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techniques to add intentional 'mistakes' that enhance narrative in figurative work

Sonriseartists Co > Techniques

02/12/2025 by Éloïse Martin

techniques to add intentional 'mistakes' that enhance narrative in figurative work

I often think of “mistakes” in the studio as conversations my work invites me to have, rather than problems to be solved. Intentionally introducing slips, glitches and unexpected marks can open narrative possibilities in figurative work—hinting at memory, vulnerability, or the unspoken. Below I share practical techniques I use in painting and mixed media to weave purposeful imperfections into portraits and figurative scenes. These approaches are not about making careless errors; they’re about designing beautiful accidents that deepen story and presence.

Why introduce intentional mistakes?

When a figure is rendered with photographic exactitude, the work can feel complete but emotionally contained. A deliberate imperfection—a smeared eye, a fragment of missing anatomy, a patch of scraped paint—can suggest history, movement or an inner life that precise rendering sometimes conceals. I use “mistakes” to:

  • create tension between realism and abstraction,
  • suggest memory or fading detail,
  • evoke fragility and impermanence,
  • direct the viewer’s eye and imply story without literalism.

    • These are narrative devices. Treat them like a line of dialogue rather than a decorative flourish.

    Controlled erasure and subtraction

    One of my favourite gestures is erasure. It’s simple and dramatic: remove something you’ve painstakingly painted. The absence becomes a narrative cue—an erased face suggests forgetting, an obscured hand implies movement. I use a few approaches:

  • Gesso lifting: Apply thin layers of gesso over an area, let it dry to a tack, then scrub away with a damp cloth or a soft brush. This leaves a pale, chalky remnant that reads as both accident and intention.
  • Solvent rubbing: On oil or alkyd layers, use a rag with a small amount of solvent (white spirit or Sansodor) to partially lift thin paint passages. Always test on scrap to judge how much pigment will come away.
  • Sandpaper and scraping: Lightly sand or scrape back through multiple layers with a fine-grit sandpaper or a palette knife. The scratches and edges created are tactile and can reveal underlying colours for narrative echoes.

    • Tip: stop before you think you’re done. Over-erasing removes the mystery you want to keep.

    Deliberate misalignment and cropping

    Subtly misplacing facial features or cropping anatomy can make a figure feel psychologically unsettled in a compelling way. I don’t mean cartoony distortion—think tiny shifts that whisper rather than shout.

  • Shift an eye an extra millimetre higher, nudge the mouth off-centre. The brain notices; the story deepens.
  • Crop limbs at odd angles, cutting into the frame. This induces a sense of intrusion or disconnection that can speak to the subject’s inner tension.

    • When you do this, work slowly. A minor adjustment can read as an intentional choice; a massive displacement becomes cartoonish unless that’s your intent.

    Accidental textures as memory traces

    I love using household materials to imprint marks that feel like memory traces. Coffee rings, creased paper, tea stains and folded tissue can all be incorporated to suggest lived-in surfaces and worn histories.

  • Press textured paper or fabric into wet paint to lift and leave fragments.
  • Sprinkle sea salt into watery acrylic or ink for crystalline granulation—let it dry then brush off to reveal a mottled field that reads like age.
  • Use spray fixative sparingly when adding powdered media so it adheres without clogging texture.

    • These textures are especially effective in backgrounds or clothing, where they suggest a life beyond the figure rather than competing with a face.

    Overpainting and “wrong” colours

    Introducing colours that feel slightly off—or that collide with expected flesh tones—can create emotional dissonance. A blue wash across cheeks can suggest coldness, sadness, or bruising; a patch of fluorescent orange in hair can feel like a memory’s immaturity.

  • Glaze a thin layer of an unexpected hue over a finished area. Acrylic glazing medium or Winsor & Newton glazing medium work well for oils and acrylics respectively.
  • Use complementary colours as shadow rather than natural greys. A purple shadow under a jaw can be more truthful in mood than a neutral grey.
  • Let “wrong” colours remain unapologetic. They should feel purposeful, not corrected.

    • Layered collage and revealed underpainting

    I often build a painting as a palimpsest—layering collage elements and then partially stripping them back. Old book pages, ephemera, fragments of diagrams or handwritten notes can read like backstory when they’re only partly visible.

  • Adhere papers with PVA or gel medium, paint over, then sand or tear revealing fragments.
  • Use transparent gesso as a primer when you know you’ll want underlying text or images to peek through.

    • This technique allows literal narrative artifacts to inhabit the image; they’re like memories embedded in skin and garment.

    Controlled drips, runs and smudges

    Drips can suggest tears, rain, or time washing away. I prepare for them rather than leaving them to chance.

  • Thin paint with water or acrylic medium for controlled runs. Tilt the panel and guide the drip with a brush or a hairdryer.
  • Use masking fluid (artist masking fluid) to preserve areas you don’t want to be affected—then remove it after the run has dried.
  • For oil, try alkyd mediums to accelerate flow, or use a solvent-thinned glaze for a translucent drag.

    • Let drips interact with more controlled passages so the contrast enhances both.

    Intentional smudging and finger marks

    Smudging with a finger or a cloth is immediate and human. Finger marks read as the artist’s touch—literally. I sometimes use my thumb to blur an edge around an eye or a knuckle to soften tension, then resist the urge to tidy it up.

  • Work wet-into-wet for the most seamless smudges.
  • When smudging dry layers, use a solvent or acrylic retarder to rework the surface without tearing it.

    • These marks are personal: they carry a trace of the maker’s body in the work, which can make the narrative feel intimate.

    Leaving technical imperfections visible

    Sometimes the simplest “mistake” is to show how the work was made: visible underdrawing, exposed support threads, raw canvas edges, visible tape. I deliberately leave registration marks, charcoal lines or brushloading inconsistencies rather than fussing them away. They remind the viewer this image was assembled, not conjured.

  • Allow underdrawing to remain by using pigmented charcoal or vine charcoal that won’t smudge completely under paint.
  • Expose raw canvas or paper edges inside the composition to give it a work-in-progress honesty.

    • These elements can humanise and demystify, making the narrative feel accessible rather than staged.

    Practical cautions and final studio habits

    Intentional mistakes still require control. Some practical points I always keep in mind:

  • Work in layers and keep records (photos at each stage). If a “mistake” overwhelms the work you can always revert or recontextualise.
  • Test techniques on scraps or maquettes before applying them to a major piece.
  • Be mindful of archival materials—some fun experiments (instant coffee washes, household adhesives) may not age well. If longevity matters, use artist-grade media and seal appropriately.
  • Trust the pause: when you make a disruptive mark, step away, let it sit and return with fresh eyes. Often the “mistake” resolves itself into meaning.

    • Intentional mistakes are invitations—to the viewer, to the figure, and to you as maker. They complicate easy readings and keep a painting alive. The key is to make them conversational, not arbitrary: each imperfection should carry a reason to be there, a hint of story. Try one small disruption next time you work—a smudge, a lifted scrape, a miscoloured shadow—and see what it asks you to explore.

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