Do You Want to Paint Fast? 4 Questions to Answer First
Ah yes, the dream of painting fast. You walk straight into the studio, put brush to paper immediately, and create a masterpiece.
But hold on one second.
Painting fast is not inherently better or worse than painting slow. It depends on your goals for both your style and your process. It helps to understand why you want to paint fast, because that clarity allows you to align your materials, techniques, and workflow accordingly.
Here are four questions to ask yourself about painting fast.
Do you want to paint fast because that is how real artists work?
It is easy to assume that real artists work fast. But real artists work fast and they work slow. There is no single correct pace. Learning how you want to work often takes time and reflection.
Artist John Salminen (Ep 38) began with the goal of painting fast and loose. Over time, he became increasingly interested in detail, and his process slowed down. Today, his paintings take a long time to complete, and that pace supports the work he wants to make.
If you are drawn to work similar to Todd M. Casey (Ep.24) , it is worth knowing that this kind of highly controlled, realistic work requires a slow process. The style demands it.
In general, the more realistic and detailed a painting is, the more time it usually takes. Some techniques also require waiting. Glazing in oil or working wet on dry in watercolor are both slower approaches by nature.
That is not a flaw. It is simply part of the process.
If there is a certain kind of work you love, pay attention to the pace required to make it. That information matters.
Do you want to paint fast because you want to finish paintings quickly?
There is something deeply satisfying about finishing a painting. Oil, acrylic, and watercolor all offer ways to do that, depending on how you work.
In oil painting, this approach is often called alla prima, or all at once. You work wet into wet and complete the painting in a single sitting. Kim Smith (Ep.13) and Dreama Tolle Perry (Ep.18) both use this approach, although a single session can still last many hours.
Acrylic also supports this way of working. Acrylics dry quickly, which allows for both wet-into-wet painting and faster glazing. Artists like Mark Mehaffey (plein air acrylic, Ep.5), Jed Dorsey (Ep.27), Debbie Miller (Ep.15) and Lisa Daria Kennedy (Ep.14) often complete paintings in a single session using acrylic.
In watercolor, finishing quickly often means working wet into wet. This requires strong moisture control and usually results in more impressionistic work. Andy Evansen (Ep.12) is a good example of a watercolorist who finishes paintings in one session using this approach.
If the look of this work does not appeal to you, that is important information. You may be drawn to a style that simply takes more time.
Do you want to paint fast because you have limited time?
Everyone is limited on time, and painting fast can feel like the solution.
If you are not interested in fast-finish styles, there are still effective ways to work within short time windows.
One option is to break the process into pieces. You might spend 15 minutes sketching and making thumbnails, then later do color studies or draw out your composition. When you have a longer block of time, you paint the first layer. This is how Sarah Sedwick (Ep.22) approaches her practice.
Another option is to work on multiple paintings at once. While one painting dries, you move to the next. You may not finish a painting in a single session, but you continue making progress.
If limited time is your reason for wanting to paint fast, choose a medium and workflow that support that reality. Speed does not have to mean rushing.
Do you want to paint fast because you love the look of loose painting?
Fast painting and loose painting are not the same thing.
Loose work often comes from preparation. Planning takes time. When decisions are made before you start painting, you can stay fluid once the brush is in your hand. Confusion tends to tighten your work. Clarity allows freedom.
Loose paintings often begin with a strong drawing. Confident brush marks, selective detail, and lost edges also contribute to a loose feel. None of these require rushing.
If your goal is looser work, you may need to slow down at the beginning of your process so that you can move more freely later.
Put It to Practice
Take a few minutes and answer these questions honestly:
Whose work do I love, and how fast do those artists actually work?
Do I want to finish paintings quickly, or do I want to enjoy a slower process?
Am I trying to paint fast because of time limits, or because I think I should?
Where in my process could slowing down actually make painting feel easier?
Then choose one small adjustment for your next painting.
That might mean planning more before you start.
It might mean breaking the process into shorter sessions.
It might mean letting a painting take longer than you expected.
Speed is a tool, not a goal.
When your pace matches the work you want to make, painting starts to feel better.
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