There are a couple big tips I’ve learned by being an artist who is always too busy for my art. Mostly you discover things by making mistakes, wasting time, reaching huge goals and falling short of others. Experience is all it takes. Before starting your trek down the yellow brick road of any medium, it’s best to start with basic drawing practice and basic knowledge of how to begin.
1. Always get good supplies first
Yes, I know that it feels like throwing your entire paycheck into the cash register at Blick, and that’s because it’s exactly what you’ll be doing. It’s okay. It’s totally worth it. Even when you feel like it’d be a waste to buy top notch brushes because you don’t know how to use them correctly yet or like it’d be too prissy to buy weighted paper or pencils that belong to a graphite grading scale, it’s the best bet. I felt skeptical at first and ended up spending a lot of practice time doubting my skills because my supplies were limiting me. Bad quality tools stunted my learning. Find out what other artists are using for their projects here and get pre-picked surprise art packages here.
2. Take your sketchbook with you
Bring it to work. Bring it out to lunch with Granny. Put it in your car when you’re leaving and bring it in with you when you get home. It’s imperative that when an idea pops in my head I have a place to put it down. Even if I don’t have time to flesh it out, I will always do a rough (really rough) sketch just to remember what the idea was. Of course this is something I have a tough time with, but it’s the only way I can find time some weeks. Which brings us to the next big tip:
3. Never think there isn’t enough time for it
Because there never is. But you have to make the clock turn in your favor by pinching seconds. We spend hours of our lives sitting on the bus, droning in front of the TV and twiddling thumbs in waiting rooms. When there’s a small sketchbook tucked in my purse, I can pull it out and doodle instead of lurking my high school enemies on Facebook.
4. Know where to get ideas
Artist’s block is just as real as writer’s block. Inspiration comes in the form of observing daily life with a microscopic or introspective lens, but it can also come from looking at others’ art. Of course you never want to steal art or style from someone, but when you see something you like, ask yourself why. Do the colors pop out? Is it the way the figure is postured, or the way the object is positioned on the page? Try to use these same elements of design in your own work and apply them to ideas you’ve already collected in your sketchbook. Look at DeviantArt, Tumblr, Pinterest, or even sites like Redbubble and Society6 to unclog that creative flow.
5. Show it off
Getting feedback is scary. You never know what people are going to think, but criticism is more than helpful. Criticism is a better teacher than Youtube and a more loyal friend than your human friends, who will worship your stick figures (like c’mon, I see you guys). Compliments are heaven sent. You think selfie likes give you an ego boost? Try posting a sketch piece on Facebook. I promise it gets less terrifying!
6. Practice, practice, practice
For my final trick, let me tell you something you already know. However, everyone needs to hear this again; we need to hear it every morning after our first cup of morning coffee. PRACTICE. You'll never get better by neglecting your craft! So when that horse really looks more like a hog, practice some more.
