Why Knowing How to Draw Will Improve Your Painting

4/16/2021

Drawing includes three and a half quarters of the content of painting…Drawing contains everything, except the hue.

-Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

A question I’m often asked by beginners getting started on their art journeys is:
“Is it necessary to know how to draw before jumping into painting?”

My instinct is always to respond with a resounding
“Yes!”, followed by a, “Learn them simultaneously if you’re eager to start painting.”

However, I hold myself back because I know we all have different goals, things we enjoy doing (and things we don't), as well as styles we aspire to develop.
Plus, just to be clear, I respect each-and-every type of artwork and artist out there.
As I’ve shared in the past, I don’t consider any type of art style or way of working “better” than another.

So I always answer, “It depends.”

In my opinion, there are two circumstances in which spending time learning how to draw wouldn’t benefit an artist very much.

1) If she/he is interested in only working on completely abstract paintings that require little-to-no planning, in which the painting is created 100% intuitively and the medium itself is doing most of the talking/decision-making organically.

*Think of acrylic pouring or Jackson Pollock-type drip paintings.

Even in these cases, though, I’d highly recommend learning about Art Fundamentals such as Color and other Elements of Art such as Line, Texture and Shape, as well as Composition.

This will greatly improve the quality of your work.

2) If she/he is only interested in learning about Color and is okay with tracing over photographs or other people’s work for the foreseeable future.

Tracing is okay in the beginning and there is a time/place for it even later on, but if we only trace for long periods of time, we'll hit a wall with our drawing skills.
This method does not prepare us to draw freehand confidently or from direct observation (otherwise known as drawing from life).

*If you see a professional representational artist tracing, she/he most likely already knows how to draw and is using tracing to speed up the working process.

Female figure sketch by Erika Lancaster

Hands sketch by Erika Lancaster

When it comes to any other kind of artwork or artistic goal - yes! even those which revolve around high levels of abstraction or stylization- it's my belief that the artist would greatly benefit from learning to draw. ️

Lots of well-known abstract artists throughout history started by learning the ins and outs of their mediums, as well as understanding the fundamentals, and then they veered away to develop their own thing.

And even then, they continued sketching and practicing line work consistently in between larger projects.

Whether their drawing was highly minimalistic or abstract is besides the point.

This knowledge and practice equipped them to not only create highly distinctive art styles, but also to not be limited by their lack of skills.

It’s important to realize that drawing doesn’t only equate to rendering subjects realistically.

It’s far beyond that.

Knowing how to draw means we understand perspective and 3D form, that we're able to recreate proportions we see effectively, that we're aware of light behavior and value, and that we're able to get original ideas down on paper with the simplest (and cheapest) of tools.

It's being able to lay down the "bones" for our paintings from scratch, with a minimal amount of tools and with imperfections that are particular to us, which enables us to develop styles that are highly unique.

We're also able to make sense of our visual compositions via thumbnail sketches before moving on to the painting process.

Our understanding of all of these impacts our painting tremendously, even when we’re not looking for the highest levels of realism.

So… in my opinion, drawing and painting are 100% intertwined.
‍
And honestly, I’m not sure why anyone looking to make deep progress artistically would want to jump over drawing.

What I’ve seen in my many years of developing my own skills and also teaching lots of different people, is that those who know how to draw are able to move on to painting successfully a lot faster than those who don’t.

Anyone can learn how to draw and your paintings will be better for it.
So why not do it?

Learning how to draw doesn't have to be hard if you approach your journey in a smart, step-by-step way. I cover all of the must-know basics to get you started in my Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course, which you can access for free along with the Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course right here.

Female figure sketch by Erika Lancaster

Botanical pen and ink sketch by Erika Lancaster

Here are 5 reasons why learning to draw will positively affect your artistic development:

1. Through drawing we start developing our observational skills, our fine motor skills and our hand-eye coordination with tools that are similar to what we've been using since we were kids (pencils and pens) before jumping into paintbrushes and paint. ️

2. Aside from Color, lots of essential Art Fundamentals such as 3D Form, Perspective, initial phases of Value, etc., are learned through drawing and sketching.

We're also able to understand what makes something look realistic via practicing drawing in grayscale before starting in with the monster of a topic which is Color. This makes our learning much less overwhelming.

Not sure what Art Fundamentals are? Check out this video.

3. You’re not limited by what you can and can’t do, and can create artwork from scratch (no need to trace or use intricate grids).

*Grids, just like tracing, are also ok to use when you already know how to draw and understand the importance of seeing the global picture, as well as the fundamentals.

Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here .

4. Most representational paintings get developed on some sort of preliminary sketch or start with a preliminary sketch, which is the foundation for everything else.

No amount of color, texture or even shading will fix a faulty foundation. ️

5. You can draw anywhere, at any time, and with a minimum amount of supplies.

This makes it much more easy for us to stay consistent with our art practice, and consistency is absolutely key.

Because of all these reasons, though I consider myself to be primarily a painter (I sell my paintings and teach people all around the world how to paint), I plan on continuing with my drawing practice throughout my journey.

