*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. :)
Struggling with an art block or creative rut? Looking for ideas to get the most out of Inktober this year? Eager to take your art further, whether in terms of skill development or expanding your audience? Participating in online art challenges can be an amazing way to get back into creating art consistently after a break, as well as to improve your drawing/painting skills in a short period of time. Not to mention, because so many people will be participating and sharing consistently, it's also a great way to get your art out there and start growing your name as an artist. I've personally participated in Inktober a few times in the past and have gotten a lot from pushing myself to complete them. You can check out video timelapses I've shared of past sketching processes, things I learned from the challenge and more in past posts. I also recently shared a video over at my YouTube channel in which I explain the main reasons why participating in daily art challenges like Inktober can be so powerful for artists, as well as my main tips to help you reach the finish line while enjoying every step of the way. You can check it out here. To add to the Inktober/Fall art challenge goodness and helpful tips, I'd love to share an article today which was kindly contributed by Debbie Woodliffe. Debbie's not only been working in the creative industry for nine years, but has always had a deep love for art and it's been her hobby her entire life. As a creative, Debbie knows what it's like to struggle with blocks. Inktober and similar challenges have helped her move past them and get back into the flow of consistent art creation. Below, she'll be sharing her top tips that'll help reignite your creativity and take your art to a new level with Inktober 2021. Without further ado, let's get into her article!
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I hope this post was helpful and inspiring!
Thanks so much to Debbie Woodliffe for so generously sharing all of this useful information with us. It has certainly gotten me excited for Inktober and all the amazing work I'm sure I'll get to see next month.
Thank you for reading and I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your art journey.
10 Comments
*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. :)
Confused as to why your watercolor landscapes are looking unrealistic and flat?Looking for best ways to create realistic greens for your watercolor botanical pieces? How can you make unnatural looking greens in your watercolor sets look more realistic?
Lots of beginners getting started on their journey with watercolor struggle with creating lively, interesting greens.
This is not surprising, as many greens included in commercial watercolor sets are very unnatural straight out of the pan/tube, and they usually haven't taken time to learn about the Color Wheel and color relationships, or how to mix colors in order to modify their saturation and value.
Add to this the fact that, when working with watercolor, having good water control and understanding that we're working with a translucent medium is a must.
Without this skill and understanding, you'll likely create heavy, flat-looking paintings even with great green mixtures!
My advice?
Start by understanding the characteristics that set watercolor apart from other painting mediums, such as:
-Watercolor is transparent (not opaque like acrylics, oils or gouache). We're meant to use this translucency to develop depth, but also arrive at an end result that is light and seems to glow from within.
-We paint on paper, which is inherently more delicate and easier to overwork than, say, canvas or wood. Because of this, it's essential to learn when we have to allow the paper to dry.
-We're using thin layers of paint and are not looking to cover up our entire painting area with thick layers of paint as we would when working with opaque mediums.
-We're planning/saving our highlights throughout the painting process, as it's the whiteness of the paper that'll stand in place for our lightest areas, as well as other light value sections in which we're looking to incorporate the brightness and beauty of the paper as part of the piece.
-Because the white of the paper stands in place for our lightest value areas, and we're using translucent paint, no white paint is necessary.
-We use plenty of water along the way and are constantly modifying the water- to-paint ratios in our mixtures depending on whether we want lighter/paler color or darker/more saturated color.
Start by developing your water control with exercises similar to what I share in my free Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course.
After familiarizing yourself with the basics of the medium on hand, start learning about the Color Wheel, as this will help you to understand relationships between different colors, as well as essential Color Theory-related topics such as Color Temperature, Value and Saturation.
By developing these basic skills and knowledge on these key topics, mixing believable and lively greens will be a breeze!
In the thorough video below, I share my two main strategies for creating realistic green color mixtures, how to further desaturate/mute out greens by adding different colors, and also how I paint a tree that shows a variety of green values for depth.
Confused as to why your watercolor landscapes are looking unrealistic and flat?Looking for best ways to create realistic greens for your watercolor botanical pieces? How can you make unnatural looking greens in your watercolor sets look more realistic?
Lots of beginners getting started on their journey with watercolor struggle with creating lively, interesting greens.
This is not surprising, as many greens included in commercial watercolor sets are very unnatural straight out of the pan/tube, and they usually haven't taken time to learn about the Color Wheel and color relationships, or how to mix colors in order to modify their saturation and value.
