Hard to believe it’s been ten years of writing for Muddy Colors. We took an inkling of an idea and fleshed it out into one of the all-time best artist sites anywhere.
That’s what nearly all of these “10 things…” posts are about: building and striving toward success.
It’s difficult to say which posts are best. Instead of listing my personal favorites, I thought of them as a portfolio of posts. Which ones are practical and which ones are philosophical. I thought about what responses I got for many of them and coupled those with what I might want to know as a painter working to get better.
When I started these ten years ago there were many list posts on the web. I wasn’t treading fresh ground. But in the art community there didn’t seem to be any that spoke directly to the new artist that wanted to grow into a career. Like me, starting out. In many ways, I’m still a 19 year old learning to paint, each and every time I paint.
That’s what I’ve realized over the past ten years of writing about learning. Since we never stop using the process, we never stop learning to improve. Each time we approach the canvas (or screen) we are re-energized, re-afraid, re-excited. We face all the same hurdles, yet with better and better insight.
And that’s just the way it’s supposed to be.
Let me know if you have a personal favorite I left out, or even a favorite item from any of the lists. If there’s a theme or aspect of painting I haven’t touched on yet, let me know that, too. I’ve enjoyed writing every one of these posts over the years and I’m still planning to put them all together into a book about painting in general. You’ll be the first to know about that here.
But I just keep writing these dang things. Sheesh.
10 Things…Edges
I’m about to cut years of struggle off your painting skills.
10 Things…Failure
Our great institutions of art are not interested in dealing with this most precious teaching tool as they are all about discovery, and not about the process of finding.
10 Things…Procrastinating
Nothing is solved or expressed until I throw down a perimeter and draw within it. Nothing.
10 Things…What’s In the Picture
“The first sin is to confuse the audience.”–Stephen Sondheim.
10 Things…Overlap
Overlapping elements in a painting create intriguing, thought-provoking space.
10 Things…Value
Think graphically. Bold paintings are controlled by value. The best graphic paintings have subtle values played against striking, edgy values.
10 Things…Contrast
By controlling contrast you control interest.
10 Things…Crumping
Breaking up the space in a composition creates a rhythm for the eye to follow.
10 Things…Cropping
Move things around in the composition; cover things to see what can go or what must stay. Less is more.
10 Things…Color
Doesn’t matter what color you have, even if the color you mixed is correct to your eye, if you don’t capture the value you lose the depth.
It is with great thanks to you in what you have provided for all artists, young and old, beginner to the pro. I’ve enjoyed and have been challenged by reading and re-reading your “10” lists. I print them out for my art students to read and consume and talk about. I’ve always recommended to my students that they must have a library of books and if they can only afford three, it needs to include Andrew Loomis’s, Creative Illustration, R Schmid’s, Alla Prima; and R Henri’s, Art Spirit and finally I add your “10’s” lists…all of them. Thank you again for posting this “Best of the 10.”
Brian! Thank you. That’s really exciting to hear. So glad you are sharing them as it is the honest reality of how to think about an art career. I try to de-mystify the entire experience.
Art shouldn’t be a mystery. It should be about touching the human spirit and expressing the human condition. We can only do this through authentic speech and authentic action. It’s about transparency.
I plan on exposing more as I go along…
Thanks again!
Thank you for ten years of help!
thank a lot i recently united i hope improve a lot here
I love your 10 things posts! So much insight! Always super helpful!
Just bookmarked to come back and read these once in a while. Thanks for all the great posts.
Personally, I can think of very few blogs that started a decade ago, that have achieved their goal and maintained their relevance while continuing to provide invaluable insights as well as expanding horizons, on an ongoing, daily basis. Muddy Colors remains a constant on the Daily tab in my browser.
And I’d like to add, it’s been a real pleasure to see the diverse talent on display here, and to have watched others’ talent grow, all while you each fostered the talent of innumerable site visitors, training them to hone their talents by dint of clear observation, careful study, and committed effort to refine their artistic skills with intention.
