Take heART – every artist has events in their lives that force them to quit – and often it becomes a significant turning point for them. They either drown in the struggle of daily life events or they strengthen their resolve to find a space in their lives for their art.
I am writing a list of tactical strategies to strengthen artists to keep on working – to take heART! Yes the kids need you! Yes you have to make dinner! Yes you work late! the garden! the lawn! the dishes! the laundry! your email! the blog! the inlaws! the shopping…the gym… are all important but you – your art – are important too.
1. take a sketchbook with you – buy an over the shoulder bag and outfit it with a small sketchbook, eraser and your favourite mediums for drawing, charcoal, pencils, pencil crayons, small watercolor set. Make it small enough that you can take it everywhere with ease! I am happy if I have a piece of paper and a pencil. If it is too large you are discouraged and will leave it at home and miss an opportunity to draw.
2. Use your phone camera to take pictures and work on your compositions. Everywhere and anywhere.Look at abstract lines and colors or things that amuse you.
3.Use your phone apps to draw. I have a note3 with a pen. I hardly ever use the pen because I prefer non digital work but its there. If you want convenience you do not even need your sketchbook. A good app to download is sketchbook mobile auto desk. Or for the technologically advanced artist check out this – cintiq wakom companion –
http://www.wacom.com/en/us/creative/cintiq-companion
Digital exercise on note 3 with digital pen.
4. Discover the wonderful sites available to artists such as artists.pixelovely.com
OR Youtube has an amazing variety just search figure drawing tutorials or for figurative models to practice your drawing skills you can go to Croquis Cafe – https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Croquis+cafe
You can also get instruction through very very talented artists like Glenn Vilppu or Stan Prokopenko (among many).
http://www.proko.com/figure or
http://vilppuacademy.com/2013/home/?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fvilppuacademy.com%2F2013%2F
5. Search images on google and look at the amazing drawings of modern day artists and their styles, techniques and methods and incorporate them into your works.
Google search of figurative drawings
6. If you absolutely cannot make it to a life drawing session – draw people around you in everyday life. Eating, sleeping, reading, watching tv, at the beach, coffee shop, doctors office, library….draw your garden, sketch your kids, your husband, your dog, your cat your hamster, your friends hamster.
7. Buy time with another equally frustrated artist – trade babysitting or gardening to allow time to work on your art.
8. Schedule at least one hour per week minimum to devote to doing your artwork – and do not waiver on your commitment. Even if you do one hour per week you are working towards building your skills and can work on increasing the time spent on your art.
9. Buy a good drawing magazine or cds and copy the masters drawings even if it is only a hand – 5minutes can make a difference. Allow yourself to draw something everyday! drawing-book
10. Access the many drawing manuals that are now online in pdf format from charles bargue or http://www.drawright.com/
And wonderful blogs –
http://makingamark.blogspot.ca/
http://travelsketch.blogspot.ca/
11. Become a subscriber to the many valuable newsletters that will enhance your email inbox such as artist network or ceramics monthly!
12. Most of all have fun!! join a group a course or a class online or in your community. Give the world beautiful works of art. The purpose of our united CREATIVITY, imagination and skill is to connect with our audience not to compete with our peers! Other artist will give you techniques, strategies, ideas, inspiration and strengthen your spirit. Art is not a competition – it is our spirit our expression our way- each uniquely different.
‘Beauty appears when one feels deeply
Art is an act of total attention’ -Dorothea Lange
I hope some of these great FREE resources help – I find them to be a valuable and wonderful way to keep up my drawing skills and work on my composition.
TAKE heART!!
And Happy Sketching Drawing Enthusiasts!!
Giovanni Bodini – master of swish!
Pistrucci Bottega 