Paint for the sake of painting, and because your choice of medium excites you, says acrylic advocate, Sharon Tiernan
Working with acrylics need not be complicated. The best learning comes from doing, and you will learn a lot about what works for you, and how to manipulate the medium to suit your intentions by playing with it to investigate its properties. The process is about discovery, and you only discover if you explore and approach challenges in a fresh way (avoiding a prescriptive method). There is no formula for working with acrylic, as the creative journey is driven by you, providing many opportunities for artistic triumphs and healthy challenges. Acrylic’s forgiving nature enables you to overwork and edit paintings as they evolve so you can easily remove or add features that improve the composition. (Wet paint can be carefully sponged off or lifted off with a wet brush or clean paper towel; for dry areas, gently use wet and dry paper to sand off the offending paint.)
Acrylic paint has been my go-to vehicle for many years when indulging my passion for painting. This selfish but pleasing pursuit satisfies a creative itch appeasing my need to create what I feel inspired to paint and avoid compromising my artistic integrity to play to the audience. My studio time is about gratifying what I want and enjoying quality me-time. If you enjoy what you do, the rest falls into place naturally.
A personal approach
I have an intuitive and spontaneous way of working, and like seeing a painting evolve. Other than taking photographs, I don’t tend to plan, as it takes away the mystery and spontaneity. I see value in planning, but my personality lacks the discipline and patience to do this. The diving straight in approach is much more enjoyable, as it treats the process like a puzzle that needs to be solved. I like the uncertainty that each painting is a risk and might not work.
I take copious digital photographs and have a large bank of images that I refer to, but don’t slavishly copy (taken from different angles and exploring elements of scenes). These source images are projected digitally from a tablet, positioned on a second easel to the left of my work in progress, enabling me to zoom in on small areas if I need more information as I work. Disappointment regarding the ‘soul’ of photographic references has led me to work with composite images and rely more on memory. The camera has its limitations and never quit