Add to this the fact that, when working with watercolor, having good water control and understanding that we're working with a translucent medium is a must.
Without this skill and understanding, you'll likely create heavy, flat-looking paintings even with great green mixtures!
My advice?
Start by understanding the characteristics that set watercolor apart from other painting mediums, such as:
-Watercolor is transparent (not opaque like acrylics, oils or gouache). We're meant to use this translucency to develop depth, but also arrive at an end result that is light and seems to glow from within.
-We paint on paper, which is inherently more delicate and easier to overwork than, say, canvas or wood. Because of this, it's essential to learn when we have to allow the paper to dry.
-We're using thin layers of paint and are not looking to cover up our entire painting area with thick layers of paint as we would when working with opaque mediums.
-We're planning/saving our highlights throughout the painting process, as it's the whiteness of the paper that'll stand in place for our lightest areas, as well as other light value sections in which we're looking to incorporate the brightness and beauty of the paper as part of the piece.
-Because the white of the paper stands in place for our lightest value areas, and we're using translucent paint, no white paint is necessary.
-We use plenty of water along the way and are constantly modifying the water- to-paint ratios in our mixtures depending on whether we want lighter/paler color or darker/more saturated color.
Start by developing your water control with exercises similar to what I share in my free Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course.
After familiarizing yourself with the basics of the medium on hand, start learning about the Color Wheel, as this will help you to understand relationships between different colors, as well as essential Color Theory-related topics such as Color Temperature, Value and Saturation.
By developing these basic skills and knowledge on these key topics, mixing believable and lively greens will be a breeze!
In the thorough video below, I share my two main strategies for creating realistic green color mixtures, how to further desaturate/mute out greens by adding different colors, and also how I paint a tree that shows a variety of green values for depth.
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*
Two Strategies for Creating Natural, Lively Greens with Watercolor
Strategy #1: Using a Base/Ready-Made Green
Choose a "base" green to work with, making sure to notice how warm (yellow-biased) or cool (blue-biased) it is.
You can use any green, but depending on whether it's very warm or cool biased (or somewhere in-between), you're probably going to have to add more or less of your other colors.
Choose a yellow and a blue to add into your "base" green. To create your lighter green, mix yellow into it. To create a dark green, mix blue into it.
In the video above, you can see me explore adding two different yellows and two different blues into my base green so that you can see how the addition of different colors leads to different lighter and darker greens.
For this strategy, you can see your "base" green as your "midtone" or "medium" green.
Continue modifying the ratios of the colors in your color mixtures until you arrive at a lighter green, a medium green and a darker green.
With these color mixtures created on your palette, you'll be ready to paint greenery that has depth and dimension to it.
I'd highly recommend trying out the exercises shared in the video to start getting comfortable with color mixing and to get to know the colors you're able to create with the set you have.
Swatches for Strategy#1: Using a Ready-Made "Base" Green
Strategy #2: Using Yellow and Blue to Create Green
Choose a blue and a yellow, then mix them together to create your green. Blue and yellow are Primary Colors that create green (a Secondary color).
Take your time modifying your color mixture, adding more blue or yellow, until you mixture looks green on your palette.
I'd recommend exploring different blue and yellow combinations you have available, as the temperature of the blue and yellow you use, as well as how dark or light it is, will have a great impact on your end green result.
These variables will also have an impact on how muted/desaturated your end result is.
In the video above you can see me exploring both warm and cool yellow and blue color combos, and you can see the immense difference in those green results.
Some greens look way more natural than others and there's no need to bring in a third color to desaturate it further.
To create your lighter greens, simply add more yellow into your mixture. For your darker greens, simply add more blue into your mixture.
And, once again, with your light, midtone/medium, and darker green color mixtures ready on your palette, you're set to start painting!
Swatches for Strategy#2: Using Yellow and Blue to Create Green
Want to mute out a green?
Whether you're using a ready-made green or have created your own green mix using either of the aforementioned strategies, here are three ways to make them look a bit more natural:
-Add in a bit of green's Complementary Color (opposite to green in the Color Wheel), which is red
-Add in a brown/neutral color such as Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Sepia or Van Dyke Brown
-Add in Payne's Gray or Neutral Tint
Tree studies created using the "base" green strategy. Sap Green was used as the "base" green. Indian Yellow was added to create lighter green. Indigo was used to create darker green.
