It takes a lot of courage to make a painting or drawing. All your skills, or lack thereof, are plain to see and open to praise or criticism. It’s hard and takes stubborn fortitude to keep going when things are not going your way. In this series of three articles I will suggest how to increase your confidence as a painter by developing your technical skills and learning from the artists you admire. I will then explore how to develop a reflective practice to enable you to set and reach your personal goals and finally how to maintain your confidence when things aren’t going well.
Everyone knows that it is a good thing to practise drawing and painting every day, but how many of us actually do it? Daily drawing can easily become repetitive and onerous if it is simply crammed into a busy life without any reflection or sense of purpose. If you can practise frequently with an air of research, relaxation, playful experimentation and small achievable goals you will find it more rewarding and enjoyable. Personally, I value observational drawing for its quality of mindfulness. In the right circumstances (peaceful, undisturbed and with an