So well said, Thomas!
Thanks for sharing. I’m going to check all of these out. It’s really helpful to get advice about breaking into the art industry and then maintaining relevance.
can’t believe it’s already been ten years since i found muddy colors while an graphic design underground. so glad it’s still around
Thank you so much for sharing with us so much knowledge! (come on guys pick my comment so I can get one free video XD)
Bingo.
This is probably my favorite series in MuddyColors, along with the educational posts by Ron Lemen, they are so-so informative.
I also love the ones by Howard Lyon on what books to get.
Have you thought about doing a “10 things…drawing”. I see many people how like painterly painting thinkthey can skip learning how to draw, maybe that can enlighten a bunch o people.
I think I did one on sketching and tracing, Sebastian. But thanks for the thought. I might just have to revisit the idea! It would be fun as drawing is my first love. And so very important for learning to paint.
Watch for a 10 Things… drawing post coming soon! : )
You’re posts here have been some of the best things I’ve read on art, anywhere, ever (and I say that as someone who has owned a lot of art books over the years). Always illuminating, insightful, challenging, enjoyable, and at their best, amazing. Much like art, much like life.
Many, many, many thanks, and hoping for many many more years to come.
Thank YOU, Sarah! I appreciate your words and reflections about the posts. It’s good for me to hear what might be important for someone to read about. I know I would’ve wanted to hear some of these things when I first started out.
And now, we can share and expose the mysteries of painting!
Thank you for 10 years of sharing your brilliance. It’s all such great information
Love your brushwork, always such a pleasure to see!
Congrats on 10 years! MC us an invaluable resource, and a favourite regular read.
Your comment about value reminded me of a saying I keep in the front of my mind: Color gets all the credit, but value does all the work.
Dead-on, Richard!
Greg, these “10” posts are super valuable! As a teacher, I pass these along to students to support ideas we’re discussing in class. Thank you for your generosity of information and spirit.
Congrats! You’ve won a FREE VIDEO. Check your email for details.
Glad to hear you are sharing them, Brian! Can you imagine what we can all produce if all the mysteries and conceptual fog are exposed enough for us to understand easily?
Our best days as creatives lie ahead of us!
I really love this post 🙂
The 10- things series is one of the best on art education that I have ever read. Some of the principles are pinned forever above my workdesk as a reminder.
Honestly, I can‘t wait for the book 🙂
So great to hear, Basti!
I’m inspired to get back to work on a “10 things…” book!
One of the best posts ever.
I’m from Brazil
I started reading your post this year. His arguments have a lot of emotion and truth, I learn a lot as an artist and I carry that into my life.
Sorry for my English.
Congratulations for the 10 years and 10 more to come.
No worries about your English, Marco! Your thoughts are clear and much appreciated.
I wish you luck going forward, and stay in touch here on Muddy!
A very valuable post and a good one to show new artists.
Thank you for your valuable insights, Greg!
Fantastic advice! I’ve always agreed about the truth of value.
Modern master. Thanks for sharing this wisdom, Greg!
Thank you, Everyone. I didn’t answer everyone individually, but your thoughts are important and wonderful to read.
If you want a life in the arts, you can have it. Don’t let anyone tell you that only the ‘gifted’ make it. there is a wide field out there for your specific creativity. Is it easy? Hell no. But nothing should stop you from trying.
Thanks for all the great insights and compliments from you ALL!
I finally feel like I go oil painting in my comfort zone to explore now. It took awhile but I can see how working with color is more fun than mediums that are immediate. Spending the hours in the ugly zone, helped me to focus on which parts of the subject to describe and match value to build the layers.
Keep telling the students the same stuff because it takes awhile. Greg has so much experience that to understand why he says something takes time, and the pay off is huge.
I met Greg at a demo exhibition years ago. Just recently did 5% of what he said made sense. Now I am having so much fun using oils. Before they sat in the box, waiting for me to build my confidence and knowledge of good technique.