Supplies used in video:
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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. :)
Eager to learn watercolor painting but confused as to where to start? Have you started on your journey with watercolor, but always experience frustration during your painting processes and/or end up disappointed with your results?
Water and brush control are two basic skills that anyone looking to learn watercolor should focus on in the beginning.
Why?
Because without these two skills, it's going to be very difficult to succeed with pretty much any kind of painting you set out to work on, whether it's a completely abstract piece or something more realistic.
My advice for beginners getting started with any new drawing or painting medium is to devote time to explore it without pressuring themselves to complete a full piece or to achieve perfection in any way.
Get to know your medium.
Do some research to understand what sets it apart from other drawing or painting mediums, and what the main things are that one should know about in order to create a piece that allows it to perform/"shine" to its full capabilities.
In this video, I share the top things I wish I knew about watercolor when I was getting started, in which I share these main characteristics.
Compare and contrast watercolor paintings with pieces created with opaque painting mediums such as acrylics or oils.
Take notes.
For example, when it comes to watercolor, we're meant to use the medium's translucency, in combination with the whiteness of the paper under the paint, to create depth and volume.
*We don't even need white paint!
Another thing that distinguishes watercolor from other painting mediums is the fact that we're working on paper as opposed to canvas, wood or other tougher substrates.
And, while we're using paper that's intended for water-soluble mediums, it's still paper. Paper is much more fragile (especially in its wet state) and, thus, it's much more easily overworked/damaged.
As opposed to the heaviness that opaque painting mediums can have, when we're working with watercolor, we're trying to achieve a lighter-looking outcome...a piece that seems to glow from within.
When the medium's characteristics are taken into account as we're painting, and the basic "rules" are understood (which we can decide to break later), it's much more likely that we'll arrive at the results we're looking for.
Aside from doing research and continuing to learn about these things, basic drills and exercises on brush strokes, as well as washes are essential in the beginning.
This hands-on practice will help us tackle complete paintings with greater confidence and ease.
This said, the following drills and exercises are very helpful, even for artists who're more advanced, as we have to get to know our brushes every time we invest in a new one.
In the following watercolor tutorial video, I walk you step-by-step through the main brush strokes to practice as a beginner, as well as the three must-know washes.
I'd recommend practicing these in a sketchbook that's intended for watercolor, or on accessibly priced (but quality) watercolor paper. I'll leave some great options at the end of this post.
Eager to learn watercolor painting but confused as to where to start? Have you started on your journey with watercolor, but always experience frustration during your painting processes and/or end up disappointed with your results?
Water and brush control are two basic skills that anyone looking to learn watercolor should focus on in the beginning.
Why?
Because without these two skills, it's going to be very difficult to succeed with pretty much any kind of painting you set out to work on, whether it's a completely abstract piece or something more realistic.
My advice for beginners getting started with any new drawing or painting medium is to devote time to explore it without pressuring themselves to complete a full piece or to achieve perfection in any way.
Get to know your medium.
Do some research to understand what sets it apart from other drawing or painting mediums, and what the main things are that one should know about in order to create a piece that allows it to perform/"shine" to its full capabilities.
In this video, I share the top things I wish I knew about watercolor when I was getting started, in which I share these main characteristics.
Compare and contrast watercolor paintings with pieces created with opaque painting mediums such as acrylics or oils.
Take notes.
For example, when it comes to watercolor, we're meant to use the medium's translucency, in combination with the whiteness of the paper under the paint, to create depth and volume.
*We don't even need white paint!
Another thing that distinguishes watercolor from other painting mediums is the fact that we're working on paper as opposed to canvas, wood or other tougher substrates.
And, while we're using paper that's intended for water-soluble mediums, it's still paper. Paper is much more fragile (especially in its wet state) and, thus, it's much more easily overworked/damaged.
As opposed to the heaviness that opaque painting mediums can have, when we're working with watercolor, we're trying to achieve a lighter-looking outcome...a piece that seems to glow from within.
When the medium's characteristics are taken into account as we're painting, and the basic "rules" are understood (which we can decide to break later), it's much more likely that we'll arrive at the results we're looking for.
Aside from doing research and continuing to learn about these things, basic drills and exercises on brush strokes, as well as washes are essential in the beginning.