This is also why I teach the way I teach, as well as why ever since I started my blog and YouTube channel, I thread drawing and sketching into the content I share.

To me, drawing is 100% the basis for all kinds of art.

Some of my favorite drawing/sketching supplies:

How to Progress Artistically While Traveling

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Freehand Drawing for Beginners: Must-Know Tips

2/12/2021

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*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Tired of having to depend on tracing and/or using grids when drawing or preparing for a painting? Do you want to be able to confidently sketch while out and about, in a coffee shop, at a park, while on vacation, etc.? Confused as to how artists are able to recreate shapes and proportions effectively when drawing freehand?

Most of my students and community members know that, even though I enjoy using references when drawing or painting (I use both photos as well as draw/paint from direct observation), I'm not a very big believer in tracing and using grids.

Why?

Because, after we've gotten to a certain level with our drawing, sticking to those methods for long periods of time and never challenging oneself with freehand drawing or sketching, tends to hinder our progress in a variety of ways.

For one, tracing and using grids doesn't do much for our development when it comes to our visual measuring skills or our ability to lay down lines confidently.

Not to mention, these methods primarily teach budding artists to create carbon copies of the reference. This may very well be what certain types of artists are seeking, but for artists like myself who are looking to bring expression, personality and even certain amounts of imperfection into our representational pieces, progress would just come much more slowly.

Finally, because these methods focus primarily on copying, there's no reason for artists to further their knowledge of the subject on hand when it comes to proportion, 3D form and even perspective, which are all very important Art Fundamentals to wrap our heads around.

If we don't understand important Art Fundamentals such as perspective and 3D form (and others such as anatomy if we're drawing human figures or portraits), there's just no way that we're going to be able to draw freehand with confidence and ease.

For me, if my drawing practice is not somehow preparing me to draw from direct observation (otherwise known as drawing from life), it's holding me back.

This is just me, though. And I'm aware we all have different goals, styles and ways of working as artists.

But it's also important to be honest with ourselves regarding the types of practice that will help us get to our goals.

Even though I like using references in order to have something to jump off from, I'm not going for 100% replicating or creating a carbon copy of what I'm looking at.

I'm always taking away elements, bringing in elements, manipulating color, looking for ways to bring myself into my work and thinking of ways to improve the overall composition.

And yes, I do believe that using tracing is a great option for beginners just getting started on their drawing/sketching journeys. It could also very well be a great jumping off point, even when the artist has already developed his/her drawing skills and is getting into a new type of subject.

For example, when I was getting started with figure drawing, tracing over full-body poses helped me understand shapes throughout the body and develop that mind-muscle memory to a certain extent before drawing freehand.

I also believe that there is a time and place for tracing and using grids, even when the artist is already highly skilled. Namely, when he/she is short on time, the composition is very complex or large, he/she is teaching classes, working on studies that focus primarily on the painting process, etc.

Still life arrangement in graphite by Erika Lancaster.

It's one thing to trace and use grids when one already knows how to draw and quite another to continue tracing and using grids forever, and ignoring the importance of learning to draw because you want to skip straight to the painting process or whatever it may be.

If you're creating art for the fun of it, then it's perfectly ok.

But if you're really looking to improve your art skills at a deeper level, it'll hinder you.

I've said this once and I'll continue saying it:

Drawing is the basis for all kinds of art.

Even though I sell my paintings and consider myself to be primarily a painter, I'll always continue practicing my drawing/sketching alongside my painting, because I know how much this practice enhances and simplifies my process with everything else.

And, if you're asking yourself if knowing how to draw is necessary if you're looking to develop a highly abstract style, I would say yes.

The only scenario in which I'd consider learning how to draw as not necessary, would be if an artist is looking to do pouring type paintings or Jackson Pollock-type paintings, in which the paint in itself organically creates shapes and the composition is more erratic/less planned.

But, if you're looking to ever leave that, it's essential to know how to draw and learn about Art Fundamentals.

If you know these two at least on a basic level, not only will moving on to painting be much easier, but you'll be able to create higher quality work much faster.

This is why,over on the Becoming Artists membership site, I share both watercolor and drawing/sketching tutorials, as well as full classes and assignments on Art Fundamentals.

In the following video, I share my preliminary sketching (outline sketching) process for recreating effective shapes and proportions freehand.

This is what I do every time I'm working on a new drawing, as well as before getting started with a new watercolor piece.

I also provide lots of tips along the way that'll help beginners move forward faster with their freehand drawing.

After finishing with the preliminary sketching process using regular graphite pencils, I use alternative shading/mark-making techniques (hatching and crosshatching in this case) to develop a wide range of values and create interest/depth.

Freehand Sketching Tips for Beginners

1. Take time to find a great reference photo and observe it before getting started

In this past blog post, I talk about the main characteristics that a reference photo should have if we're intending to use it for drawing or painting purposes.

Choosing your reference photo wisely is a must. Otherwise, you might be making the drawing or painting process much harder for yourself than it needs to be.

