Hey Crew!

Welcome back! How are you guys doing? I am not sure if it is just where I live, but I can already smell the Autumn air blowing in. I can’t wait! I can’t wait for fresh apples and cooler days. Plus all the spooky Halloween festivities. If you can’t tell already, Halloween is my favorite holiday. Do you think we should participate in Inktober? I’m still thinking about it, but maybe. Any-who, time to get to why we are all gathered here today.

How to Find Your Artistic Self

Now there is no right or wrong way to find your artistic style. I feel your eye roll too. I have never really felt like I have/had a “style”. And every book, blog, interview, lecture, and mentor never made sense to me. I felt like I was pulled in a million different ways and never felt close to what I was searching for. I think that also is part of me that is still so scared to show my work. I am getting more comfortable with it, but I still second guess myself. I still try to make excuses for mistakes I have made. But I have to realize that no one will really see the mistakes unless I point them out. They are going to read the art with their own eyes and make their own story from it. That is why I don’t write as much as I once did about my work. I keep them whiddled down to technique and some back story. The saying “I’m my own worst enemy” needs to be craved into my gravestone at this point.*

Anyway, what I am trying to say is to take my advice like a grain of salt. Maybe my process and ideas will work for you or they won’t. But if I can strike a cord with just one of you and I have made the difference in your thinking and work, then I have done my job.

What do you like?

I want you to figure out what kind of art/creations appeal to you the most. What kind of things do you like to read about? Fantasy, war, history, mystery, romance, etc? Why do you like them? Do they pick at a string in your soul? Do you find it calming? Do you find them make you happy? I want you to take that feeling that you feel about your favorite books and figure out what kind of visual art gives you that same feeling. Do you like bold line work? Do you like bright colors? Does your eye tend to follow realistic artwork or more abstract? What sparks your fire?

Personally, my likes are very fluid. But there are a few things that will allows grab my attention.

Bold Lines
Flat
Simple
Geometric
Vector

I know what you are thinking, “But Suzanna, your artwork doesn’t really reflect that.” I know. That is part of my inner battle. Part of me thinks that “good” art is detailed and full of depth and “perfection”. And the other side is screaming to just go with the flow and do what makes me happy. There is no right or wrong way to create. There is just the way that makes your soul sing. I think that is one of the most toxic thing in the art world, that there is a right and wrong way. The thinking that perfection and following the rules destroy creativity. There is no right or wrong way, there is only your way. And that is something that I am still fighting within my own work. But I am not going to let it rule over me anymore.

Time to do some research.

Knowledge is power. I am not staying that you have to get your PhD in Art History to understand how to find your style. All I am saying is that a quick Google search will help you. I personally would head over the the library and look into art history books, but I am just that kind of nerdy, book lover. I just want you to skim over the history of art periods and note which periods strike that cord in you.

Here are my favorite times in art history.

The Golden Age of Illustration (1850 – 1925)
Art Nouveau (1890 -1910)
Art Deco (1908 – 1935)

Examples of Art History (Images found on a quick Google Search)

From here I can look to the masters of these time periods. To see how they went about their pieces. To see what they were used for. To see the impact of their art on culture and society.

How did the Masters pull it off?

Now I want you to pick out a few of the masters from the time period(s) you fancied. It is time to get down in the dirt. I want you to copy the masters. Copy their work. Now I am not saying plagiarize their work, don’t ever plagiarize another’s work. No, I want you do use the pieces as a method of learning. Think of it as developing muscle memory. The more you do something over and over the easier it gets, to a point were you don’t even think about it. Which leads us to that boorish word of Practice. Unfortunately, practice does make perfect. I hate it too, my friends. It is needed to train your hand-eye coordination and your brain. Sort of like learning to type. You first start off slow and one figuring the keys. Then you start adding more of your fingers and need to build up their strength and knowing what key you are hitting without looking. Then you pick up speed. And soon you are typing as fast as you can think of the words.

You can also copy the masters to help blow past your art block. It keeps you creating. It starts making you think. It brings that fire back to life. It brings you closer to your self.

How can you make it your own?

