Choosing a Subject Matter to Paint

Painting starts from a need of thinking about what you want to paint, choosing the colors you will be using, how to mix them, the painting process itself, and what the finishing will be like. The palace, place, and context where your painting will be presented is a whole other situation. Before the painting even touches the canvas, you will have to decide what will be your guide during the entire painting process.

It can be troublesome looking at paintings from other artists, who come off as effortlessly being able to put their thoughts on canvas. They introduced this gorgeous mix of colors and put out a masterpiece for the whole world to see. But for an aspiring painter or any painter, in general, it is pretty difficult to figure out the kind of perspective you wish to paint, unless you study art history and contemporary culture.

Here are some tips that you can use to figure out the subject matter you want to choose for your next project:

You can paint when you are stressed out or when you are in a calm state of mind. Don’t let your stressed out mind cripple you, rather use your love for painting as an outlet to create something brilliant. In order to create art, you have to be able to look at the world around you with a calm mind. You have to take in what is going on and give your mind time to create its own perspective. Look around, take your time, and see what catches your eye, what excites you, and what touches your heart.

You want to paint something that speaks to your soul. You can even move around to grasp your subject from different perspectives and angles. Sometimes it will take you time to find your inspiration, and at times it would be right there under your nose. If you are new, then you can start off with something simpler, like a vase of flowers or a bowl of fruit. It might seem unremarkable and uninteresting, but again painting is what you make of it.

When you have decided on the object that you want to paint, you should also think about what is really drawing you to it. Is it the colors or the way the light is falling on it. Whatever it is, you will make that aspect the focal point of the painting, and it will influence the artistic decisions that you will make during the process.

You can use help from modern applications to isolate your subject and also determine its format and composition. You can use slide holders, pre-cut frames out of the mat board, or two corners from the pre-cut frame that lets you change dimensions. You can also use hands to frame your subject.

Even an accomplished artist like Peter Clossick would tell you how much hard work it takes for him to be able to pick out the subject matter of his painting. The British painter and fine artist claims that his work is heavily influenced by post existential theory. His famous paintings include the Study of Liberty, the Last Few Days, and Rocket Woman, etc.