How to Prepare for Winter Painting
There are several ways to prepare for outdoor painting this Winter, and we want you to be excited!
Over the years, artist Gábor Svagrik has learned his lesson about being unprepared for Winter painting. If Gabor paints in a frigid, snowy landscape, he always wears insulated boots and stands on a piece of newspaper or a small piece of carpet so he has something between him and the snow. Gabor reminds artists to take breaks, move around, and get their circulation moving throughout their session. It is also hard to paint with full gloves on, so Gabor recommends fingerless gloves (he finds his at fly-fishing stores), so you can still feel the brush on your fingers.
Disposable heating packs to put in your pockets also come in handy on a cold winter day! You need your hands to stay warm, so your brush strokes are not lacking. Gabor also likes to bring a warm liquid, coffee, or tea, to keep his internal temperature warm so his session can last longer. You may also deal with the paint itself getting stiff in the cold. Gabor recommends keeping your paint tubes in a car near you and go back and forth to squeeze the color out as you need them.
We know painting can be uncomfortable in certain seasons, but we endure this to observe life and landscape better. Painting from life should be a painter’s number one priority. When you gather the information you see in life, your brain stores it like a permanent picture in your head. You will learn to start correcting values and color just from memory like you would do a painting from a photograph.
Remember to enjoy the process of painting from life, even if it is uncomfortable. Painting is like gardening. Gardeners have back pain, and their hands get dirty, but there is a reward at the end. The concept is the same for painters. The paintings will have a fresher look, and you will judge your values much better when painting from life. It is a mindset. If you are prepared for the weather, painting from life will be more enjoyable. Gabor hopes you all take advantage of those long shadows in the winter, they are beautiful to paint! We hope this encourages you to paint outside this winter season.
Gabor Svagrik and his wife, Christine Svagrik are founders of the Tucson Art Academy Online.
To learn more tips, tricks, and skills from Gabor Svagrik, we recommend his video download series or FREE webinar. Find out more by clicking here:
To listen to Gabor’s full podcast episode on Painting in the Winter, click here.