Loosening Up

I’ve felt like my painting style has loosened up quite a bit in the last few weeks, at least compared to how I used to paint a few years ago.

But I still feel it’s important to prevent the tightness creeping back in.

So today I decided I would start this painting really loose and just see where it went, without any intention to try and sell it or even show it to anyone, necessarily.

I started with a really large brush, and just blocked in the background and the water, keeping everything nice and blocky.

Then I gradually got more detailed with smaller brushes, but there’s no really fine detail at all. Even the figure and the dog are pretty rough if you look closely.

I quite liked the overall effect of the painting though, and I think the unfinished quality of the surroundings draws the eye in to the focal point of the figures.

Would love to hear your thoughts!