Look at your doodles and sketchbooks, can you see the similarities in the work that you create without even thinking about it? That means you are halfway there already. Keep playing with your craft. Keep experimenting. You have to get comfortable with your art. You just have to let it flow. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to your art. It is your art, you need to reclaim it from the toxic space that tells you it isn’t good enough. You are an artist, you are good enough.

To summarize; find out what hits you in your soul, research history and masters, copy the masters, learn their skills, and make it your own through practice. Once you start listening to what fills you with happiness, you will start to see how good you actually are. Always be yourself and that is where you will find your true style and your true self.

I hope this has helped you with your own journey. I know I still have a lot to learn myself. I also know that I have a lot more practicing to do too. Well we better get to it, right? I’ll see you tomorrow to see the what I have in store for Tuesday’s Fan-Art days. Do you have any ideas? Can’t wait! Remember to stay safe and to stay sane.

Until next time,

Suzanna 🌙

* : Please note that this is a joke 😎

Hey Crew!

My oh my, things have not been slowing down, huh? Does anyone else feel as though it has been years instead of just 6 months into this year? ‘Cause I feel like I have lived a lifetime already and I am in another reincarnations lifetime. This is bananas. I know I have no certain return date for work or anything going back to some sort of “normal” any time soon. And everyone is holding their collective breathe for this second wave that is bound to hit us hard. We are in the middle of history repeating itself, but most of the people that are in charge are refusing to see it. And I think that is the scariest part of it all. Please listen up, remember to take care of yourself. Remember unplug for a moment. Remember to not burn yourself out. Please use this time to grow. Use this time to learn something new. Use this time to unlearn something toxic. Use this time to find yourself. Please remember you are not alone, you are loved, and you can grow. I’m going to try my damnest to be that calm oasis for you. I’ve got your back. I promise.

Quarantine Challenge Project #12- Re-do: Dragon

I made this back in September of 2010. 10 years ago. How did I get into art school again? I’m so funny, I know. I am not sure where I was trying to go with this. It kind of looks like a cross between a snake and a bug. And that position of the head…. Like what?? Any sort of improvement will do wonders for it.

I started with some research on dragons. I looked at a bunch of pieces that other artists have made of dragons. I looked at historical and modern interpretations of the mythical creature. And although I saw some wonderful and creative pieces, nothing was sparking interest for me. So I started to look to actual nature. That is when I knew that I was going to hit the jackpot. I came across this Peruvian Dragon snake that was the perfect head, and then I used the body of a Monitor lizard, and the wings of a bat. And it looks a little like this:

I have figured out how to push my work to another level. I am really good at drawing what I can see. But somehow when I try to draw what I see in my mind it turns out to be dumpster fire. So I have found away around it. I create this kind of chimera like image of something that shows me what I truly want to create. The one thing I want to express to just budding artists out there is that you are only as good as your references. That can be anything from books, to life experiences, to internet image searches. And then the next lesson that you need to learn is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and patience.

After I have a solid drawing, I start the illustration process. And I am exploring markers as a medium. I have subscriptions to Art Snack and SketchBox monthly boxes. Because of these boxes I have been trying lots of new mediums and techniques that I would have never tried otherwise. So far, I have found a new love with alcohol based markers. I’ve been wanting to do a full illustration with markers for a while, but I haven’t had the color range that I would like. So I purchased a ARTEZA EverBlend marker set. I don’t have the funds to get more of the Copic or Tombow markers that I love so much, so I got a good budget friendly brand. I can promise you that these ARTEZA markers are the bee’s knees. I am glad I got them to learn how to really use markers and just play with a new medium.

I am really proud of how this turned out! You can so see how there is a massive jump in skill in 10 years. Sweet Neptune.

And that marks the end of QCP #12. We’ve got only 2 more project left in this series if you can believe it! And this has been an incredible journey. However, this does not mean the end for us! I have a whole bunch of new projects lined up for us. So don’t go anywhere! In the next post, I am going to be talking about what the future is going to be looking like for our life on these Artist Seas. So I suggest to like, follow, comment, and subscribe to never miss a beat. Let’s set sail!

Until Next Time,

Captain Suzanna 🌙