This hands-on practice will help us tackle complete paintings with greater confidence and ease.
This said, the following drills and exercises are very helpful, even for artists who're more advanced, as we have to get to know our brushes every time we invest in a new one.
In the following watercolor tutorial video, I walk you step-by-step through the main brush strokes to practice as a beginner, as well as the three must-know washes.
I'd recommend practicing these in a sketchbook that's intended for watercolor, or on accessibly priced (but quality) watercolor paper. I'll leave some great options at the end of this post.
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*
Basic Watercolor Brush Strokes
*For these brush stroke exercises, I'd recommend using a medium-sized brush, whether it's a flat or a round (or both!). Something around a size 8-14 would do perfectly. Another suggestion that'll increase your practice is creating your strokes in different directions (horizontally, vertically, diagonally, etc.).
1. Thin Lines
To create thin lines, touch just the tip of your paintbrush to your paper and drag from one edge of your paper to the other with one consistent, flowing brush stroke.
Do your best to keep the thickness of your line as consistent as possible from start to finish. This means that only the tip of your paintbrush should be coming into contact with your paper from beginning to end.
2. Thick Lines
To create thick lines, you'll have to press down the belly of your paintbrush to your paper.
Just like with the thin lines, try to keep that pressure and the thickness of your lines consistent from start to finish.
You'll likely notice dry brushing effects near the ends of your lines, as paint and water start running out from your bristles.
Dry brushing is shown near the end (right) of my thick lines in the image below. You can see specks of white paper showing through, where my paint/water started running out and the color wasn't covering the paper as smoothly.
3. Thin-to-Thick Lines
For thin-to-thick lines, the pressure you're exerting on your paintbrush changes as you move from one edge to the other.
In other words, your arm is moving laterally, but you're simultaneously lifting and pressing, over and over. This creates variations in thickness throughout that line.
The challenge is to always have at least a bit of contact with the paper from start to finish.
4. C-Strokes
These are short, curved strokes that start out wider and taper at their tail ends.
Essentially, you press down the belly of your brush at the top, and release that pressure as you move towards the end of that stroke, all the while drawing a curve or "c" shape.
5. Flicking
For this one, you flick your wrist upwards (or in whichever direction you'd like) in one quick, short stroke.
There's no need to press down your paintbrush bristles onto your paper very much at all, but at the end of the flicking motion, you do want to lift your bristles from your paper in order to have that tapered look at the end.
You want the "base" or "root" of your stroke to have a slightly thicker look than the end.
This brush stroke is very handy when adding grass to landscapes.
4. C-Strokes
These are short, curved strokes that start out wider and taper at their tail ends.
Essentially, you press down the belly of your brush at the top, and release that pressure as you move towards the end of that stroke, all the while drawing a curve or "c" shape.
5. Flicking
For this one, you flick your wrist upwards (or in whichever direction you'd like) in one quick, short stroke.
There's no need to press down your paintbrush bristles onto your paper very much at all, but at the end of the flicking motion, you do want to lift your bristles from your paper in order to have that tapered look at the end.
You want the "base" or "root" of your stroke to have a slightly thicker look than the end.
This brush stroke is very handy when adding grass to landscapes.
6. Bouncing
I think of bouncing as a form of stamping. All you have to do after you've loaded up your paintbrush, is press down its bristles so that their entirety comes into contact with your paper, and lift. On and on.
There is no dragging or lateral movement of any kind. Just press and lift, and press and lift.
You can imagine how much of a difference it would make if I had used a flat brush instead of a round, as the "stamped" shapes would not look like water drops or leaves, but would be more boxy/angular.
This one is great to create the illusion of leaves when painting nearby trees and plants.
7. Scribbling
To do scribbling (shown in orange in the image below), loosen up your wrist and really practice using your paintbrush in a variety of different ways.
You're looking for irregularity all throughout (no organized patterns or perfect shapes) and this is created via shifting and changing the pressure you're exerting on your paintbrush, but also the angle you're using your paintbrush at (90°/45°/30° from your paper, etc.), and the direction you're painting towards.
You're moving your paintbrush up and down, but also laterally in different ways. Curves and loops are also great.
Just let your wrist go and embrace irregularity!
8. Scribbling + Bouncing
This is a combination of both techniques which can be seen in the image below at the top (the magenta/purplish color).
