Admit it. Not all paintings that you want to paint are going to be still. You may want to paint a bird or a child swinging happily on an old tire. Perhaps you want to paint an ocean scene where the waves are crashing against the shore. In those cases, the motion will be the key to making it a great painting. Do you know how to paint in motion?
Blurring the Lines
The easiest way to create motion with a paintbrush is to blur the lines that are moving. For instance, if a duck is flying, you will not be able to see the details in their wings as clearly as you could if they were sitting. Therefore, get the shape of the wings in flight, but leave the details a little blurry to show that they are moving in a forward way. To give your painting more of a forward motion look, you may streak some of the colors on the wings and body toward the back end of the bird.
Waves Crashing
To capture the waves as they crash against the shore, you will need to use shadows and variety. Perhaps you should also use a little paint splatter to show that they are progressing forward and crashing against rocks or the beach itself. A fine mist may also give the person viewing it more of an idea of what is taking place in the painting.
Swinging in Motion
To create a swing scene with someone using it, you will need to give the rider the motion and ensure you do not have straight lines coming from the swing. Lines that are forward or back from the expected, still position will give it motion, but it will not be great unless you make the rider appear to be moving forward or back from their stationary position as well. This is easiest done with girls who are wearing flowing dresses since their dress can trail behind or in front of their legs. With boys, you have to rely on their legs and their hair or hat. Either one is doable and you can use the same type of techniques to paint a breezy day or all other moving objects.