A few of the things we have to look for are: great lighting, good resolution, and that no important parts of the subject are cropped out.

Once you've found a great art reference photo, or have prepared something to draw from life/direct observation, make time to observe it before putting pencil to paper.

Conclude where the light source is located in relation to the subject(s), take note of the perspective you're viewing the subject(s) from, notice any textures you may have to practice before jumping in, and take note of the different sizes and shapes.

2. Make sure you're drawing lightly (I like using my HB pencil)

Drawing is a refinement process. It's not like when we're writing our name or a sentence, in which we're expected to write everything perfectly right-off-the-bat.

And when we're drawing freehand, we're going to make mistakes along the way that we need to be able to easily fix.

We want to draw lightly for a variety of different reasons: this will help us easily erase mistakes, it'll help us avoid damaging/scratching our paper, and if we're looking to create higher levels of realism, our outline sketch won't show through at the end (in realism there are no outlines).

I always move from harder pencil grades to softer pencil grades in my drawing process.

I explain all about pencil grades and their use throughout the drawing process in the first class of my Drawing for the Total Beginner Mini-Course, which you can access for free along with the Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course right here.

3. Simplify your subject and use "envelopes" to lay down largest/general shapes

It's essential to be able to simplify what you're looking at and visualize it as simple shapes or forms (or combinations of simple shapes or forms).

*Shapes are flat and 2-dimensional and forms are 3-dimensional and have volume.

I don't worry about recreating curves and shapes perfectly when I'm getting started with a sketch, but simply lay down oversimplified shapes that are blocky and more angular. This helps me, first and foremost, make sense of proportions and locations of different elements in regards to each other.

By starting with largest/general shapes and making our way towards smaller shapes and details, we're able to use our drawing area much more effectively and this also helps our brains compare sizes and widths of different elements more easily. *You can see this entire process in the video above.

As you continue adding in more shapes, constantly relate and compare different elements with each other in terms of their lengths, widths, locations within space, the angles they create upon each other, etc.

Visually break elements down into halves, thirds, fourths, etc. and compare them to each other in this way. There's no shame in using a ruler in the beginning!

As you continue adding more and more elements, you'll likely notice that there are things that need fixing. This is normal, as the more elements you add in, the more points of comparison you'll have.

Continue comparing constantly and refining along the way.

Remember that it's important to take the entire composition (the whole) into account and that achieving effective proportions is all about getting the relationships between different elements right.

4. Whenever you're drawing smaller groupings of elements, take note of overlapping and edges

Whenever a reference has groupings of similar or small overlapping elements, such as the grapes in the one I'm working with above, take note of their edges.

Make sure you're noticing which elements are overlapping which, and how they are sitting on each other, in order to avoid a "floating" look.

5. Lay down horizontal or vertical lines as guides

Our brains tend to and understand straight horizontal or vertical lines a lot more easily than slated or irregular lines.

We can decipher angles, alignments and distances between subjects with greater ease by drawing horizontal or vertical lines (you can use a ruler for this) alongside elements or wherever you feel a line would serve as guidance.

Lots of skilled artists use plumb lines, which are vertical lines that enable them to more easily achieve proper distance, alignment, etc. among different elements.

6. Take your time with the preliminary sketching process

The preliminary sketching process is, quite simply, the foundation for everything else.

You'd never start adding in the windows or painting the walls of a house without making sure that the foundation is solid, right?

Especially when we're looking for higher levels of realism, it's essential to take our time with our preliminary sketch before moving on later parts of the drawing process such as smaller details and shading.

I know it can be exciting to move on to shading, but remember that no amount of shading, texture or detail is going to fix errors in proportion, shapes and perspective.

7. Learn about Art Fundamentals such as 3D form and Perspective

When our objective is to become skilled at drawing or sketching freehand, knowing at least the basics on Art Fundamentals is essential.

Learning how to use your medium (whether graphite, pen and ink, pastel, watercolor, gouache, etc.) and developing your observational skills, is one thing, but learning the fundamentals is quite another.

These go hand in hand.

The list of Art Fundamentals will vary a bit depending on where you look, but the basics include: Elements and Principles of Art, Composition Design, Light Behavior, Anatomy, etc.

I always recommend students learn at least the basics of all of them so that they aren't limited, but once the artist knows the specific subject he/she'll be working with for a long period of time, it's important to delve deeper into the fundamentals that'll help us increase the quality of our work (ex. Anatomy is an important fundamental for portrait/figurative artists, Perspective is important for urban sketchers and landscape artists, etc.).

8. Practice with the 4-Quadrant Method

There is one method that I practiced with a lot when I was just getting started, which helped me develop much needed skills for freehand sketching a lot faster.

I still use it to the day when I'm working with specific subjects and/or want to make sure I'm using my drawing space as effectively as possible.

This is a method I always introduce to my students when I'm just getting started with them and they've seen great success through consistent practice with it.

Become an art email insider to get FREE Class on the 4-Quadrant Method!

Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here .

As overwhelming and challenging freehand sketching may seem in the beginning, it's important to remember that we're making forwards progress with every piece we work on.

