“I recently went to an visual arts retreat and was told I need to make a series of artworks. I have never done this before and I keep struggling with a topic. My question is how can I take a topic , like “transformation” and make it into an art series? I have always been a “paint what I see” painter and I use images for reference. I have such a hard time with concept painting. How can you take an idea and translate it into a two-dimensional surface?”
For a series to work, you need to find a subject you are passionate about that is both open to variation and yet specific at the same time. A successful series should allow each individual work to be able to stand on its own, yet simultaneously relate to the rest of the other works in some manner.
In my opinion, a strong series of artworks is like a really good television show. You want to have details that make the show distinctive, but the fundamental premise has to be open enough that many contrasting episodes can be generated. If you think about the television show “Cheers,” the premise was remarkably simple: people working and hanging out in a bar.
ven though the vast majority of the show was filmed in one location, the writers were able to play out many seasons of distinctive episodes. There was a balance between the simplicity of the situation, yet there was tons of flexibility for diverse story lines.
I find that it’s helpful to establish a list of “rules” for your series that you can consistently follow. This could be done in terms of the format, the size of the artworks, the materials, the subject matter, etc. Write down what the list of rules are and make sure that you stick to them from the beginning to the end of the series. Not only do the rules help keep you on track, but they can create both conceptual and visual cohesion for the series overall.
Even if you have moments where you want to stray from the rules, get yourself to adhere to the rules. If you bow to the temptation to pursue every single tangential interest as you work on the series, you’ll likely quickly find yourself with a body of artwork that looks as fragmented as a patchwork quilt.
That ability to focus and stay on track is critical to making a series of artworks that work together. Your mindset is just as important in developing a series as your physical actions to create the artwork.
If you are starting with the word like “transformation” which is quite abstract, do some extensive brainstorming first. This article I wrote provides concrete strategies and actions you can take to initiate the brainstorming process. The primary objective of brainstorming is the creation of as many ideas and images as possible, with an emphasis on quantity over quality. O
ne of the key elements of this process is that brainstorming is inclusive of everything that emerges, regardless of how odd or unappetizing an idea or image may seem at first. Write everything down on paper, and play “word association“. Give every idea and image a voice and a place on the page, just thinking things through in your head is not enough, you have to see the ideas on paper.
Below is a video tutorial on how to brainstorm, sketch, and create a drawing from beginning to end based on our October Art Dare.
Once you are done brainstorming, you should have have enormous amounts of pure, unedited content to select from. This content is the raw material from which you can create thumbnail sketches. This article I wrote talks more in depth about how to bridge the gap from idea to sketch to final work.
An example of a mind map from a brainstorming session.
Since you are used to observational painting, it is probably a good idea to select one image from your brainstorming session that you can then create variations from. Look at other artists who worked serially and see what kind of subjects they chose. Monet painted water lilies, haystacks, and Rouen cathedral.
Claude Monet, Rouen Cathedral
Degas drew ballet dancers and jockeys. Rembrandt painted self-portraits consistently throughout his entire career. Andrew Wyeth had his Helga pictures. Analyze their works and ask yourself what their rules were for their series. This can provide inspiration as well as a departure point for your own work.
Andrew Wyeth , The Helga pictures
Artprof.org is a free website for learning visual arts which features video tutorials, art critiques, and more.
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Clara Lieu 
It’s simple you treat your subject as a design. Then you paint it in different colours. Then you change an aspect of it…add/delete a tree…add/delete a cloud…then do the abstract…check out my website for examples.
Excellent
Wow, so glad I found this website! So informative and I’ve a lot to learn…cheers to those who have put this all together and of course the artists!
Hi! We have tons more resources for artists on Artprof.org! If you register on the site (for free) you can ask our staff questions on anything you want, and we’ll reply!
Thanks Clara! Will do x
Once you’ve decided on a series to paint, is it better to complete each painting before moving on to the next, or to develop them in tandem?
I think it’s much better (and easier) to work on pieces in a series in groups. The advantages are if you work on several pieces at a time, the pieces progress together, instead of one at a time. If you work on the pieces one at a time, keep in mind that every series has a learning curve, so the first piece you work on will inevitably be very different from the 10th piece you work on. Another advantage of working several together is that if you get tired of a piece, or frustrated with it, you can jump back and forth between pieces which is very helpful.
I recommend that you check out my new website, Artprof.org, specifically our Pro Development section which is full of videos and articles similar to this one. We also have an ASK section where our staff answers questions on all art related topics. If you register on the site (for free) you can ask our staff questions on anything you want, and we’ll reply!