this challenge:
1️⃣ Patience is key: I am usually really impatient and impulsive when it comes to painting digitally, but this is a bad approach for traditional painting. Waiting for layers to dry, being mindful about mixing colors, observing the results of different kinds of paint: patience is needed to do these things. This was frustrating at first but once I accepted this, painting became much more satisfying to do.
2️⃣ Failure is a part of the process: I had a few paintings which completely backfired. When working digitally, I could always take some steps back and continue from an earlier point. With traditional painting, I had to toss the the whole thing out and start from scratch. This was infuriating and full disclosure, I shed a few tears over this. But the paintings I made after that failure were better. I needed to ‘fail’ in order to improve.
3️⃣ There’s a medium for everyone: For me, acrylics were a horrific nightmare, and gouache felt like the perfect paint. But I got a lot of comments from people who felt the opposite! I think everyone has a medium that feels like the best fit for their creative process, and that’s why I think it’s a good idea to experiment. You learn a lot about what does and doesn’t work for you, and gain a deeper understanding of your creative process!
All in all, I’m so glad I took on this challenge. I’m so much less afraid of traditional paint and want to paint more often in the future. Thanks for all your feedback, advice and support during this challenge! Did you do a drawing challenge in October? How did it go for you?
