Make Marks With Character: Letting Your Painting Speak
When we think of painting, it’s easy to imagine perfectly blended skies or finely drawn details but what if I told you that some of the most meaningful parts of a painting come from the marks that are uniquely yours and often unexpected?
In this video, Make Marks With Character, we explore how small, expressive gestures like a scratch, dripping & blotting, can bring life and individuality to your abstract landscapes.
It’s not about “getting it right.” It’s about finding a mark that expresses the character of your subject.
Why Mark Making Matters
When you create a mark with energy or intention, you’re doing more than just filling space, you’re leaving behind a little signature of your mood, your movement & creativity.
These seemingly simple strokes become the foundation of a landscape that doesn’t need to “look exactly like” the place, but communicates some of the sense of what it was like to be there.
If you’re just beginning your art journey or returning to it later in life, abstract landscapes are the perfect playground. You get to enjoy the freedom of gesture, and explore texture, shapes and rhythm at your own pace. Whether you’re using brushes, fingers, a palette knife, or scratching the paint with something you found while outside. Each mark you make becomes part of a visual language and it’s uniquely your own.
Try This
Here are a few ways to start making marks with character:
Use a large brush to make sweeping, loose lines.
Make repeated small marks to create patterns
Scratch into wet paint with the end of your brush handle or a stick.
Let the mark settle & mull them over, don’t rush to correct “mistakes.”
Final Thought
Painting isn’t just about creating something to hang on a wall, it’s about the joy of doing. So don’t worry if your mark isn’t perfect. Let it be authentic. Let it have character & your landscapes will thank you for it.
