An artist’s studio is a creative hub where all the magic happens, to me it’s where I am most happiest, a studio is meant to be a sacred place where we worship our passion bringing all our big dreams into life.
It’s always a good practice to have a few things in order in whatever you do before you get started to avoid interruptions in our artist journey or the process. As an artist, personally I could point out a few things that according to me I felt was important, You may have a different opinion or an approach of your own which is absolutely fine, the preferences and choices can be very personal, so suite yourself. The following suggestions are in random order, but I am hoping they are beneficial.
1.TALL DOUBLE DOORS
I can understand that not everyone has the privilege to have an own and dedicated studio space and it may even sound like it’s too much to ask for to begin with, fair enough, Initially there may not be as many options to choose from and sometimes going with the flow is a wisest thing to do, however if you have a choice to customize the structure then it’s always a good idea to have a studio with wide & tall double door assuming at some point you will want to start handling commission orders which are bigger than your standard door size, so the idea is to be able to foresee the large orders that you may be undertaking in the future and make room for it well in advance and stay ready for it.
2.KEEP IT WELL VENTILATED
Having a ventilated studio is a very important aspect which most often is misunderstood and ignored by majority of the artist’s who only believe in relying on ceiling fans or air-conditioning unit for air circulation in their studio’s and in most of the cases it may not simply be good enough. Artists are bound to use different paint mediums such as the oil, enamel or other substances, these paints carry chemical fumes that can rise and pool onto the ceiling level and the smell may not even be detectable. These chemicals not just cause serious physical injury when inhaled under the chronic exposure but could also potentially start a fire in your studio if neglected, Hence having a good ventilated studio can mitigate the possibilities of such unpredicted mishaps.
3.CLEANLINESS CULTURE
Clean spaces not just adds up to your good hygiene values but also brings out feel good factor and good vibes. It is rightly said that cleanliness is next to godliness and that definitely holds true to one’s experience.
a. The Studio
The idea is to find a good balance between producing art and to also feel good where you make them. Too much clutter around us can slow down the process and can drain down the energy levels of an artist. A lot of it has to do with growing up and also knowing how we need our environment to be in order to be inspired and to be ready to create. Personally, I spend most of my time in my studio working on my projects, post production editing, packaging orders, filming etc, so in my opinion if I am spending that much of time in my studio then I might as well make it a comfortable place for myself, I don’t deny the fact that I don’t make a mess, I completely do, in fact I do them on a daily basis but the whole idea is to do something about it and not let the entire thing pile up and then land up being angry or frustrated, I prefer to keep my space open, fresh and clear. However having said that, come on, it’s an art studio, things are bound to get messy here coz when you decide on being a full time artist, making a mess out of your studio comes with the package I must say especially it could get really worse when I have a major shipping day and when I have to package a lot of orders, just thinking about it alone can drive anyone nuts, but regardless of however messy a day could get I make it a point to clean and bring it all back to normal again.
b. The Brushes
Art is an expensive passion to own or drive and like they say everything has a price attached to it, your art materials and supplies are a very important expensive investment especially when it comes to artist grade brands.
Always make it a habit to clean your brushes thoroughly towards the end of your session so the quality of the brushes are well maintained and they’ll last longer, hence going an extra mile in spending time is cleaning them is absolutely necessary.
Following approach may help you maintain your brushes really well that could work as a general guideline.
Any excess paint can be wiped off using a piece of cloth or tissue by gently squeezing the bristles towards your fingers, but please ensure to avoid manhandling the bristles which could land up damaging the brush making them unusable.
Depending on what medium you are using choose the appropriate method to rinse, i.e. if you’ve been using an oil paint then you an use a turpentine or oil, likewise if you are using a water based paints then try using a luke warm water, avoid washing them with hot water as it could expand the ferrule which can lead the bristles from falling out. You could even try washing them off with may be a mild soap to ensure any excess pigments are washed off thoroughly.
Apply caution while dealing with acrylic paints as they have a fast drying time, if you tend to leave the brushes out of water for long it may end up drying on the bristle, acrylics dry plastic so once they are completely dried on the brush then it’s gonna be more than difficult to bring them back to normal.
With acrylics, Damp the brushes well in advance in water which can avoid the paints from sticking to the dry bristles. Post rinsing, wipe them off once again to completely remove the remaining paint ( if any ) on the brush making them absolute clean and dry
c. Mediums
Maintain separate brushes for different mediums, i.e. oil & acrylics, since oil repels water, I wouldn’t recommend any brushes for acrylics that’s already been used for oil painting, that would be a bad idea. Likewise, use the same rule even when you apply varnish or gesso’s, use separate brushes for each of them, use cheap synthetic brushes on masking fluid as they can really be hard on brushes.
d. Palette
Like they say, a stitch on time saves nine, and when it comes to cleaning the palette it could be quite a task if not done on time. Just as important it is to clean your brushes on time it’s equally important to even thoroughly clean your palette too depending on what medium you use.
Since acrylics are water based and quick on dry time, they are easily cleanable if they are washed on time, else they can put you through quite an effort, however with oils it’s slightly different, the drying pace is very lenient so you could afford to extend it till the next day provided you’ve covered the palette thoroughly with a plastic sheet.
Another best approach and my favourite too is to use the disposable paper palettes which requires no maintenance or cleaning whatsoever, simply use them and get rid of them once you are done with painting.
4.keep it organized
It’s all a matter of habit, I personally like to keep things organized, it gives me a sense of responsibility, being organized and arranging them in order helps us focus better in any tasks we take up than being distracted, it helps work more efficiently on any project and create in an uninterrupted manner without wasting much of a time, Imagine you are in the middle of a creative process and you are not able to find what you actually need, that could be super frustrating hence keeping things where they belong and keeping it organized can always help you on a longer run.
5.a good music system
Music has always been a feel good factor, it influences our energy levels, mood, and thought process, playing the kinda music that inspires us will tend to bring out the best in our performance in one way or the other, to an extent with majority of the artists, music plays a very important role in lifting up the spirits and also guiding them through the creative process bringing out a positive experience.
6.give your space a creative look
This is not a mandatory but if you have the time and the kinda space to play around with creativity then it won’t be a bad idea to add your personality to the place where you are the most happiest.
7.lighting
For an artist, colours are their best friends, and for colours it’s the lights, to be able to produce a good work of art, a good lighting plays a very important role and is a key factor to be able to judge the right shades and hues of colour that we use in creating a successful painting, A brighter studio space can really work in your favour in producing a finest quality of work and be able to give attention to every minute details in the artwork. So if you intend to take up an art career seriously and want to create works that matter then paying attention to a good lighting set up in your creative space / studio is the most primary thing to do.
All of the above ideas or suggestions are very generic and holds no strict intentions of advice to follow the same, therefore it’s completely under the discretion of the artist to either take the suggestions mentioned above or to even go with an approach of your own.
STAY IN TOUCH
SOMETIMES DISTANCES DON’T MATTER