Introduction
Painting is both thrilling and intimidating — especially when you’re just starting to take it seriously. In this light-hearted yet inspiring creative session, the artist shares their honest journey toward becoming a more intentional painter, experimenting with materials, colours, and techniques while learning valuable lessons along the way.
Setting Up the Canvas: A Fresh Start
Every great painting starts with a blank canvas — in this case, an 11×14 canvas, freed dramatically from its “plastic prison.” Rather than using an anonymous cheaper canvas, the artist opted for a labelled one, simply for the satisfaction of knowing what brand they were working with.
The first step in preparation was straightforward: gathering the right materials. From acrylic paints and brushes to a creative DIY palette, everything was carefully chosen to support this painting session — even if some items came with a dash of humour and improvisation.
The Colour Palette: Mixing Magic
The artist chose Liquitex Basics Acrylics, praising their large tubes and affordability. The palette included:
- Cadmium Yellow Light Hue
- Ultramarine Blue
- Cadmium Red Light Hue
- Bright Aqua Green
- Quinacridone Magenta (a personal favourite)
- Burnt Umber
- Golden Titanium White (Fluid Acrylic)
- A touch of Jet Black (Holbein Gouache) for desaturation.
This colour set formed a flexible foundation — bright, warm, and bold enough for experimentation, yet balanced with earthy tones for realism. The fluid white paint, although runny, helped thin out thicker pigments when needed.
The Tools: Resourceful and Relatable
The artist’s paintbrush collection was stored in a hand-painted oatmeal container, a quirky yet charming touch. A mix of old and newer brushes allowed for variety in strokes. Two water cups — a “clean” and a “dirty” one — were also prepared, complete with a paint puck (a handy tool for cleaning brushes).
Instead of a traditional palette, the artist used the glass insert of an old photo frame, enjoying the satisfying process of peeling dried paint later. A palette knife was also introduced with determination to avoid gumming up brushes during mixing — though old habits proved hard to break.
Protecting the Workspace
Before painting began, a practical concern arose — protecting the desk. With sturdy canvas staples threatening the veneer, the artist layered brown packaging paper salvaged from an old Amazon delivery. Creativity, after all, thrives on improvisation.
The First Brushstroke: Preparing the Base Layer
To avoid unwanted white specks showing through the final piece, the artist began by coating the entire canvas in a warm mid-tone base — a mix of burnt umber and titanium white, producing a chocolatey hue. Using a wide two-inch brush helped minimise visible strokes.
As the base dried, the artist hopped onto Pexels.com for inspiration and found a striking photo of flying waffles by photographer JJ Jordan. The whimsical image — complete with berries and cream — became the foundation of the painting.
Sketching the Composition
Using diluted burnt umber, the artist began sketching directly on the canvas:
- Squares for raspberries and blackberries
- Circles for blueberries
- Cross-hatch patterns for the waffle grid
This early outline established the basic structure, ensuring a sense of proportion before diving into colour.
Adding Colour: Finding Depth and Texture
Raspberries and Blackberries
Starting with a mix of red, magenta, and a hint of burnt umber, the artist built the raspberry tones. Later, by blending in darker hues for shadows, each berry started to take on a three-dimensional quality.
Blueberries
A deeper blue mix captured the natural cool tones, while spiky details were added for the “blueberry hair”— later identified, after a quick Google search, as the calyx or blossom end.
Whipped Cream (or Yogurt?)
What was intended to resemble yogurt became delightfully whipped cream-like. The artist layered white and pale yellow tones to create soft, voluminous shapes — a happy accident that added brightness and contrast to the piece.
The Waffle: A Struggle in Colour and Form
The waffle proved to be the most challenging element. Capturing its texture, warmth, and golden-brown hue required countless adjustments.
- Darker tones were used for the indented syrup pockets.
- Lighter, yellower hues highlighted the ridges.
- Subtle pink and orange variations were tested and reworked repeatedly.
At one point, the waffle turned too orange, then too dull, then too dark — a vivid reminder that painting is a dance between correction and creation. The artist admitted to overcompensating when colours felt off, learning the delicate balance between subtlety and clarity.
Through layering, re-colouring, and soft blending, the waffle eventually transformed from a “carrot colour” to a rich manila-brown, textured and lifelike.
Final Details: Berries, Cream, and Highlights
The artist revisited the berries, this time adding highlights and reflections to enhance their dimension.
- Raspberries: received brighter red and pink touches.
- Blackberries: developed through lighter blue-purple highlights.
- Blueberries: gained smooth, rounded sheen for realism.
The whipped cream was reshaped with thicker white layers, becoming a central eye-catching feature. Even the crack in the waffle was given attention, symbolising imperfection as beauty.
Painting the Background
For the background, the artist mixed bright aqua green with jet black to create a teal shade. Using a large brush, they filled the backdrop evenly, enjoying the calming rhythm of painting broad strokes.
Later, an unplanned decision to brighten the background with pure teal made the waffle and berries pop, though it subtly reduced the contrast of the food. Still, the overall result felt fresher and more vivid.
The Finishing Touches
Believing the painting was complete, the artist cleaned the brushes (with only minor paint casualties on the arms), then used a white Posca pen to sign their name. However, inspiration struck again — the pen was repurposed to add small highlights, especially on the blueberries’ calyxes, enhancing the realism.
Reflection: Lessons in Patience and Process
By the end, the painting had evolved far beyond its starting point — a testament to persistence, curiosity, and learning through trial and error. The artist candidly acknowledged the constant reworking, indecision, and over-corrections as part of the growth process.
They concluded with the most essential takeaway:
“I still have a lot to learn, and I want to keep pushing myself to paint more so I actually have that opportunity to learn more.”
For future projects, the goal is to simplify subjects and focus on mastering colour mixing and tonal relationships — key skills for any developing artist.
Conclusion: The Beauty of Progress
This painting session was not just about creating a picture of waffles and berries — it was about exploring patience, technique, and self-expression. From makeshift palettes to bold teal backgrounds, the artist reminded us that art is less about perfection and more about progress.
In their words:
“Art is a creative hobby, and sometimes you can’t explain the what, when, where, why, or how.”
So, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, the message is simple — just start painting. Learn, mess up, mix colours that don’t match, and above all, keep showing up for the art you love.
Have a delicious evening — preferably with waffles.