You'll notice some visible "stamped" leaf/drop shapes, while other shapes are more irregular in terms of their shape and size.
This technique is also great for leaves of plants and trees.
9. Dark-to-Light Lines
With one same load of your paintbrush, you start at the top by painting a line using the color at its most saturated (darkest) state.
In between each line, you dip your paintbrush in your container of water 1-2 times, remove the excess water, and paint the next line. Then you dip your paintbrush in your container of water again, remove the excess water, paint the next line, and so on and so forth until you reach the bottom.
This is a great exercise for water control and understanding translucency, as well as the wide range of values you can create with only one color.
3 Must-Know Watercolor Washes
*For these watercolor wash exercises, I'd recommend larger sized brushes, whether a large round/mop or a flat brush. The larger the painting area, the larger the brush you'll want to use. These strips I prepared for myself were around 3 inches in width and 6 inches in height. I used a 3/4" flat brush.
It's important to create enough juicy/saturated color mixtures for yourself on your color mixing palette and to work quickly as you're laying down that color. The less moving around of paint that you do after it's been placed on paper, the better.
1. Flat Wash
*For these watercolor wash exercises, I'd recommend larger sized brushes, whether a large round/mop or a flat brush. The larger the painting area, the larger the brush you'll want to use. These strips I prepared for myself were around 3 inches in width and 6 inches in height. I used a 3/4" flat brush.
It's important to create enough juicy/saturated color mixtures for yourself on your color mixing palette and to work quickly as you're laying down that color. The less moving around of paint that you do after it's been placed on paper, the better.
1. Flat Wash
The objective with the flat wash is to paint consistent/uniform color all throughout the shape.
What's important to take into account with this one is that, as you're making your way down (or upwards or sideways), your color will start running out from your paintbrush bristles and it'll become lighter and lighter.
How quickly this happens depends on the size of the space you're painting in, as well as the size of the paintbrush you're using. If the shape you're filling up with color is relatively small, and you're using a large brush, perhaps you'll make it through with just one load.
On the other hand, if you're trying to fill a larger space, and are using a smaller brush, you're going to have to reload way more often.
Keep your eye on the paper as you're filling that shape in and notice if/when the color is becoming weaker and, when it does, quickly load up your paintbrush with more paint and pick up where you left off before the paint that's on your paper starts to dry.
2. Graded Wash
For the graded wash, you're looking for your color to become lighter (or darker) as you move up/down. You're looking for a gradual change in value/translucency of the color you're laying down.
As opposed to the flat wash, you want your color to start running out from your paintbrush bristles so that it becomes weaker and weaker as you go.
Keep your eye on your paper and, as your making your way down filling in that shape, make sure your color is becoming more translucent.
If it's not, quickly dip your paintbrush in your container of water a couple of times, remove the excess water, and come back to pick up the edge of your shape where you left off.
I usually have to dip my paintbrush in my container of water to weaken that color at least a couple of times throughout the process to ensure that, when I reach the end of that wash, my color will be at its most translucent.
3. Variegated Wash
In a variegated wash, one color gradually turns into another color, which means we'll need at least a couple of different colors.
I'd recommend getting started with colors that are Analogous (right next to each other) in the color wheel. By choosing Analogous colors, you'll ensure vibrant transition colors throughout the gradient you create.
Complementary colors (opposites in the color wheel) mute each other out, and you can accidentally create muddiness or grays/browns in between, where your two colors merge together.
To create a variegated wash, paint in a section of your shape with one of your colors and then remove all of that color from your paintbrush bristles, remove the excess water, load up your paintbrush with the next color and paint in the rest of the shape.
In the video, I painted in the blue until I got around halfway down, I removed the blue from my paintbrush bristles, loaded up my paintbrush with purple and worked on the transitional gradient by overlapping this purple on top of the blue in the middle section.
I then removed the blue-purple from my paintbrush bristles, reloaded with just purple, and finished that last third so that I would only have purple as I made my way towards the bottom.
Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here.
I hope this post was helpful and wish you lots of progress and enjoyment as you move forward in your journey with watercolor!
Supplies:
I hope this post was helpful and wish you lots of progress and enjoyment as you move forward in your journey with watercolor!
Supplies:
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I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.
