10 Painting Hacks Every Artist Should

Know
March 13, 2016 by Dan Scott 18 Comments

What are your favorite painting hacks?

People often send me photos of their

recent works and ask me how to
improve on the painting. My answer is
more often than not a simple adjustment
that takes very little effort (i.e. a slight
change in composition, addition of a
color or simply using better art
materials).

However, whilst the solution is often

simple, it is certainly not easy to
identify. There are just so many
variables to a painting and it takes years
of experience to pick up issues.

If I am stuck on a painting, I often

spend hours in my bed before I go to
sleep running through the painting
process in my head, including different
color options, what brush strokes to use,
any subjects I should include, etc. I also
do not hesitate to put a painting to the
side if I am having issues with it.

For me, the actual painting process

forms only a small part of the overall
process of creating a painting. My
painting sessions are often quick and
decisive, with long breaks in between.

Claude Monet was widely thought to

rush his paintings with bold and decisive
strokes, but he himself said there was a
deep thought process for all of his
paintings.

Now whilst the best way to learn

painting is just to get out and actually
paint, there is no harm in taking a
shortcut by learning from some of the
common mistakes or pitfalls others have
found whilst learning art.

Here are my top 10 painting hacks.

Table Of Contents [hide]
 Painting Hack 1 - Never paint on a white
canvas
 Painting Hack 2 - Invest in high quality
paint brushes
 Painting Hack 3 - Take a step back from
your painting from time to time, walk
around it, view it from different angles,
hang it in a different light
 Painting Hack 4 - Take progressive
photographs of your painting
 Painting Hack 5 - Use a color checker to
assist your mixing
 Painting Hack 6 - If you are stuck on a
painting, start a new painting and come
back to the one you are stuck on at a
later time
 Painting Hack 7 - Look at your painting
in a mirror
 Painting Hack 8 - Make your reference
photo black and white
 Painting Hack 9 - Use a grid to assist
your proportions
 Painting Hack 10 - Stop tracing and buy
a proportional divider
 Thanks For Reading!
Painting Hack 1 - Never paint on a white canvas

If you are just starting out, I would

suggest you stain your canvas in a dull
tone to give you a more balanced
ground to paint on, rather than trying to
paint on a glaring white canvas. White is
an extreme value to paint directly onto
and it can make it difficult to judge
your values.

If you are more advanced, your

judgment may be accurate enough that
staining the canvas is not necessary.
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Painting Hack 2 - Invest in high quality paint brushes

When I started painting, I was of the

belief the quality of your paint
brush does not matter, but rather how
you use it.
But I was wrong...

There is a massive difference between

poor and high-quality paint brushes in
relation to the handling of paint. Poor
quality paint brushes will not hold much
paint or efficiently apply paint to canvas.
The bristles will also be weak and
deteriorate easily.

On the other hand, high-quality brushes

will be responsive and apply your paint
very efficiently and fluently to your
canvas.

If you are on a limited budget, then

rather than buying a heap of poor
quality brushes (which you will need to
replace very often), invest in a few high
quality brushes and learn how to take
care of them.
Painting Hack 3 - Take a step back from your painting from time to
time, walk around it, view it from different angles, hang it in a
different light

If you stay in one position whilst

painting, you may overlook issues which
can only be picked up from a different
perspective.

Your fans will be viewing your painting

from many angles, not just one. So keep
active whilst painting.

Painting Hack 4 - Take progressive photographs of your painting

This will not only give you an interesting

record of your painting, but will also
provide valuable insights on where you
may be able to improve your painting.

Also, you can look at the progress

photos during the day when you are not
painting (i.e. when you are at work or on
the train) to work out what the next
steps will be with your painting.
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Painting Hack 5 - Use a color checker to assist your mixing

The mind is a powerful thing and can

play many devious tricks on you in
relation to your perception of color. The
colors you think you see are not always
the colors which are actually there.
Our perception of a color can be heavily
influenced by the surrounding
environment.  Say for example you place
a bright orange next to a red color. That
bright orange may not seem nearly as
brilliant as if you placed that same color
next to a dull blue (which is a
complementary color to orange).

We also have preconceived ideas of what

certain objects are meant to look like
which can alter how we perceive a color.
For example, our idea of the sky is that
it is blue. A common problem in
beginner painters is they paint the sky
with too much blue than what is actually
there.