The more you practice, the more you'll be building up your observational skills, visual measuring skills, and ability to recreate shapes and proportions effectively.

By staying consistent with your freehand sketching practice and applying the aforementioned tips, you'll be making tons of progress in no time!

Drawing supplies used in the video:

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Trying Out Viviva Colors' Inktober Sketchbook

9/28/2020

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Viviva Colors Inktober Sketchbook Review

Love #Inktober? Looking for new art supplies to make this popular drawing challenge different and perhaps, more special, this year? Do you enjoy trying out unique art supplies to share with your creative friends?

If so, you'll definitely want to check out Viviva Colors' new sketchbook line that's been launched especially in time for Inktober 2020, but will continue being sold worldwide even after this popular yearly drawing challenge concludes at the end of October.

That's right!

Viviva's crowdfunding campaign for these sketchbooks has gone so well, that the company will continue making them available for artists (without the Inktober logo) for an undefined amount of time.

Inktober is one of the most popular drawing challenges going on in the online space since 2009.

Each year, Inktober creator and renowned illustrator Jack Parker, publishes a new daily prompt list for artists to use as inspiration to create a new drawing/painting/mixed-media piece each day throughout the month of October.

Every October, thousands of artists and creatives all around the world participate in this challenge, pushing themselves to work on a new piece, every day, for 31 days.

It's no secret that Jake Parker has been involved in a couple of different controversial incidents as of late, which have caused a good amount of people to look for alternative art challenges to work on this October.

However, lots of die-hard followers of this challenge are still eager to participate and are excited to begin, many of whom aren't necessarily fans of Jake Parker himself, but have found the experience of Inktober a valuable part of their art journeys.

Many artists believe that the challenge has grown to become more than the person who initially created it.

Inktober has become a way for artists to push their skills, creativity and build the discipline to stay consistent with their art practice.

It has become an event that allows lesser-known emerging artists, to gain traction online and start growing their name known amongst a larger audience.

It's also become an event that brings artists from all over the world together, helping us create meaningful connections that'll last a lifetime.

Inktober, in my opinion, is about artistic growth, about community, and about sharing the importance of art with the world.

Image 1. Colorful feathers painted on 7.5 x 7.5 in / Rough / Off-white sketchbook using special edition colorsheets.

In this past blog post I talk about Viviva Colors' history and also share my swatching process, as well as my review, for their original colorsheets. Make sure to check it out to read more about their compact and insanely vibrant watercolors.

Viviva Colors' mission has always been to inspire artists to continue on their creative journeys and to never set their art aside, no matter how busy or how stressful life becomes.

The company is not only constantly improving their products and offerings, but is always looking for new ways to encourage and motivate artists to stay on their paths.

Viviva knows that, through art, people are able to cope with anxiety and depression, which are rampant this year due to the current pandemic, its economic repercussions, and all of the uncertainty its creating worldwide.

And knowing how challenging 2020 has been, Viviva teamed up with Jake Parker to release an officially licensed set of supplies that'll make this year's Inktober even more special.

These items were designed to make Inktober 2020 #AnInktoberToRemember.

Just like Viviva's original colorsheets, which were officially launched in 2017, these new supplies were crowdfunded via Indiegogo.

With the huge success of the first campaign, Viviva Colorsheets was able to start mass manufacturing their original product and have shipped them out to more than 30,000 artists in over than 100 countries.

They are currently working on doing the same for the backers of these Inktober sketchbooks and colorsheets!

Viviva's Inktober sketchbook line.

You can find out more about the products they have available at their website.

Let's talk about the new items!

For Inktober 2020, Viviva launched 4 sketchbook variants, as well as a special edition of their colorsheets.

Sketchbooks

All of these sketchbooks are hardbound with a quality faux-leather cover and (during the Inktober season) also include a silver foil stamp with the Inktober 2020 and Viviva Colors logos on the front cover.

a) A5 format (5.8 x 8.3 in) / 240 gsm / Ivory white / Smooth Lessebo paper
  / 64 pages

b) A5 format (5.8 x 8.3 in) / 300 gsm / Off-white color / Rough watercolor paper
  / 40 pages / 100% Cotton

c) Square format (7.5 x 7.5 in) / 300 gsm / Off-white color /
  Rough watercolor paper / 40 pages / 100% Cotton

d)  *The Easy Sketchbook* A5 format (5.8 x 8.3 in) / 240 gsm / Ivory white
/ Smooth Lessebo paper / 64 pages

*The Easy Sketchbook was created especially for beginner artists who have trouble with their preliminary sketching process. It includes a sketching mirror and an aluminum slot stand to hold it as you're drawing, which helps you transfer the reference's outlines onto paper in an easier and faster way.

See the Easy Sketchbook in action here!

Colorsheets

Aside from the four sketchbooks, Viviva also released a special edition of their colorsheets set which contains an extra 4 colors (their original sets have 16 and this one has 20).

The 20 colors offered in this edition have been curated by Viviva and Jake Parker especially for Inktober.

