Friday, October 21, 2016

10 basic tips for watercolor drawing

Watercolor is one of the easiest paints to work with, their texture and transparency helps to create very light and tender artworks. But even easy materials has it own tricks, and here they are:

1) When dry watercolors are much more lighter.
While painting you should always keep in mind that the color you see when drawing will eventually change to lighter shades, so using more intense colors is never a bad idea.

2) Always test colors on separate piece of paper.
Testing colors before applying it in original artwork will save you an artwork and help you to pick right colors and shades. Watercolors dry out quick enough for you too see what shade you actually looking for.

3) Even if its dry - its still dissolvable.
One of the most benefits of the watercolor is dissolvance. If applied too much or glazing - its always possible to use some extra water and cotton to remove extensive colors. It won't remove the shade off the paper completely, but make it much lighter.

4) Transparency.
Transparency can be a plus, but it cab be a minus. You can't overpaint your mistakes, but in the same time you can make each layer visible and create more dynamics with it.

5) Move from light to dark shades.
Watercolors is the only paint that makes you move from light colors, and step by step add darker shades. But its always possible to find a way to move from dark to light too.




Saturday, October 1, 2016

Few simple things you need to realize if you going to devote your life to art

The world is full of great and talented artists, but not all of them make their way to the top.
While relatives and friends tell how great artist you are, and you get tons of positive feedback about your art on facebook and instagram, how can you actually know that point where you can call yourself a professional artist is reached?

No one gets famous in one day, not even in two. It takes years and years of practicing different styles and techniques, learning basic concepts of composition, experimenting with colors, develop your own vision and that's not the end. Today, being an artist means that you also need to be your own manager and promoter, know the market and ways of how to convert your art into money.

The process of creation of a real masterpieces takes time and effort, you can't neglect any part involved in it. As with amount of the artwork done your drawing skills grow, one of the best advises here is too keep every bits of your work, sketches, unfinished drawings, even artworks you failed - all of them is an actual reflection of your growth, keeping it chronologically organized can show you how quick is your pace, or when you had a boost. But it also important for your portfolio and resume.
Reviewing your old work will help you to go through creativity crisis moments and get out of the comfort bubble to try some new techniques, maybe more complicated type of work or completely different style.

There is no giving up! In art you have only one way - to move forward. There's literally no limits in any type of artistic activities, with every year more and more artists implementing standard processes, combine arts and crafts, create completely new techniques. Yes, its a long and tough way to go that has a lot of failures, a lot of things to learn, and even more attempts to create something breathtaking, but in the end, there is nothing more rewarding that ability to see results of all efforts was made.
If you have problems to expand your horizons or get upset with failures too easily - you should consider something else as a profession.

Its always good to be able to handle the critics and be able to learn from it. You should listen to everything is said to you, but never believe it right away. Critics is a good tool to see your own strong  and week sides, the only problem is might be upsetting and actually discouraging for sensitive artists. If you want to go pro, you better grow a few additional skin layers and learn to see if the critics coming from someone who knows what they are talking about or a know-it-all. Always listen to those who might be your potential buyers or more experienced artists, but never - those who have nothing else to do but criticize everything.


Follow your vision. It might take a while, but sooner or later, every artist find their own unique vision and style of creation. You can try any known technique or copy someone else style, but you should always follow your own vision and style. It might take a while, but isn't everyone wants to be unique and not just a copy cat?

No one's perfect. If you ever have a feeling that you are failing, you can't get your art to the desired level or that you are empty on ideas - do not get upset. It's a normal process and happen to everyone every once in a while. There is no human being on this planet that is perfect in everything, those who think they are - far from it. There is a gazillion great art, but when you look closer to it, you might notice that some elements off or not proportional, colors are not so great, and so on. If you see mistakes in your old art - this is what makes you better, it forces you to improve and move further. 

So... never give up, follow your dreams, and don't let any mistakes bring you down! :)