Sometimes, canvas painting ideas elude you. It seems like everything that can be painted has been painted. When you get into this frame of mind, how do you come up with something new? Here are some painting tips to prime your pump.

Look at Your World Differently
How do you view your painting world? Do you mainly paint from an up-close perspective or from a distance? Is your focus dead-on-center or off-center? Sometimes just taking a different visual perspective can make a difference in your paintings.

You can take this idea to an extreme, if you like. What does your world look like if you are standing on your head or looking sideways? How does it look when you see out of the corners of your eyes? While you might not end up painting from these strange perspectives, these changes may help you see light and colors in a different manner.

Paint a Different Genre
If you always paint landscapes, perhaps it is time to take a stab at portraits. If you feel confined by the realism of your past paintings, let your imagination run wild and paint the unreal or fantastic. If your love of your pets hasn’t translated into your work, use Spot or Fluffy as the focal point in a new piece.

Examine Your Palette
What are your favorite colors? If you find yourself leaning towards greens, switch to blues. Try colors that you haven’t tried before. Create some new ones by mixing your own colors.

Change Where You Paint
If you are primarily a studio artist, take a trip into the great outdoors. You can always take a couple of pictures if you can’t complete your piece in one setting. Don’t forget to bring a nice bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers to help you on your road to inspiration.

On the other hand, if you primarily paint outdoors, create a studio for yourself. See how the light changes throughout the day and how that affects a potential composition. You can still run to the kitchen for that bottle of wine as well as cheese and crackers if you need them.

Paint in a Different Style
All artists evolve over time and combine aspects of other traditions to create new styles. You can do this, too. If you have primarily painted in the impressionistic style, switch to cubism or realism. Ultimately, you may take the best of all of the styles in which you have trained and create an approach that is unique to you