Check out my color swatching process for their original colorsheets in this blog post. You'll be able to see the colors' vibrancy and learn about my thoughts as to how they compare with regular watercolors in that post.

Just like their original colorsheets, the Inktober edition also has the portable booklet format with protective paper in between each page.

Viviva Colors' special edition Inktober colorsheets.

Here are a couple of pieces I've created in my Viviva/Inktober sketchbook, which is the square format with rough watercolor paper.

Image 2. Pen and watercolor wash pink flowers painted on 7.5 x 7.5 in / Rough / Off-white sketchbook using Micron drawing pens and Viviva's original colorsheets.

Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here .

Image 3. Fall pumpkin painted on 7.5 x 7.5 in / Rough / Off-white sketchbook using professional quality Van Gogh watercolors.

A few interesting characteristics I noticed about the sketchbooks:

The sketchbooks have been designed to be opened flat so that they don't close on you when your drawing or painting and you're able to use the sheets fully. The spine where the pages come together is not glued onto the spine of the cover intentionally, for this purpose (see images below). This said, the first few pages are difficult to open completely without having to press down hard at the spine/base. I was a little worried that I'd damage the spine when I did this, but everything was okay.

Sketchbooks have rounded corners, which I love, as they are more difficult to damage.

I love the elastic included on the covers, as it keeps the sketchbook closed when you're not working in it, protecting your artwork.

I like the pocket included at the back, as I can place loose sketches and notes in there. I wish it had a bit more space.

The watercolor paper included in the watercolor sketchbooks is very different from the commercial paper I'm used to (Arches, Fabriano, Strathmore, etc.). It is a lot more flexible to the touch when dry, has little imperfections in it because it's handmade (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), and I found that the paint gets absorbed in a very different way. Both the paint from Viviva's colorsheets, as well as regular watercolor paint sinks into the paper very quickly and the paint cannot be moved around. Washes of color react differently when overlapped and the off-white, almost cream color of this paper has an effect on the vibrancy of the colors.

Viviva Inktober Sketchbook spine (made to allow the pages to open flat).

Viviva Inktober Sketchbook open flat.

Viviva Inktober watercolor paper sketchbook next to smooth, white drawing paper sketchbook. Notice differences in texture, as well as color.

Viviva Inktober watercolor paper sketchbook next to a sheet of Arches, cold-press watercolor paper. Notice differences in texture and color. Viviva's paper is a lot more textured and is cream-colored.

Finally, here are a few pros and cons I've found in relation to the items I've had the opportunity to try out, in bullet form.

Pros and Cons of Viviva Colors'
and Inktober's Sketchbooks and Colorsheets

Pros

Viviva's watercolor sheets are small and lightweight, making them an awesome option for artists who love sketching outdoors or at different settings.

These watercolor sheets offer incredibly vibrant colors and each color can last a long time, as long as they are used carefully (very little water is needed to activate colors).

New dark, inky colors added to the Inktober edition are perfect for this spooky event and for monochromatic pieces.

*For more pros and cons about Viviva's color sheets, go here.

Two different sketchbook formats are available: rectangular and square, allowing artists to choose which they like best (the square option is great for those sharing on Instagram!).

There are 2 sketchbooks that have smooth paper for artists who primarily draw (smooth paper is awesome for pen and ink as well as other drawing mediums), and another 2 with thick watercolor paper for artists who primarily paint with water-soluble mediums (the 100% cotton/300 gsm paper tolerates washes of color well).

The binding of the sketchbooks has been thought of for artists, allowing the sketchbooks to open completely flat.

Sketchbooks include the 2020 Inktober prompt list in the back, which saves us time.

Small folder at the back can hold loose sketches and ideas.

Thick, protective covers not only look elegant, but protect our work very well.

The elastics included on the covers help keep sketchbooks closed when carrying them around.

Cons

In terms of the colorsheets, I don't really use white when I'm painting with watercolor. I would have personally preferred another dark color (but that's just me).

It's important to choose your sketchbook wisely, depending on the drawing/painting supplies you'll be using in it (though the smooth paper options can tolerate light washes of color, they aren't really made for wet-on-wet techniques or large amounts of water. The sketchbooks that include 100% cotton watercolor paper is rough and textured, which can lead to the tip of a pen or drawing tool fighting against the tooth of it (See Image 2 to see ink line work on rough watercolor paper).

Watercolor paint quickly sinks into the watercolor paper and won't move like it does on other types of papers intended for this medium. Because of this, sharp edges are created and organic color gradients are difficult to achieve.

The paper is handmade, leading to some blemishes. *I like them as they provide an authentic, handmade feel.

I noticed the paper doesn't take erasing very well. Fibers became loose easily even with a soft graphite eraser.

I'm still not sure if I like the off-white/cream color offered in the watercolor paper sketchbooks, as this color affects the vibrancy/color of the paint and creates an older style look/feel. I'd love to see a sketchbook with white watercolor paper and have a feeling the vibrant colors offered in Viviva's colorsheets would pop out more on white.

