I was curious to see who else has a stack of aborted paintings that they are saving because they might have a jolt of inspiration or just can't bring themselves to throw away what might be a useful piece of paper. Have you given any thought to how you might make creative use of them?
http://www.trevorholliday.com/
Hey Trevor
I've got plenty! Most of them are laying aside under the guise that I'm just waiting for the final spark to finish them. However, I know the sad truth is I'll probably never back to most of them. Those I should probably burn. Typically they're larger pieces that I don't have the chops or patience to get through. Great ideas, sometimes great starts but I fizzled under their weight you might say. As far as creative uses...well...not much aside from lessons in humility. At least for me, that is.
Painting Arkansas Blog
Just noticed this was in the Watermedia subforum...sorry, I probably should not have posted a reply. I can totally see being able to reuse failed watermedia projects in collage and the like.
I'm considering scrubbing out what I can and repainting with deep, bold colors. Then, possibly arranging them into a large format collage of some sort or possibly mounting them on boards to arrange into an installation piece.
HEY! I have the greatest idea for failed projects!
I take mine and cut them into strips about 2" wide and 8" long...take them to your local elementary school's media center to give out as bookmarks! A great recycling project and for the most part they are really cool to kids.
If you're crafty, you can punch a hole at one end and tie with a piece of scrap ribbon.
my solution is as satisfying as it gets. tear them to pieces ! that alone is satisfying. staring at all those colored pieces one day my mind started putting them together again. mosaics emerged almost on their own. the effects are wonderful . now i look forward to my aborted or failed pieces!
Since you said paper and not canvas, I'm assuming the value is not more than $10??? each right. Here's the thing - hoarding is not a good idea, nor is hanging onto dead horses. They keep you stuck in the past and give you an excuse for trying new things. Here's a few ideas:
Scan or photograph what you've done so you have a record of what you attempted to do.
Throw away the artwork,
Really, just pitch them.
If you can't do this, then cut the work into quarters and donate them to a local school so they can paint on the back of the art.
Gesso over them and try using acrylic or practice making textures, new techniques, etc.
Don't throw those dud paintings away! Watercolor paper has two sides.
Aren't you folks making color sketches of your paintings prior to starting at full size? What better way to use a failed picture than to put it to work helping you to make the next painting a success? Make quick color thumbnails of all your work at the composition stage on scrap paper— that should be a basic procedure.
Also, I make good use of scrap paper throughout the painting process. Sometimes I use the opposite side to experiment with new or different techniques. I always have a strip of scrap paper taped to my drawing board when I'm painting. It offers a place to test color or tailor a brush for the right kind of stroke. Lately, I've been making full size studies of areas that I have some question on.
Keep a folder of corners and odds and ends of old pictures that didn't work — and use those scraps to make you a better artist.
Paul Sullivan
http://www.paulsullivanstudio.com
I have a gouache painting that I'm not happy with. Tomorrow I might just paint it over with white acrylic and start fresh. I hope this works. Does anybody know?
Jorton—
I would not recommend painting over gouache with acrylic. I tried this many years ago and wound up with a mess.
You did not mention the type of painting surface or if you plan to do a new painting in gouache or acrylic. If the gouache painting is on illustration board, you might give the the picture a light spray of fixative then two light coats of acrylic gesso. At that point. you would be ready to paint a new picture in acrylic.
I think dud paintings are the golden opportunity to figure what you can do to make it a good painting. Many times I know that I have to study my work to find out why it's not working for me. If It's water color, you can wash it under the faucet and work it from there with acrylic. It's fun and a great freedom to throw caution to the wind and go at a watercolor dud with acrylic. It's like having an under-painting and sketch and you can just use creative freedom. If you're a purest mind set with watercolor only, I think they can be strengthened in areas to make them better and you can also use some mat corners and crop the good areas to make a nicer painting and just improve that part. So many times failed paintings are because of one bad area or just too much foreground etc. and cropping them turns them into cohesive and interesting works.
With oil and acrylic, obviously you can sand them off and re-gesso them or just paint on top of them once you sand them a bit.
I believe Paul and others have the right idea! Make that paper do double duty. I use the backs to test out color combinations and often keep these for future reference. I love the bookmark idea for the kids! If both sides are really awful and can't be saved I use it as fire starter outside (don't do this if you have been using cadmium paints!). I get the satisfaction knowing I have the most expensive firestarter in the world heehee
Great Idea! Some times if we leave them along long enough something better comes along.. My acrylic mural on an outdoor wall is three years in the making.. I look at this summer scene all winter, by spring, before mosquito arrives I have a better plan.. ~~Sandra
I used to think just 300lb paper was worth painting over on. You know white it out and use water acrylics, and watercolor on. Sort of mixed. But I got tight with 140lb paper, flipped the ruined watercolor over, painted most of it with wild light colors, then painted over it in acrylics. I say reuse, don't toss, unless it is so bad that it needs to be discarded. It is a way to do something quick, and then dry it, work some more later, ect. No worry about the cost, sort of freeing in itself. http://www.douglaschambers
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