They are painting what they think is

there not what they see.

A short term solution to this is to use a

photo editing program (I strongly
recommend all artists have Photoshop -
affiliate link) to clearly identify the colors
in your reference photo.

You may be surprised at what the color

checker picks up. Try and guess certain
colors in the photo and then assess
yourself with the color checker. This is
not a long term solution though.

The long term solution is to train your

own judgment so that a color checker is
not necessary.

Painting Hack 6 - If you are stuck on a painting, start a new

painting and come back to the one you are stuck on at a later time

The solution to your problem can often

be as simple as a single brush stroke,
but it takes time to realise that. If you
rush through a problem, you will more
often than not overwork the painting.

Painting Hack 7 - Look at your painting in a mirror

This will give you a completely different
perspective of your painting. You will
often be able to see issues which you
may not pick up when standing in front
of your painting.

Painting Hack 8 - Make your reference photo black and white

Value (how light or dark something is) is

widely considered one of the most
important elements of a painting.

If you are painting from a photo, then

you can use photo editing software
(Photoshop - affiliate link) to view your
reference photo in black and white. This
will give you an idea of the value range
of the scene, without having to worry
about color.

If you understand the dominant values

in your scene, then the painting process
will be much smoother.
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I also recommend you purchase some
kind of value finder which you can carry
around with you. These are perfect for
determining values in your reference
whilst you paint (rather than having to
analyse your painting in black and white
after you have finished).

Painting Hack 9 - Use a grid to assist your proportions

You can place a grid over your reference

photo and sketch a proportional grid
onto your canvas. The idea is to try and
match each respective portion of the
grid on your reference to that of your
painting.

However, this is just meant to be a

guide. You will not learn anything if you
just try and copy each segment without
considering the painting as a whole. Use
the grid to help you with the major
structures in your painting but try not to
rely on it.
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You should also invest in a view
finder which you can use to help find
great painting compositions.

Painting Hack 10 - Stop tracing and buy a proportional divider

You will not learn anything from tracing,

so if you are doing this then I suggest
you progress out of it. Whilst tracing
may give you perfectly accurate
perspective and proportions, it will not
actually improve your painting abilities.

If you need some assistance with getting

the right proportions in your painting,
then you should purchase a proportional
divider. Using a proportional divider is in
no way 'cheating'. In fact, it will help you
identify where your judgment is lacking
and will over time improve your
judgment to the extent you may not
even need it.
The Beginner's Guide to Sketching is a book that offers
lots of inspiration and advice for anyone looking to
take their first creative steps or wanting to add a new
piece to their design portfolio. The comprehensive
guide covers everything from choosing the right
drawing tools to understanding shading and value,
adding colour, and creating a finished scene.
If you're a complete novice, you should have a look
at our seven fundamental pencil drawing
techniques and our 100 drawing and painting tips and
tutorials. But if you're ready to go, here some of the
artists that contributed to the Beginner's Guide to
Sketching offer some expert advice to get you off to
a flying start...
01. Avoid smudging

Use an extra piece of paper under your hand to avoid smudging your
work
"When shading, use an extra piece of paper
underneath your hand," advises artist Brun Croes.
"This will minimise the amount your hand smudges
your pencil lines. If you're right-handed, start
shading from left to right; if you're left-handed, start
at the right and move to the left.
"There's nothing more frustrating than trying to make
a clean-looking drawing that loses its brilliance and
value thanks to smudging. Instead, use smudging to
your advantage every now and then to smooth out
shading. You can do this with several tools. I use a
simple piece of tissue paper to get the job done."

02. Create curly hair with simple

lines

Drawing curly hair in four steps

Want to draw curly hair? Illustrator Eva
Widermann suggests these sketching tips: "Draw two
straight vertical lines; these will be your guidelines
for the width and length of the curl. Now loosely
draw a wavy line down between the two lines.
"Double this wavy line a little below the first. You can
already see a curly ribbon forming before you. Now
connect the open parts on the sides, remove the
guidelines, and add some details."

