7 Painting Tips for Emotional Artists
If you’re anything like me, you don’t just paint for fun or beauty, you paint to feel, to heal, to breathe. You transform your emotions into art. For emotional artists, painting isn’t just a creative act, it’s an intimate one. We don’t just paint what we see. We paint what we carry. And that’s what makes painting through hardships, heartbreak, and healing so special. So, if you’re unsure if you should pick up your paintbrush and paint during emotional moments, these tips are for you. Here are 7 painting tips for emotional artists.
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7 Painting Tips for Emotional Artists
1. Let Your Emotions Choose The Colors
Don’t force yourself to stick to a specific palette.
If you’re feeling soft, use pastels. If you’re aching, reach for deep blues, muted grays, or raw tones.
Trust me, your mood can guide the palette better than any trend.
So, trust your instincts and choose the colors you’re feeling.
2. Create A Safe Space To Feel While You Paint
Create yourself a little corner in your house where you can paint.
Play your favorite playlist. Paint near a window. Set the mood so your emotions feel welcome.
Remember, you’re not painting to impress others. You’re painting to process and to heal.
So, let the atmosphere be soft and kind to your heart.
3. Don’t Aim for “Perfect”, Instead Aim For “Honest”
The best paintings aren’t the ones that are perfect. They’re the most real ones.
So, let your art be messy, undone, vulnerable. But most importantly, let it be YOU.
Some of your most meaningful work will come from moments that hurt. And that’s okay!
4. Use Texture To Move Emotion
Let your emotions come to play!
Use thick strokes. Scratches. Soft blends. Water dripping. Play with texture to express what words can’t say.
It’s okay if your painting looks “rough.”
Your art does not need to make sense to be good enough.
5. Step Away When It Feels Too Heavy
Make the most of what you’re feeling by turning it into art, but don’t add too much pressure on yourself.
Remember, you don’t have to finish everything in one sitting.
Give yourself grace. Take breaks. Cry. Breathe.
You are not a machine, you are a soul creating something sacred.
6. Honor What Comes Out, Even If You Don’t Understand It Yet
Some paintings won’t make sense until later.
Some strokes may reveal feelings you didn’t know you were holding.
And that’s okay. So, let the painting speak before you try to define it.
7. Don’t Be Afraid of Repetition
If your heart keeps painting the same symbol, shape, or color, please let it.
Repetition is not a lack of creativity, it’s a language.
Sometimes our soul returns to the same imagery until the feeling is fully seen.
So, let it say what it needs, as many times as it needs.
Final Thoughts
Painting as an emotional artist is a powerful, beautiful act of courage.
It’s more than creating art, it’s creating with your heart.
So remember to be gentle with yourself throughout the entire process.
Create slowly and trust that your feelings are safe on the canvas.
You are not “too emotional”.
You are simply creating from the deepest part of you.
And that, my friend, is art at its truest.
I hope you found these 7 painting tips for emotional artists helpful!
With love and paint-stained hands,
Gabby Abigail
LET’S STAY IN TOUCH!
