From Spark to Canvas: How to Brainstorm and Develop Ideas for New Art Projects

nicoleriemenschnei5
Sep 2
2 min read

When it comes to developing new art projects or even full series, the brainstorming process is where vision starts to take shape. Many artists combine intuition with structured methods to generate, refine, and organize their ideas. Here’s a breakdown of a process that incorporates visual inspiration, references, and color planning:

1. Brainstorming the Concept

Start by jotting down themes, emotions, or questions you want your work to explore. Sometimes this comes from journaling, sometimes from free-sketching.
Don’t censor yourself early — allow wild, surreal, or fragmented ideas to flow. Later, you’ll filter and refine.
Think about whether this will be a standalone project or a series — a series often emerges when you find several threads under one theme.

2. Building Idea Boards (Pinterest, digital or physical)

Use Pinterest boards (or a sketchbook) to collect images, symbols, and aesthetics that resonate with your concept.
Pin both direct inspirations (e.g., architecture, patterns, fashion, nature) and atmospheric references (textures, moods, lighting).
Over time, you’ll notice visual clusters forming — hints at where your project wants to go.

3. Taking Reference Photos

Go out with your camera or phone and capture personal reference material related to your subject.
This helps avoid over-reliance on found images and infuses your work with unique perspectives.
Focus not only on the main subject but also on details — shadows, hands, reflections, architecture, fragments of nature. These can spark unexpected directions.

4. Idea Board for Color Scheme

Color has enormous emotional weight. Creating a color inspiration board lets you explore how palette shapes mood.
Collect swatches from photography, paintings, film stills, or even fashion.
Tools like Coolors.co or pulling palettes from Pinterest images can help you organize harmonious (or intentionally clashing) schemes.
Over time, you may find yourself naturally drawn to certain signature palettes that define your style.
A quiet space for creativity, featuring open notebooks and pencils ready to capture fresh ideas, with soft natural light streaming in through the window.

5. Connecting the Dots

Step back and look at all your idea boards together: theme, subject references, and color scheme.
Ask yourself: How do these pieces of inspiration talk to each other? What’s the through-line?
From here, sketch out thumbnails, experiment with compositions, and plan the flow if it’s a series.

6. Refinement & Execution

Refine your concept with intentional choices about scale, medium, and presentation.
As the work develops, return to your boards and references — but allow space for spontaneity and evolution.

👉 This process balances structured preparation (boards, photos, palettes) with creative openness, letting the project grow into something uniquely yours.