-Georgia O'Keeffe
Do you constantly ask yourself questions like “Am I doing this right?”, “Who am I kidding? I’m not an artist.”, or “Who am I to be making time for art?” when working on a new piece?
Have you ever felt inadequate, like you don’t belong someplace (an art class, art event, art supply store, etc.) or among a group of other artists, even though you’re deeply passionate about being there and share common interests with those around you?
Ever struggled with feeling like a fraud, or like someone’s going to pop up and tell you you’re doing it all wrong, even though you’ve been working hard at improving artistically?
If you responded ‘yes’ to any or all of these, chances are you’ve struggled (or are struggling) with good ol' Imposter Syndrome.
And you’re not alone.
It hits so many artists and creatives of all kinds… pretty much most people who’re doing anything big or uncommon.
Just in case you’ve never heard of Imposter Syndrome before, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as: ’A false and sometimes crippling belief that one's successes are the product of luck or fraud rather than skill. A pervasive feeling of self-doubt, insecurity, or fraudulence despite often overwhelming evidence to the contrary.’
People who’ve accomplished amazing things have described feeling this way at some point, including Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, Tom Hanks and David Bowie.
Today, I’ll be sharing a few tips that always help me overcome Imposter Syndrome when I feel it creep up.
I wanted to get this information and tips out there, as I see so many community members and students struggling, and I’m aware of how paralyzing these negative thoughts/feelings can be.
But first, let’s go over a few signs you may be experiencing Imposter Syndrome as an artist, as well as why this phenomenon tends to happen to us so frequently.
Do you constantly ask yourself questions like “Am I doing this right?”, “Who am I kidding? I’m not an artist.”, or “Who am I to be making time for art?” when working on a new piece?
Have you ever felt inadequate, like you don’t belong someplace (an art class, art event, art supply store, etc.) or among a group of other artists, even though you’re deeply passionate about being there and share common interests with those around you?
Ever struggled with feeling like a fraud, or like someone’s going to pop up and tell you you’re doing it all wrong, even though you’ve been working hard at improving artistically?
If you responded ‘yes’ to any or all of these, chances are you’ve struggled (or are struggling) with good ol' Imposter Syndrome.
And you’re not alone.
It hits so many artists and creatives of all kinds… pretty much most people who’re doing anything big or uncommon.
Just in case you’ve never heard of Imposter Syndrome before, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as: ’A false and sometimes crippling belief that one's successes are the product of luck or fraud rather than skill. A pervasive feeling of self-doubt, insecurity, or fraudulence despite often overwhelming evidence to the contrary.’
People who’ve accomplished amazing things have described feeling this way at some point, including Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, Tom Hanks and David Bowie.
Today, I’ll be sharing a few tips that always help me overcome Imposter Syndrome when I feel it creep up.
I wanted to get this information and tips out there, as I see so many community members and students struggling, and I’m aware of how paralyzing these negative thoughts/feelings can be.
But first, let’s go over a few signs you may be experiencing Imposter Syndrome as an artist, as well as why this phenomenon tends to happen to us so frequently.
Signs You're Dealing With Imposter Syndrome as an Artist
- You're unable to accept compliments on your work
- You experience overwhelming anxiety when starting a new piece
- You have a prevailing perfectionist attitude and constant fear of failure
- You feel you don’t deserve to ask for more when selling a piece, even after spending a good amount on supplies and time creating it
- You feel out of place when visiting an art supply store or gallery, or attend an art event, workshop or class
- You discount your achievements (such as your first art exhibit or sale)
- You deeply worry about others' opinions about your work and choices in life
- You're constantly comparing yourself to others and feel like your work is never good enough
Why This Phenomenon is So Common Among Artists
The International Journal of Behavioral Science states that, though Imposter Syndrome can affect anyone (70% percent of people have experienced it at some point in their lives), it hits artists, creatives and entrepreneurs of all kinds more frequently.
This makes sense because of a few different reasons:
- Being an artist is lonely. It’s usually us and us alone not only creating the art, but also doing everything that’s necessary to share it or build/sustain a business around our art. It's imperative that we believe in its (and our) worth.
- Art is subjective and there’s no measuring tool to tell us whether our work is "good" or "bad", or whether we’re doing things "right" or "wrong", which means we must have confidence in what we’re doing.
- It takes a lot of courage, not only to create art, but also to put ourselves out there consistently. There’s a vulnerability that comes with creating and putting work out there for others to see.