03. Keep some texture

The final image of Patricia's Kangahorse

Designer Patricia Ann Lewis-MacDougall suggests
keeping some texture. "Some artists might find
using watercolour pencils a little on the grainy side;
however I like the added life the grain gives to a
sketch. You don't have to add water over the whole
image. Leave some areas untouched to add a bit of
texture to your sketch."
04. Sketch a sky with smudges

Create subtle shading by smudging large areas of soft charcoal

If you want to sketch a sky, artist Marisa Lewis has
some advice: "Sometimes it's preferable for your
shading to be less sketchy and more smooth and
subtle. Pencil lines don't blend perfectly unless
you're very careful. We don't want a sky full of
scribbles, unless it's on purpose.
"Instead, use spare paper to doodle a big swatch of
soft graphite or charcoal pencil, then use a large
blending stick to pick up the soft dust to use for your
image. Keep using the blending stick and adding
more scribbles as you need more graphite. Using
the same technique, start darkening some areas of
the sky to define the tops of the clouds."

05. Take control of your pencil

Tripod (top) and extended tripod (bottom) grips
Take control of your pencil by holding it correctly,
says illustrator Sylwia Bomba. "If you position your
hand closer to the end of the pencil, you have more
control and precision, but heavier strokes (darker
markings). Gripping further up the pencil will give
you less control and precision, but lighter strokes
(lighter markings)."
06. Use varied lines

Shifts in the width and darkness of your lines will create interest
Use varied lines, says illustrator Rovina Cai. "Not all
lines are equal. Subtle shifts in the width and
darkness of your lines will create a dynamic, visually
interesting drawing. Controlling the kind of mark you
put down can be tricky in the beginning, but with
practice you will be able to create a variety of marks
that work together to make a cohesive image.
Experiment with different pencil grades (from 3H to
6B) and with holding the pencil at different angles."
07. Make characters readable as
silhouettes
If you look at the examples here, it’s clear that the first girl is holding a
mug, but what about the second one? It’s not as clear!
"Have you ever noticed that every important
character in an animation movie is recognisable
from their shadow alone?", says artist Leonardo Sala.
"This magic has a name: the silhouette. The purpose
of finding a strong and interesting silhouette is to
create an easily recognisable character that will
remain clear in the visual memory of the viewer.
"To test out whether your characters are readable as
silhouettes, grab a piece of tracing paper and trace
around your character, filling it in with a solid colour.
A great way to test your silhouettes is to show them
to your friends or colleagues and ask them what
they see."

08. Flip your image with tracing

paper

Flipping the image can help highlight any problems

"A benefit of tracing paper is that you can flip it over
to see how your drawing looks from the reverse
angle," advises artist Justin Gerard. "This can help
reveal errors in proportion. As you work, take
advantage of this in order to arrive at a more
successful drawing."
09. Make it symmetrical (but not
quite)

Keep a nice contrast going between a finished look and a more of a

sketchy feel
"I like symmetrical drawings but they often look
boring all too quickly," says Croes. "A good way to
prevent this is to add some subtle changes and only
keep the general lines symmetrical instead of
mirroring every small part. Keeping some elements
asymmetrical helps to avoid boring repetition."

10. Mix things up with irregular

lines

An example of an illustration using irregular lines

"The use of irregular lines when shading adds a lot
of dynamism to your sketch," Bomba says. "If you
want to create a fresh and unique sketch of a
portrait, architecture, or concept art, you should
definitely use this technique. I use it to sketch
loosely, flat backgrounds (if there is no texture, this
technique will add some), bushes, or grass."
Ever wanted to keep a sketchbook but you
weren’t sure where to start? Or maybe you’ve
been sketching for a long time but need a little
pick me up. Take a look at these 10
sketchbook tips to help you develop your own
sketchbook practice!

1. Make It Yours

A sketchbook doesn’t need to be expensive,

and it doesn’t have to be purchased in an art
store. There are no rules about whether it
needs to be hardbound, wirebound or
softcover, or about what kind of paper is
inside. The important thing is to use the
sketchbook you like, and to make sure the
paper will support your favorite art materials,
whether they’re pencils, pens, paints or
something else.
There are many sketchbook options available. Image courtesy of
Cathy Johnson

Find your favorite sketchbook brand online,

browse through what’s available at your local
stores, make your own book, use whatever
you have lying around, or discover one when
you’re out and about. For that matter, if you
prefer to use a digital tablet, you can go that
route, too! As long as you love it and want to
use it, it’s the sketchbook for you.

