Watercolor Creativity with “Confidence”

Hello and welcome back.

            Today I thought it would be best to reveal the crucial element of “Creativity.”

To start on your unique path, you must forget what you have heard - forget what your friends have told you, and remember that the simple fact toward achieving success in watercolor painting, is through its “simplicity.’’ No other medium can boast such a claim.

So now, let’s begin and get our minds prepared; repeat after me; “My Success will come from Simplicity and Confidence.” Great!

            How many times have you questioned your own painting style or ability when you came across someone else’s watercolor painting that looked like a perfect photograph image? Realistic watercolor painting is very common today, and some watercolor artists spend weeks on one single painting, painstakingly re-creating the exact image they observed in their reference photograph. Is this creativity? Do you think their work involved the elements of creativity? Let’s find out.

Creativity is something new, something different.

            Creativity is defined as having the ability to create something new. Creativity also combines together two or more elements into a new context. Creativity must provide added value to the elements in use. Now tell me, do you still think that recreating an already perfect photo image into a watercolor painting is creative? Here’s what I think:  No, it is not creative, it is not new, and it does not provide added value. In fact, wouldn’t it be better to just enlarge the photo and then frame it, rather than spend weeks in recreation? Next, creativity involves transforming two or more elements into something new, the image looks like the image in the photo, that’s not new. Also, was there any added value created from the photo recreation? No, absolutely not, this is simply a convergence of the same image into another medium, and wow, it looks the same. Watercolor painting is not new, photography is not new, and painting a photo image is not new. So now, let’s now learn how to really become creative in our watercolor art.

"Through Window" By. Shawn Stoffel

            If you can remember just one thing about creativity: it is this, no matter what you believe to be creative, creativity is not actually creativity, unless it provides the added value element. Now, if your mind wandered back to the realistically painted photo image, great, then you’re on the right track. But, think about this again; was there really any added value in the recreation? I do not see creativity, I do not see added value, and definitely do not see something new, instead, I see great patients, great observation, and a perfectly transformed duplicate of something simple, into something tremendously complicated. The added value that some people may argue, will probably be the price tag. You do the math, a watercolor painting created from 5 hours per day for three weeks. Really, if it sells, they are more apt to take a great loss, so, no added value there.

Painting from a photo reference doesn't require exact duplication.

            When you decide to add creativity into your watercolor art, you must use your uniqueness, your thoughts, not others, not photographs, just yours. You must think about how to create something new from something known or unknown. You must achieve the added value element. How will your new thought, your new idea present itself in added value for others? The appeal, the difference, and the uniqueness you have in your mind will solve creativity problems. If we all thought and created things on a combined conscious level, we would never have anything new, unique or different. Ask a child why they colored their dog purple in their painting, and they will tell you it’s because they liked it, they like purple. In fact, there is nothing wrong with a purple dog. It is different, it is new, it has added value. Create your work outside of the norm and you will develop your creativity. Your work can be unique, highly demanded, and extremely rewarding.

An Original, New, Unique Painting, with Added Value.

            The trick to developing creativity is not through the single instant big idea, that helps, but more realistically it is through developing many new smaller ideas. Explore questions such as: Why are skies’ blue; and why does grass always have to be green? If you experiment and play around with your creativity, you’ll have the benefit of not painting the same images that everyone else does. Also, you will have the potential to unlock a new and trending painting style. The benefits are endless. But, it all starts with you choosing to be unique, to be truly creative.

            The best part about being an artist is that there are no rules. In fact, each artist makes their own rules as they progress. You do not need to follow the style of others, no, create your own. Be unique, be creative, be confident, but remember this: your success will come from simplicity and confidence. So now, go forward and develop your creative works of art.