- With sharing our work and thoughts we’re opening ourselves up to criticism and other people's opinions, whether it’s with a smaller audience (family and/or friends), or a larger one (social media, galleries, events, etc.).
- Now-a-days, because of social media, it’s easy to feel behind or like we’ll never reach other artists' skill level, as we’re bombarded with others’ amazing work and seemingly perfect art lives 24/7.
All this said, though being an artist is challenging on many levels, it's also incredibly rewarding and fulfilling once you're able to push through "the suck".
Here are seven key things I remind myself of that always help me move past Imposter Syndrome so that I can continue focusing my time and energy on creating.
Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here.
Remember These Things to Overcome Imposter Syndrome A.S.A.P.
1. Comparing yourself to others is a waste of time and energy.
We’re all different and are at different points in our journeys. Consider doing a detox from social media if you find it's affecting you more often than not.
2. There's no one exactly like you.
You are unique and nobody else in the world can create exactly like you can. Lean into your uniqueness (weaknesses and all).
3. Talk to your mentors or art friends for support and inspiration.
People who share your same interests and are also putting in the work will help you recognize that your feelings and thoughts are both normal and irrational.
4. Look back and recognize your progress, as well as how far you’ve come since you started.
Remember what you do well, what it feels to create when you’re in flow, and why you started in the first place.
5. Realize no one is perfect.
Every-single-person out there (including those artists who’s highlight reels you come across on social media) is a work in progress and struggles with self-doubt, too.
6. Develop your self-worth and growth mindset.
Here’s a great article with ideas on how to develop lasting self-esteem, as well as a list of amazing Ted Talks on developing a growth mindset and how it can help you reach your goals.
7. Understand that your brain is just trying to keep you safe.
It wants to prevent you from doing things that are new and challenging, so it sends you signals to stop (that's why we have all these negative thoughts and limiting beliefs). Read all about this and how to override it here.
Just to finish up, feelings of self-doubt and nervousness are 100% normal and human. They don’t make you any less of an artist.
If anything, these feelings are a sign that you’re stepping out of your comfort zone, are being brave, and are taking action to grow in new ways.
And if you ever feel you don't belong somewhere your heart and spirit are telling you to be, remember that anyone who's actively putting themselves in the arena deserves to be there.
If you're passionate about art, are creating consistently, and are always looking to keep growing, you're an artist.
Don't be afraid to call yourself one!
Remember These Things to Overcome Imposter Syndrome A.S.A.P.
1. Comparing yourself to others is a waste of time and energy.
We’re all different and are at different points in our journeys. Consider doing a detox from social media if you find it's affecting you more often than not.
2. There's no one exactly like you.
You are unique and nobody else in the world can create exactly like you can. Lean into your uniqueness (weaknesses and all).
3. Talk to your mentors or art friends for support and inspiration.
People who share your same interests and are also putting in the work will help you recognize that your feelings and thoughts are both normal and irrational.
4. Look back and recognize your progress, as well as how far you’ve come since you started.
Remember what you do well, what it feels to create when you’re in flow, and why you started in the first place.
5. Realize no one is perfect.
Every-single-person out there (including those artists who’s highlight reels you come across on social media) is a work in progress and struggles with self-doubt, too.
6. Develop your self-worth and growth mindset.
Here’s a great article with ideas on how to develop lasting self-esteem, as well as a list of amazing Ted Talks on developing a growth mindset and how it can help you reach your goals.
7. Understand that your brain is just trying to keep you safe.
It wants to prevent you from doing things that are new and challenging, so it sends you signals to stop (that's why we have all these negative thoughts and limiting beliefs). Read all about this and how to override it here.
Just to finish up, feelings of self-doubt and nervousness are 100% normal and human. They don’t make you any less of an artist.
If anything, these feelings are a sign that you’re stepping out of your comfort zone, are being brave, and are taking action to grow in new ways.
And if you ever feel you don't belong somewhere your heart and spirit are telling you to be, remember that anyone who's actively putting themselves in the arena deserves to be there.
If you're passionate about art, are creating consistently, and are always looking to keep growing, you're an artist.
Don't be afraid to call yourself one!
*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. :)
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.
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 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.
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:
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is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites
to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
www.erikalancaster.com
is a participant in the Shareasale.com Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Shareasale.com partner companies.
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