How to Make Good Routines in Your Art Studio

How to Make Good Routines in Your Art Studio

I’ve been wanting to tell you about my artist routine for a while now.

Adopting a routine has really changed the way I work. As a professional fine art artist, I paint several times a week and the mess I create whilst doing so could demotivate me and make me drag my heels. Since evaluating my routine, I have a completely different approach. I invite you to browse through the article which will certainly inspire you or trigger other ideas in you.

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Feel free to personalise your artist routines to make a comfier studio space. This will also make your painting time more appropriate and enjoyable, that’s what makes these routines magical.

Artist studio – Amylee

Easel on wheels – Amylee

Routine At My Studio

A work routine can be very useful in structuring your time and sequencing your tasks in a comfortable way. It can help you to concentrate, be more productive and achieve your goals with less stress, while creating a balance between the creative process and the surrounding daily life.

Why Create a Routine?

• To be more relaxed before starting a painting session;
• To quickly build up an artistic appetite by avoiding creative blocks;
• To save time in using the tools;
• Take care of the tools after each session;
• Have a welcoming studio to create in;
• Prepare for the next day’s session.

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I paint with acrylic colours. My routine is therefore a sharing of my personal experience. It may inspire you if you work with water-based techniques. On the other hand, if you create with oil paint, the routine will be different.

Artist studio – Amylee

The Daily Steps of My Artist Routine

I have 2 disciplines in my routine.

At the beginning of the painting session:

• Before I get down to work, I set up my decor. I then play the music or a playlist of my choice that will accompany me throughout the session.
• I put on my apron to preserve my clothes. After my session, I always hang it in the same place, i.e. behind the easel.
• I place the easel near a light source (window) to take advantage of natural daylight. Often at the end of the session, I push the easel into a corner so that it is less cumbersome during my various movements in the studio. I have opted for the easel on wheels. It is really easier to handle, especially when it is big and heavy.
• I bring my stool close to the easel to sit on if necessary or to climb on it to take a few more centimetres if the outstretched arm is not enough.
• I place my colours on the clean palette on my table or sideboard. I work with 2 glass palettes. One is already cleaned and ready to use for immediate painting while the other has dried overnight. At the beginning of the session, I cover the latter with a wet paper towel and after 15 minutes I scrape off the acrylic paint crusts with a metal spatula to prepare my clean palette for the next day.

At the end of the painting session:

• After each session, I wash my brushes with soapy water. I clean the water container of dirty water and then fill it with clean water for the next day’s activity.
• I clean my hands with an extra-soft silicone sponge that gently lifts the acrylic paint from the skin.
• I then lay the washed and wet brushes on an absorbent cloth to optimise drying overnight. I wash my brushes with a mild vegetable soap. The Masters soaps are very effective and smell great.
• Before leaving the studio, I tidy up my workstation and place all my paint tubes in the colour bar.
• By inviting clutter into the workspace, the artist risks becoming overwhelmed and losing concentration. That’s why it’s important to keep your workspace clean and tidy in order to be efficient and productive.

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You can find a great range of paints in GreatArt store in Shoreditch (London) or on GreatArt.co.uk online shop.

Apron hanging on easel – Amylee

Paint tubes stored in the colour bar – Amylee

Glass art palettes – Amylee

Ready-to-use brushes for the next day – Amylee

About My Comfy Studio

By practising a studio routine, you will experience a real pleasure in painting the next day.

Everything is more comfortable and easier, tools are waiting for you as if someone had come in before me, early in the morning, to set up everything the artist needs.

Before each session, I enjoy finding the apron hanging on the easel, the equipment on the table, a clean palette ready to paint, clear water in the bucket and the colours all neatly arranged in the colour bar.

What a time saver when everything is in place and waiting to be used. A routine that immediately whets your appetite and puts you in optimal conditions to create effectively.

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Content provided by Amylee Paris

The passion of Amylee, fine artist and author is to share her paintings between galleries, art collectors and her community. Amylee is also recognized as one of the most influential French artist-entrepreneurs. Since 2009 she has mentored thousands of visual artists guiding them to thriving their art career.

You can visit her colourful portfolio, her Instagram, or find all Amylee’s posts published in GreatArt online Magazineby clicking here!