2. Keep It Portable

Keeping a portable sketchbook lets you sketch anywhere, anytime. –

Image courtesy of Danny Gregory and Cathy Johnson

Decide what size sketchbook is easiest to

carry around with you. Many people prefer
pocket-sized sketchbooks, while others like
them a little larger. Whatever your preference,
make sure it’s easy for you to transport so
you’ll have the opportunity to sketch anywhere
you go. You can always find a spare minute
standing in line, in a waiting room, or on a
break to sketch something, provided you take
your sketchbook with you when you leave the
house. If you like, you can keep larger
sketchbooks in your home and simply leave
your on-the-go sketchbook in your bag or car
to make sure you never forget it.

3. Relax and Accept Imperfection

Not every page in your sketchbook will come

out exactly the way you plan, and that’s okay.
Don’t be afraid to play around, capture ideas,
or quickly draw what you see. Allow yourself to
simply enjoy the act of sketching and the
process of creating rather than worrying about
the result. After all, if you decide you don’t like
where the page is going, you can always turn
to the next one. But don’t get into the habit of
tearing out pages. Even the things you don’t
like today might later become fodder for a new
idea.

4. Draw Every Day

Use your sketchbook every day, even if it’s

only for a few minutes. Consistent practice will
improve your artistic abilities dramatically.
Your accuracy, speed and visual vocabulary
will improve, and with it your confidence.
Don’t be afraid to experiment in your sketchbook and include things
like stamps, paper or other ephemera. Image courtesy of Cathy
Johnson

5. Experiment

Your sketchbook is a place to experiment and

play around. Try new and unexpected
materials and various styles. Make marks and
messes. Add color, paper or other ephemera
to your pages. Use your sketchbook to
discover what you like and what you don’t.
There are no rules except the ones you
impose on yourself.

Try dividing your sketchbook page into frames for a smaller focus
area. Image courtesy of Noel Rivera

6. Divide the Page

If having an entire blank page to work on feels

too expansive, try breaking down the page into
smaller shapes you can draw within. Post-it
Notes are handy to use as templates. Just
draw around them to get a smaller frame you
can use to focus your sketch. Try filling an
entire sketchbook spread with frames and
capture quick moments or details of objects
instead of trying to reproduce the entire thing.

7. Jumpstart Your Pages

Sometimes we just don’t know what we want

to draw or how we should go about tackling
that dreaded white page. If this causes you to
avoid your sketchbook, try marking up the
pages in advance to take the pressure off.
Paint a few pages for a pop of color, make
random lines to surprise yourself with later, or
let someone else doodle or draw things for you
to work around. If you have a young child, let
them at a page or two with a few crayons.
Once the pages are no longer pristine, you’ll
worry less about making mistakes or playing
around yourself.

Use your sketchbook to test new materials or make swatches. Image

courtesy of Cathy Johnson

8. Use It for Everything

Turn your sketchbook into a constant
companion and use it for everything. You can
doodle or sketch from observation. You can
create patterns or practice hand lettering.
Sketch out concepts for larger art pieces you
want to create, or test art materials. Collect
and attach things you like or don’t want to lose,
like tickets, business cards, leaves or flowers.
Paste in pictures or decorate your pages with
washi tape. You can do anything–everything–
you want to make your sketchbook personal
and useful to you.

And don’t leave your life out of your

sketchbook. Make grocery lists into art. Draw
out your favorite saying. Make an artful
flowchart to plan your next vacation. There is
art in your everyday, so put it in your
sketchbook.

9. Write in Your Sketchbook

Not everything in your sketchbook has to be
an image. You can make notes about
drawings, or just keep notes in general,
including grocery lists, to-do lists or calendars
(wouldn’t they be fun to illustrate later?).

Make notes in your sketchbook about your subject or about other

observations or thoughts. Image courtesy of Jan Blencowe and Cathy
Johnson

Use it as a diary, make lists or collect quotes.

