I've done it. Finally done it. Finally been brave enough to take the step. Finally started doing what people have been telling me to do for a while- start accepting commissions. But where to start? How do I improve my painting quality and speed so I feel like I'm in a position to do so?
Found out through a social media post about a group that does yearly painting competitions in West Aus; The Iron Cygnet. Nope not ready to try entering a competition yet. Hold on- they do workshops as part of the event, yippee. A chance to paint with the guidance of a pro painter as well as alongside like minded painters to trade tricks, tips, and painting peeves. Also, a chance to look at the competition pieces to get ideas and inspiration. What an opportunity.
Although I'm familiar with colour theory and contrast, it was good to get another take on it. Especially with the focus of its application to mini painting and the ever present goal of "how do I get better contrast?". It gave me so much food for thought that I knew it would take a while to process. How better to do so then set myself a challenge: get a mini painted every evening for a week to focus and apply concepts covered in the workshop. Armed with the new knowledge I even felt brave enough to attempt some of my bugbears for the first time: object source lighting (OSL) and painting semi transparent glass orbs.
I ended up meeting the challenge and definitely felt levelled up in my painting. Confident enough to actually launch BrushQuest officially. Also, excited for next year's Iron Cygnet event. Who knows, I might even enter a piece into the competition too.