Inspiration and Learning in Art
There are many important aspects to doing art, but there are two I’ve been focusing on these last few weeks. One is my personal skill, the other how I find inspiration. In my time of doing art, I’ve found both these topics are generally difficult to discuss for both are deeply personal to the artists’ themselves.
‘Skill’ is very subjective, and especially for the audience who looks at your art. One person may easily agree with the statement: “Pablo Picasso was a skilful artist and a great influencer in the world of art.” Others, however, may be of the view that Picasso’s art was gloomy, too abstract or a jumbled mess. Both, so to speak, are critics. All the different opinions and suggestions, from friends and family and all those you share your art with, can get overwhelming. But, in this blog, when I am referring to ‘skill’, I actually mean your own personal view of your art. Are there things you want to improve? Can you spot the things you can improve upon in your previous drawings and think of positive ways to better yourself the next time you draw or paint? What do you really like and enjoy about the way you approach art? These are all questions you can ask yourself to find out what your personal view of your art ‘skill’ is. However, I encourage you to answer the questions as positively as possible. Negativity is known for killing the will to learn, as well as our second important topic for this blog, inspiration.
‘Inspiration’ and how to find it is possibly one of the biggest topics in art to discuss. It goes hand in hand with learning and building upon your current skills, and is often viewed as the core motivator in the life of an artist. I’ve recently learnt two new skills, namely polystyrene-carving and sewing on a whim simply because I got inspired to start costume making. Without inspiration, art seems dead and even pointless. I think it is important for artists to know what inspires them. Do you really enjoy a specific style of art? Is there a T.V show, video game or book that inspires you to be creative? Do specific art mediums or supplies inspire you to draw, paint and create more? The answers to these questions can further help you find out what inspires you, and help you to keep inspired while you create.
Inspiration creates motivation. Understanding this can help you learn more, create more and set the course for your journey as an artist. The joy I’ve gained in what I fondly think of as my ‘art voyage’ is something I love to share with others. Recently I’ve decided to further share what inspires me and what I’ve learnt with others by hosting monthly art courses. The purpose of these courses is to create a place where people can be inspired, share their art journey with others and where artists can learn from one another. Each month deals with a new and exciting medium. February, being the month of my birthday, I’ve decided to do a course about Copic Markers. This will be a good way for beginners to learn new things about the medium, as well as serve as an overview about Copic Markers and how to use them for people who have never used markers. The topic for the course, as to encourage out-of-the-box thinking, will be ‘Eye Spy’. Keep in mind that for the optional included art supply package for the course there will only be two markers included, so try keeping the idea simplistic enough to do with only two markers.