Write down things that inspire you,
observations you make and snippets of
dialogue you overhear. Create a list of artists
you love, techniques you want to try or things
you want to practice. Keep websites you like to
visit or that have resources you find useful.
Make lists of artists you draw inspiration from,
social media feeds and Pinterest board ideas.
There are dozens of ways to utilize writing in
your sketchbook, so don’t be afraid to include
it.

10. Date Every Page

Be sure you date each page in your

sketchbook. This will help you see your
progression over time, and it will create a
visual record of each year. Going back to look
at the places you went, the materials you tried,
and the drawings or paintings you liked (or
didn’t) will be a rewarding experience and may
even spark new creative ideas. And while
you’re at it, don’t forget to sign your pages,
too!

Ultimately, how you use your sketchbook is up

to you, but the most important thing to
remember is that your sketchbook should be
personal and useful. It should be exciting to
take out and play in your sketchbook, so
loosen up, do what you enjoy and let yourself
be inspired by the things you create.

Artist’s Sketchbook

Every artist should keep a travel sketchbook! It

is a great way to journal any journey. Get
inspired by ten artists who do just that
in Artist’s Sketchbook eBook. You’ll be ready
to start your own as soon as you delve in — so
keep yours at hand now that you have
(hopefully) been inspired by all these
sketchbook tips!
 12 pro tips to improve your
artistic composition
By Dan Dos Santos February 12, 2018 Digital art  

From the Golden Ratio to implied lines, Dan

Dos Santos shows you his favourite tricks for
creating strong compositions.
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A strong composition is crucial to a successful piece of
art. It's what attracts a viewer's eye, and what holds their
attention once they take a closer look.
It can mean the difference between an action-packed
piece of art and a solemn, contemplative one. But how do
you make a composition convey the mood you want, and
what is it that makes a composition successful?
There are a many long-standing rules regarding what
makes a good composition, such as the Golden Ratio, the
Golden Spiral and the Rule of Thirds. But in my opinion
they aren't really rules at all...
Think of them as suggestions… or better yet, as optional
templates. Traditional methods like these are just one
answer to a problem which has an infinite number of
solutions. Their purpose is just to offer a simple method
for an artist to use to make a more pleasing image.

By creating strong lines for the eyes to follow, you can decide what path
you want people to take

I'll discuss some of these techniques, explain why they're

successful and how you can use that knowledge to make a
better image.
To begin, all you really need to know is this: a good
composition is nothing more than a pleasing arrangement
of shapes, colours and tones. That's simple enough really.
Chances are, most of you can make a good composition
with your eyes closed.
But we don't want good compositions, we want great
compositions! We want to be masters of composition,
bending it to our will. In order to do that, we need to
understand the basic properties of composition...

01. The basics

The root of all composition lies in relationships. Look at

the image above. Although it's technically a composition,
it's not a very successful one. The viewer doesn't know
where to look, nor is there any sense of flow to the image.
By altering one of these squares, even slightly, I've
created a much more successful composition in the
second image. As simple as the image is, it already has a
sense of motion, and depth. How?

Through relationships. By causing a disparity between the

shapes, I've given the viewer a means by which they can
compare those shapes. "This one is bigger, that one is
lighter." The grey square appears to be moving and
receding only when compared to the black square.
The process of comparing these shapes requires that the
viewer moves their eyes repeatedly around the canvas,
and therein lies the true goal of a great composition:
controlling that eye movement.

02. The Golden Ratio

Let's look at the Golden Ratio. The idea was started by the
ancient Greeks, who were strong believers in the Platonic
concept of ideals.
They believed that all things, both tangible and intangible,
have a perfect state of being that define them.
They also felt that one should always strive toward
achieving this ideal state, be it in mathematics, one's
physique, politics or aesthetics.
Like implied lines and contrasting values, colour can
be used to draw the viewer's eye to anywhere we want
Greek mathematicians, after repeatedly seeing similar
proportions in nature and geometry, developed a
mathematical formula for what they considered an ideal
rectangle: a rectangle whose sides are at a 1:1.62 ratio.
They felt that all objects whose proportions exhibited this
were more pleasing, whether a building, a face or a work
of art. To this day, books and even credit cards still
conform to this ideal.

