Art Journey Log

Ok, first of all, I try to see all the failures and negativity in my life as feedback. That makes me think, “What can I do about it?” Since art block visits me quite often, I came up with a written manifestation and a bunch of art exercises that have nothing to do with art fundamentals or studies =D Because that’s not fun. So the list consists of my interests and art mediums I like. Here it is, and by the way, it’s an ever-growing list! 🎨🪴

The list changes constantly with a different kind of artists but as of today,

- Find your why. Dig about what tickles you, what you like. Set your goals. Create a daily routine for art time. 

- Use simple and cheap materials at first. Allow yourself to fail. Always use reference photos. 

- Track your progress and reflect on it. Create a sketch kit that goes everywhere with you.

- Observe, observe, observe.

There’s a great video about this, and I still use the ideas from it to this day. Source: Devin Elle Kurtz’s You Can Draw Anything on YouTube.

On top of that, I think it’s incredibly valuable to reflect on why you want to make art in the first place. Do you want to create art for:

self-expression

learning how to draw

impressing others?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with any of those reasons. I was listening to an art podcast or an art related video I can’t remember, an architect was asking whether you want to learn to draw or draw to learn for the rest of your life =D That made me stop immediately and think about it. Finding a strong source of motivation will help you tremendously in the long run!

Taking care of your body and living a healthy life is another must.

Shifting your mindset and accepting that art is a journey, one that may take longer than expected, can save you from a lot of unrealistic expectations and frustration. Lower your expectations.

You really don’t need expensive art materials. Being open-minded, experiment and having fun is gonna make your brain crave more of that. One of the best ways to deal with the fear of a blank page is through iteration. Pick a subject and draw multiple versions of it. Ask yourself playful questions like: “What happens if I do it this way?”, “What if I push this shape this way?”

Exploratory mindset is incredibly important for artistic growth. Also, hang your drawings on a wall or somewhere visible to watch your progress. Any unwanted results will be a valuable feedback for your artistic journey.

To take some pressure off yourself, try not to share your work on social media right away or if you do, find a community that can give you constructive feedback from a similar or higher skill level. Figure out what works best for you.

Find artists you love and analyze their work. Here is a great podcast about slow looking. https://podcast.artengager.com/episode/what-is-slow-looking-and-how-can-i-get-started

And another art advice from an art prof. https://youtu.be/FTRDnSOkO9Y?si=uQmuvo0dQwIe-UnL

Here is my current toolkit =D