Many beginner artists I meet are fascinated with some specific media or technique and say they want to learn that technique.

So I like to tell them our son’s story with the balance bike.

I started to appreciate the invention of balance bikes (the little bikes without pedals) when my son was a toddler. Suddenly, the area we could cover on foot became larger. The minute he became confident on his balance bike, our lives changed. We could move quite fast: me on my bike and him on his balance bike, so we could go to different places without using the car, looking for a parking spot, etc. He enjoyed his newly acquired skill and freedom of movement, and we sure enjoyed those as parents, too.

Then came the time for a “real” bike. He was 4 (I was amazed by that cause I learned to ride a bike only when I was 11!)

As he learned to keep his balance on the balance bike, the transition to a real bike with pedals was smooth and easy. Although training wheels (the little extra wheels on the sides) came with the bike, we never put them on. One day he was riding the balance bike the next day, the two-wheel one.

So let’s go back to making art.

Learning to see – learning the visual principles of making art is like the balance bike. This is what you should focus on first. It’s giving you the foundations. Once you are confident about them, these principles are tools you can use with any technique. These are the core tools that make your art better.

Of course you still have to familiarise yourself with the media you choose or the specific technique. But it is much easier, a smooth transition to your new bike. You can experiment with your new materials and tools and find ways to use them that suit you.

Hope that helps.