Close-up of Viviva's Inktober Sketchbook (watercolor paper). Blemishes can be found here and there because this is hand-made paper. I personally liked these little blemishes, but am not so convinced with the color of the paper.

Viviva Inktober Sketchbook back folder with prompt list (because my sketchbook was a prototype created prior to mass production, the words appear with "X").

Viviva Inktober Sketchbook spine (made to allow the pages to open flat).

Beautiful silver foil logos on the faux leather cover.

These items are all beautiful and high-quality, and I want to send a huge thank you to Viviva Colors for providing me these items to explore and review!

Personally, I won't be participating in Inktober this year due to a lack of time and more important projects I'm working for my online art communities, but I look forward to creating more pieces in this great sketchbook.

*Visit Viviva Colors' website and follow them on social media to see inspiring artwork created with their colorsheets, as well as the latest news from them:

Viviva Colors Website
Viviva Colors on Instagram
Viviva Colors on Facebook

Watercolor Wet on Wet Effects for Beginners

How to Draw from Direct Observation and Why It's Important Tips for Beginners

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5 Tips for the (Serious) Self-Taught Artist

8/21/2019

25 Comments

Do you need to go to art school to become a highly-skilled and successful artist? What experiences do art schools provide that being self-taught doesn't? As a beginner artist going down the self-taught route, what can I do to ensure steady artistic progress and get to a point at which I'll be able to actually sell my work?

Throughout the years, I've had the honor of meeting many successful artists both online and offline. Some of them did go to art school and some of them didn't.

There are highly successful artists who didn't go to university at all and took up low-paying/low-stress jobs until they advanced their skills enough and started making an income from their art sales.

There are artists who reach success later on in life, after having completed university studies and years of working in a completely different field.

There are others who did attend art school only to realize it was a total waste of time, as they had to learn all of the techniques they were personally interested in, on their own.

There are others who did go to an amazing art school that allowed them to advance their skills immensely in an inspiring and challenging learning environment, and also created great contacts that helped them fast-forward their careers post-graduation.

Finally, I've met people who went to art school and created breathtaking work, but gave up and started on a different path after they realized that making a consistent income from art involves learning about sales and marketing, as well as being willing to push past their comfort zones.

The scenarios are really never-ending, and there is no right or wrong way to go about it.

Every artist has to forge his/her own path, depending on his/her own goals, as well as the situation they are personally in.

You need to define what success means to you personally.

Does it mean being able to create artwork your proud to share, but not necessarily earning an income from? Perhaps just a side-income?

Does it mean getting your artwork shown and sold by popular galleries?

Do you want to get known on an international level and sell on your own terms?

Does it mean earning enough of an income through art sales that you're able to live comfortably? If so, what does living comfortably for you actually entail? How much of an income would you have to be making each month in order to live that way?

Today, I'll be sharing the five key things that successful self-taught artists do since the beginning of their journeys, which enable them to make faster progress in both their cold artistic skills, as well as their confidence and ability to share and speak professionally about their art.

But first, I'd like to clarify a couple of things.

I personally did go to art school. I was lucky to be given a scholarship and was able to attend a great university through which I learned from experienced professors not only in the Graphic Design field, but also from artists teaching (very basic) drawing, painting, silk-screening and photography.

It was through university courses that I learned about Art Fundamentals, how to talk about art, experienced what it's like to create an original project from scratch and pushed myself to see a piece through until completion, which is so, incredibly important.

I leaned about the importance of sticking to deadlines, managing multiple projects simultaneously and experienced what it's like to get my work critiqued by skilled professors who literally tore my work down in front of large groups (eeek!).

Click on image to visit original source on Unsplash.com.

This said, in terms of painting, which is how I make the majority of my income now-a-days, I'm mostly self-taught.

And though I'm thankful for having the opportunity to go to art school, based on my experience post-graduation, as well as what I've gathered from other artists who've I've had the chance of meeting, it's definitely not necessary to have an art degree in order to become successful.

Especially because, in today's world, we're able to experience and learn all of these things art schools offer through the internet. More specifically, through blog posts, video tutorials, courses offered by skilled artists who are willing to share their techniques and knowledge, and online communities.

This said, having all of this information and possibilities at our fingertips can often be confusing and overwhelming, especially when we're just getting started.

Many beginners don't know where to start or skip over fundamentals, just to be disappointed with their creations or with the fact that no one is liking/buying their work after they've put very little time and effort in.

Before getting into the tips, I want to briefly explain what being "self-taught" means to me, as there are different opinions on what this entails.

To be perfectly honest, I don't feel there's such a thing as a 100% self-taught artist.

Reason being, whoever is serious about improving in any field, will most likely be taking it upon themselves to look for material to learn from, whether it's books, videos or classes. These resources were, of course, put together by someone else and as consumers of such content, we're getting directly or indirectly influenced by them in some shape, way or form.

Most of us, even started drawing by copying other artists' work. In a sense, we were learning from other artists even back then, as we were replicating those shapes, lines, colors, etc.

