Pro tips for painting from memory

The ability to paint from memory is a skill that can set you apart as an artist and enables you to preserve the details of special moments forever. It can be incredibly challenging to hold onto the image and essence of a place or person, but by diligently following these pro tips, capturing a close match could become second nature.

Develop your visual memory

Building a strong visual memory is the foundation of this skill. Start by engaging in daily observational exercises, studying one object or area in detail to see how light plays on different surfaces and how colours shift with the time of day.

Later, challenge yourself to recall these details without the aid of photographs or sketches. Over time, this will enhance your ability to retain visual information and analyse your surroundings with an artist’s eye.

You can support this practice by creating quick sketches of what you’ve observed and using these to direct your proper painting at a later date. These drawings act as a bridge between observation and memory, and physically sketching helps reinforce what you’ve seen.

Other useful aids are brain-training apps and puzzles or memory games such as recalling the layout of a room you’ve just left, to sharpen your ability to take in and retain details.

Trust your intuition

One of the wonderful things about painting something from the past is no one knows how accurate it is – not even you as details and feelings fade. Trust your intuition and embrace anything you might see as imperfections as these often lead to unexpectedly good results. Rather than striving for accuracy, let your emotional response to the memory guide your brush.

Experiment with colour and light to find effects that reflect your recollection of the scene. This might mean altering the hues to match the associated mood or exaggerating the light to highlight a specific moment or feature.

Using artists paint brushes that feel comfortable and natural in your hand can enhance this intuitive process, making it easier for you to transfer your feelings onto the canvas.

Simplify the scene

When painting from memory, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the desire to capture every detail, so start by focusing on the essentials. Ask yourself what makes the scene, person or object unique and memorable to you and how you can highlight this to create an impactful composition.

Gestural drawing is a particularly useful technique in this context. It allows you to quickly capture the movement and energy of a subject which is often more important in establishing emotion than getting every detail right.

You could also consider doing a quick abstract of the composition with bold shapes and colours for a solid foundation that frees you of the constraints of realism and encourages a more expressive, personal interpretation of the scene.

Review and reflect

Finally, it’s important to regularly review your work and reflect on your progress. There’s always room for adjustments, but you can spoil a perfectly good painting by being impulsive. Pausing between painting sessions and returning to it with fresh eyes will help you make rational decisions.

If you’re able to, occasionally revisit what you’ve painted to compare it with your memory-based artwork. This will help you identify strengths in your recall abilities and areas for improvement that you can translate onto your paintings.