Weekly BobBlast Issue 496
Starting a Painting with Bob’s 5Cs

Welcome Back to Another BobBlast!

How to start a painting? Well… it’s kind of like magic. You show up in your studio, with your brush loaded with color and the painting seems to appear right in front of your eyes! Well… not exactly like that. For me, it takes preplanning way before I pick up a brush!

Here’s how I plan, using the 5Cs:

•Concept
•Composition
•Color Combination
•Continue the Series
•Commitment

When I first get into the studio, I journal for awhile and write the goals for my painting day. With my concept in place for painting, I use my trusty Thesaurus to select painting titles. Titling my painting first helps me focus. When my painting matches the title, I know it is done!

Back to the 5Cs! I will discuss each point briefly:

Concept–your BIG IDEA. Your goal and the reason why you’re doing the painting. Write this in your sketchbook.
Composition. This is the overall design foundation of your painting. Select only one composition, such as diagonal, vertical, asymmetrical etc. All paintings have a composition, whether it is a realistic still life, landscape or an abstract.
Color Combo. I chose 4 colors from my GoofProof Color Wheel–a dominant color, focal point color and 2 spice colors. The only colors I put on my painting table are these 4 colors, plus black and white.
Continue the Series! I tend to work in different series of paintings. Whenever I work in the studio, I do not work on just one painting until it is finished–I work on a series all at once.
Commit to the original Concept. When a completely different idea comes into my head while I am painting… I start on a different painting.

I hope these 5Cs will be useful–maybe even a clearer way to get started for the New Year!

Happy New Year Paint New Work!

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