6 Tips for Experimenting With Different Art Mediums

Many of the world’s greatest artists are well-known for their expertise and mastery with a single or a few mediums. While it’s a good idea to practice thoroughly with one medium, it’s also wise to expand your creative reach and work with new materials, ideas and techniques to challenge your creativity and learn new things about the world of art as a whole. 

If you want to begin experimenting with different art mediums but aren’t sure where to start, this guide can help you make the most out of your explorations outside of your usual artistic practices. 

1. Start Small 

A solid, consistent workflow is crucial for success as an artist, but the introduction of new materials and mediums may make adherence to your routine difficult or even impossible. Rather than completely abandon your existing creative systems, begin your experimentation phase with baby steps. 

Whether you start your creative practice bright and early in the morning with a cup of coffee or you visit San Jose dispensaries to prepare for a nighttime work session, stay true to some parts of your process while leaving room for new choices and elements to show up in your new artistic investigations.

2. Combine What You Know With Something New

Unless you’ve endeavored to experiment with a medium that’s completely different than your go-to practices, one of the best ways to bring in new materials and methods into your work is to try to incorporate them into what you already know. 

Incorporating a new medium, especially one less familiar to you, into processes you’re already comfortable with can ease some of the apprehension and perceived risk that comes with working outside your comfort zone. 

3. Experiment Without Expectation

Part of the joy and benefit of art is the chance to adopt a playful headspace with your work. When you decide to experiment with a new medium, it’s even more important to maintain a lighthearted, fun-loving mentality. 

Though it does happen, it’s completely normal, and expected, to not get something right on the first few tries. Focus on the process rather than an outcome. The more you let yourself experiment in the name of fun and exploration, the more enjoyable the practice will be. 

4. Learn About New Techniques

An easy way to branch out in the world of art is to stick to your strongest medium, but try new techniques that encourage growth and expansion of your style. Embrace the things you excel at, but try to find new ways for your artistic voice to shine within a medium through new strokes, subjects, colors and methods. In this realm of experimentation, you can find new ways to communicate what you have to say as an artist, or at least better define what you like and don’t like with your process.

5. Explore New Materials

Before going all out with a new medium, do plenty of research ahead of time to educate yourself on what it takes to be successful with the new materials or format. While you’ll learn the most about the medium as you use it, there are hundreds of valuable pieces of advice, tips and tricks out there that can help you feel as confident and prepared as possible when it’s finally time to sit down and test your skills with new materials.

6. Look For Inspiration

It may be helpful for some artists to go in blind when working with a new medium, but it is also often helpful to look at other artists to see the various ways a medium can and has been used already. Some artists even have tutorials, courses or guides that can help you to better understand the potential and possibilities with whatever new supplies you’ve decided to try.

You may find it helpful to replicate certain methods and techniques at first while you figure out what works for you. Whether you use the new medium in the same way you use another or you switch up your process entirely, you’ll develop your own style and process in no time.