Throughout our lives we've all been influenced by artists around us and were exposed to all kinds of art that were created in or before our time. And the artists who created that work were also influenced by artists around them and art that came before their time.

We're all influenced by others, whether we want to admit it or not. This goes for people who've been to art school or haven't been to art school.

We're all a wonderful mishmash created by the culture we've been brought up in, the people who've been around us throughout our lives, and the different kinds of art (design, music, literature, cinema, etc.) that have impacted us in the point and time we've been living.

For the sake of this post, however, I'll explain what I would personally consider to be a self-taught artist.

In my opinion, being a self-taught artist implies not attending art school, or any kind of academy in which a full art curriculum has been laid down for you to follow over a relatively long period of time.

A self-taught artist, for the most part, decides on his/her goals, searches for resources and learning material (whether it's books, workshops, classes, figure-drawing sessions, online courses, etc.) and goes through his/her own self-imposed "curriculum", so to speak.

Though an artist that did attend art school still has to continue doing all of these things after having obtained his/her degree in order to continue improving (the learning never stops), a self-taught artist didn't go through that initial "formal" training. *That formal training could have been amazing, or it could have been useless.

In my opinion, taking a workshop a couple of times a year, or following individual tutorials online, doesn't really count as formal or in-depth training (unless one takes a very complete course through which you're able to obtain direct feedback from the instructor).

Most likely, one-off workshops or stand-alone video tutorials will not lead to steady or significant progress unless the artist actually prioritizes his/her work enough to continue working consistently and complementing those classes or tutorials with other resources in a coherent way, depending on his/her current skill level and goals.

Short workshops or week-long art retreats are super fun, but usually, students are basically copying the instructor's techniques and are not taught Art Fundamentals, which are what will allow them to create original, visually pleasing compositions from scratch.

I know because I've taught those workshops. Because there's a very small amount of time, the instructor ends up giving his/her students the fish, instead of teaching them to fish for themselves.

The instructor's goal is (usually) to give you a taste of what creating art is like, and to facilitate an experience that will enable you to have a quick art win (oftentimes something pretty that you can take home). It's not to encourage you to find your own style or give you the tools necessary for you to make significant progress in your journey on an individual level.

Short workshops and video tutorials don't allow for adequate feedback on part of the instructor or deep conversations amongst students, which are key in order to improve at a deeper level. Oftentimes we're unable to see our own mistakes when we're just getting started. Not to mention, it's incredibly important to get used to sharing and talking about both our art, as well as art created by others.

Next, I'll be sharing five key things you can do to ensure you're getting the most out of the resources offered by the Internet and make faster, meaningful progress as an artist.

Click on image to visit original source on Unsplash.com.

**5 Tips for Beginner, Self-Taught Artists**

1. Don't ignore Art Fundamentals

Something I often see in beginners that fail to cover the basics, is that they're unable to create certain effects their looking to create, or end up very frustrated because their artworks don't turn out the way they see them in their heads and have no idea why this is.

Learning about Elements and Principles of Art, as well as Composition, Perspective, Anatomy Basics, etc., will enable you to create original, visually pleasing, powerful artwork on your own, without having to depend on other artists' work as inspiration.

The successful self-taught artists I've met made it a point to learn the basics and continue improving upon fundamentals as their journey moves forward. They understand that it's important to have a solid base to jump off from.

Learn them for free, pay for a course, do whatever you'd like, but never underestimate the importance of learning the basics. This will set you up for success and the knowledge you'll gain will permeate into everything you do and any kind of artwork you choose to create.

*Over at my Patreon membership site, I offer not only real-time drawing/painting tutorials, direct feedback from me on your work and live Q&A's, but also full classes on Art Fundamentals which cover all the basics you need to know as a beginner just starting out and much more for only $15 a month.

**2. Embrace exploration and enjoy the journey**

Oftentimes, beginners only give importance to the end-product and make very little time for studies and explorations. They jump straight to the canvas and/or judge their worth as an artist by how well the product turned out, ignoring the growth and self-discovery that can come throughout the creative process.

Successful artists, formally trained or not, understand that getting great at drawing or painting takes time and dedication, just like any other learned skill. They understand that there are gradual steps to follow, and that by learning certain skills first, and gaining confidence incrementally, they will be facilitating more complex tasks for themselves.

It's mind-boggling to me how many times I've had people reach out saying they're ready to draw someone's portrait in full-likeness when they haven't even taken time to learn basic facial proportions or have practiced drawing techniques that will enable them to recreate three-dimensional form and skin/hair textures.

While it's true that we have access to an immense amount of information online, most beginners don't know where to start and get lost because they aren't aware of the sequence they should be learning topics in, or how to break complex compositions or subjects apart in order to study them separately and ensure greater success.

*This is why I offer one-on-one, individualized classes via Skype designed around your own current skill level and goals. These classes allow me to fully focus on my students individually and I'm able to offer in-depth feedback, as well as provide specific assignments that help them stay consistent and make much faster progress. *E mail me to learn about my rates and availabilities. Spots are filling up fast!

