The Biggest Shifts That Helped Me Create Original Artwork
Learn how to create original artwork using your own reference photos. Discover the mindset shifts that help artists see shapes, values, and composition before they ever pick up a paintbrush.
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One of the things I love most about art is that there isn’t just one right way to create. Some artists paint from life. Some work from imagination. Some sketch first. Some paint intuitively. And many artists, myself included, use reference photos as part of the creative process. This is just one of the ways I create original paintings, and it’s one of my favorite methods to teach because it’s approachable, especially if you’re just beginning to branch out from painting tutorials.
You don’t have to paint from imagination, and you don’t have to know how to freehand draw. Instead, you learn how to use your own reference photos as inspiration while making creative decisions that transform them into something uniquely yours.
Below, I am sharing five key shifts that completely changed the way I paint. I hope it encourages you!
#1: Start With Inspiration You Already Have
One of the biggest myths about creating original artwork is that inspiration has to strike out of nowhere. When in reality, I collect inspiration everywhere. I look at my own photos, color palettes, flowers, gardens, and everyday moments. Sometimes one photo becomes a painting. Other times, several photos come together to create a completely new composition.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on vacation, walking through a garden, or simply out running errands when something catches my eye. I’ll pull out my phone, snap a quick picture, and add it to my growing collection of inspiration.
Original artwork often begins with simply paying closer attention to the beauty around you. The more you begin noticing colors, shapes, interesting lighting, and everyday moments, the more you’ll realize that inspiration has been around you all along.
#2: Learn to See More Than the Flower
When you first look at a water lily, you naturally see… a water lily. But one of the biggest shifts in my own painting was learning to look beyond the object itself. I started noticing the shapes of the petals. Then I began noticing sections of different colors. Next came the shadows, the highlights, and the subtle value changes from one petal to the next.
Instead of thinking, “I’m painting a flower,” I began thinking, “I’m painting a collection of beautiful shapes, colors, lights, and shadows.” That way of seeing changes everything.
One of the things I often tell my students is that I don’t want them to simply think about painting a flower. I want them to notice where the darkest shadows are, where the light is hitting, how the colors shift from one petal to the next, and how all those little shapes work together.
Once you start seeing your subject this way, painting becomes much less intimidating because you’re no longer trying to recreate an object. You’re simply painting what you actually see.
#3: Your Photo Is a Starting Point, Not a Rulebook
One thing I want to encourage is that creating original artwork doesn’t mean you have to sit in front of a blank canvas and invent everything from your imagination.
Many artists begin with reference photos. The difference is that they don’t feel obligated to copy every detail. They crop the image, simplify distracting elements, combine ideas from several photos, and make thoughtful creative decisions along the way.
Your photo becomes a guide, not a set of instructions. That freedom is one of the things I love most about creating original artwork. You’re allowed to adjust the composition, simplify complicated areas, change colors, or combine elements that inspire you.
The goal isn’t to copy a photograph perfectly. The goal is to create a painting that captures what inspired you in the first place.
#4: Most Original Paintings Begin With Planning
One of the things I discovered as I studied other artists is that many original paintings begin long before the first brushstroke.
Artists often spend time gathering inspiration, sketching ideas, exploring compositions, creating value studies, or testing color combinations before they ever paint.
That planning isn’t about making the process more complicated. It’s about giving yourself a roadmap that allows you to paint with more confidence.
When you take a little time to think through your composition, identify your focal point, and simplify what you see, you’ll often find that the actual painting process becomes much more enjoyable.
A little planning on the front end gives you the confidence to make creative decisions throughout the rest of the painting.
#5: Train Your Eye Before You Train Your Brush
One of my favorite things to do when I’m teaching is to encourage students to stop saying the literal thing they are painting. For example, I might tell them to stop saying, “I’m painting a flower.” Instead, I ask them to start noticing:
- Where is the darkest shadow?
- Where is the light hitting?
- How do the values change across each petal?
- What shapes do I actually see?
As you begin breaking a subject into shapes, values, lights, and color relationships, painting becomes much less intimidating because you’re no longer trying to recreate an object. You’re simply painting what you see. That shift is one of the biggest changes that helped me create original artwork, and it’s something I continue practicing every time I paint.
The more you train your eye to notice shapes, values, light, shadows, and color relationships, the more naturally you’ll begin making artistic decisions of your own. And that’s when creating original artwork starts to feel less overwhelming… and a whole lot more fun.
Want to See This Process in Action?
Reading about this shift is one thing, but seeing it happen is even more powerful. That’s why I’ve created a FREE lesson where I walk you through one of the exact methods I use to turn a simple flower photo into an original painting.
Inside this free lesson, you’ll discover:
- How to find painting inspiration in your own photos
- A simple way to identify stronger compositions
- How artists choose a focal point
- Why every successful painting begins before the paint touches the canvas
- The first steps toward creating original artwork that’s uniquely your own
If you’ve ever wanted to move beyond following tutorials and begin creating paintings inspired by your own ideas, I think you’ll love this lesson.
Click here to grab your FREE lesson and start seeing your reference photos through the eyes of an artist.
Share What You Create!
I’d love to see what you create! Post a picture and share what you learned on The Social Easel Facebook Page!
Stay creative and happy painting!