3. Join some kind of artist group or community and try to obtain (constructive) feedback from artists that are a bit farther ahead than you are

As artists, spending time around like-minded creatives is essential in order to stay motivated and consistent. There's a large part of an artist's work that gets done in isolation, but we ultimately create art to share it with the world.

A local or online group/community will help you stay consistent, which is absolutely key if what you're looking for is meaningful progress. The Internet provides us with many different options to join art communities via membership sites, Facebook groups and online forums.

This said, the more public these groups are, the less likely you are to gain constructive feedback and support in a timely manner. Also, the more likely you are to come across people who will be very harsh in their judgements or comments, which can be detrimental for the beginner.

If you're looking to advance your skills for free, just make sure that you're taking your time to look for communities that are positive, constructive and inspiring.

As an email subscriber, you have free access to my closed Facebook group, Art in Harmony. This is an incredible community full of positive, engaged artists of all levels and mediums that are looking to help and inspire each other. I'm also there several times a week providing art challenges, drawing and painting tips, and inspiration. Join me and over 1,500 artists from around the world by becoming an email insider here.

Though it's very easy to share your work through social media channels and groups, and even get a few likes here and there, it's not that easy to get actual constructive feedback from artists that are further along in their journeys.

It's also through both obtaining and giving constructive feedback, that we improve and are able to practice our communicational skills. To become a professional and make consistent art sales in the future, we need to become better at talking about our work.

Why? Because the whole idea of "I'm letting my art talk for itself", will just get you so far.

Your audience needs to be able to connect with you. If they don't connect with you, the artist behind the work, you'll have trouble building an audience and making consistent sales.

Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here !

4. Stay consistent and stay focused on your goal

Arguably, being a self-taught artist requires more discipline than being formally trained, as you need to establish deadlines and working times for yourself from the very beginning. It is entirely up to you to hold yourself accountable and stay consistent.

It's important to understand that, as with all learned skills, becoming great requires consistency and patience. Though some artists may have been incredibly fortunate to have parents or family-members who were artists themselves and were thus able to develop certain sensibilities and skills at a very young age, none of us are born knowing how to draw or paint.

This is actually a good thing! It means anyone can learn to draw or paint.

This said, I know how hard it can be to make time for your art as a busy adult. Even as a full-time working artist, there are tons of things that need to get done and get in the way of actually creating art.

Whatever situation you're personally in ("regular" full-time job, kids, etc.), accept it fully, remain grateful and create practical, realistic goals for yourself. Commit to them.

It doesn't matter if you only have a short amount of time each day to work on your art. What matters is staying consistent over time and not giving up. Even a few 20-30 minute sketches several times a week will help you make progress.

In my blog post/YouTube video How to Make Time for Your Art as a Busy Person, I share the specific things I did to improve my artistic skills while I was still working at my last "regular", highly-demanding teaching position.

Remember there will never be a perfect time to do anything. If you want to succeed at the goals you set for yourself, it's going to be up to you to make them a priority.

5. Realize how far you've come and stay positive

As artists, we're often our own worst critics. It's easy to forget how far we've come since we started. It's important to acknowledge every-single-piece as a step in the right direction. Even if the outcome wasn't what you expected it to be, you're still moving closer to your goal.

If you keep going, in a few months you'll be lightyears away from the version of you who never got started at all. Lightyears.

Imagine the artist you can be a year from now if you commit and push forward.

I 100% believe that working on maintaining a positive mindset is an essential part of being a successful artist and being able to keep that success going over time.

During the actual creative process, remaining positive and believing in yourself is going to make it much more likely for you to actually succeed. If you think you can't do something, you probably won't be able to do it. The mind is a very powerful thing.

Remaining positive is also incredibly important throughout the tasks we do after or in between the creation of art, such as applying for art shows or galleries, sharing our work via social media, responding to feedback, selling our work, communicating with clients when working on commissions, etc.

The more you're able to stay positive in these kinds of situations, the more likely you are to be seen as a professional and reach sustained success.

A while back I shared a blog post/YouTube video in which I explain all the things I make sure to do on a weekly basis to ensure I stay healthy and productive as an artist. Read it here.

Finally, always believe in yourself and celebrate each and every little victory. Most importantly, celebrate yourself.

Though you may not feel like it right now, you are an artist and you are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you found this helpful. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your journey.

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How I Draw Faces Using Simple Supplies

7/29/2019

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If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*

If you're not new to my blog posts or videos, you're probably already aware that I'm a huge fan of keeping it simple when it comes to art supplies. I'm a big fan of artists who are able to create amazing work using basic, and even limited, tools.

There's no need for anything fancy in order to make immense progress in your drawing skills.

The supplies below are what I usually have on hand when I'm drawing or sketching. *I'm not a big fan of kneaded erasers and have replaced them entirely with my Mono Zero eraser that I acquire via Amazon. I use blending stumps only when I'm creating more realistic drawings such as the one in this video.

Drawing and watercolor step-by-step tutorials for beginners

Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here !

Drawing Supplies Used in Video

I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)

Thanks so much for popping by today!