03. The Rule of Thirds

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This states that if you divide any composition into thirds,

vertically and horizontally, then place the key elements of
your image either along these lines or at the junctions of
them. You'll achieve a more pleasing arrangement. But
does it work?
Let's look at Edmund Dulac's painting, The Little
Mermaid: The Prince Asked Who She Was (above).
Dulac was great at using empty space to his advantage,
partly because he tended to abide by the Rule of Thirds.
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Here Dulac has placed the column and the horizon line
perfectly along a line of thirds. But what if he didn't?
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With the column and horizon line in the centre of the
image, the result is less successful. The column dominates
the image, stealing focus away from the figures.
The viewer's eye is now glued to this strong shape that
bisects the canvas, instead of wandering around the image
like it originally did.

04. How the rules work

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The Rule of Thirds works because it demands that the

artist makes one element more dominant than another.
This dominance creates an imbalance, and an imbalance
of any sort will always attract the viewer's eye.
Bisecting an image perfectly in half creates the least
amount of interest, because everything is equally
balanced.
Look back at those black and grey squares. The first
composition is boring because it's too balanced. Making
one area of your composition more dominant creates
tension, and therefore adds interest. It also makes your
eyes move around the canvas more to compare all of these
relationships.
The fact that the composition is divided into precise thirds
is really of minimal significance. You could divide a
composition in fourths, fifths or even tenths. So long as
there's some sort of imbalance, the composition will
exhibit tension. As you'll soon see, this concept of
imbalance applies to many aspects of composition,
including value and colour.

05. Implied lines

These are probably the most important aspect of a

composition, because you notice them first. When
painting realistically, there's no actual line around a
subject.
The illusion of a contour is a result of different values and
colours contrasting. But even the impression of a line is
strong, and our eyes will go to it and follow its length
until it ends, or until it meets another line, which we'll
follow again. A great composition makes strong use of
this natural attraction to lines.
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By creating strong lines for the eyes to follow, we can

decide what path we want people to take and where we
want that path to end. In this painting you can see a strong
contour that follows along the cape, down the woman's
arm, to our subject's face, down her arm, and then back up
to the cape.
This creates a circular current that keeps the viewer's eyes
flowing around the composition, holding their attention.
That current also brings their eyes past every key element
of the painting, one at a time.
And don't forget, whether you're working for print or for
websites, the borders of your composition are an implied
line, too.

06. Reinforcing those focal points

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As well as using implied lines to draw the eye all around a

composition, you can use the same method to make
someone look immediately at your chosen focal point.
In fact, you can do it repeatedly, from multiple directions.
This is particularly useful when your image is a portrait or
a pin-up, and the character's face is the most important
element.
To bring more attention to a particular character, try to
make surrounding objects, such as arms, swords and
buildings, point to your subject. You can also use implied
lines to frame the subject's face, locking the viewer's eyes
in place
We asked artists "What's the best piece of art-
related advice you've been given?" and received
an incredible amount of valuable feedback that's
worth reading through. You may just find the
inspiration or breakthrough tidbit you've
been looking for. 
There were many themes that repeated
themselves, so first we pulled out a few of the
main highlights. 
HIGHLIGHTS:

 PRACTICE, PRACTICE,
PRACTICE: Draw something every day,
even if it's just a doodle. Keep all your
artwork even if you don't like it so you can see
the improvement over time. 
 DON'T COMPARE: Looking at other artists
for inspiration is great, but don't compare your
work to others and let it get you down.
 Everyone has their own unique, individual
style. Everyone is also at a different stage in
their artistic journey. 
 USE QUALITY MATERIALS: Practicing
and developing art skills is important, but to
take artwork to the next level, make sure
you're using quality materials and the right
mediums on the right surfaces. It will make a
difference in the outcome of your work. See
our helpful Paper Media Guide that tells you
which mediums work best on which papers. 
 EXPERIMENT: Try different styles,
mediums, surfaces and subjects until you find
what works best for you. Once you find your
groove, you'll enjoy the process of making art
more which will be reflected in your work.
 BE PERSISTENT & DON'T GIVE
UP: This can be tied to the first piece of
advice about practicing, but the more you keep
at it, the better you'll get. Not every piece you
make will be a masterpiece, but keep trying
and you'll see improvement over time. Also
 don't give up on a piece. You may think it's
not working, but often it's just not finished yet.
Don't be discouraged by the early stages!
 DRAW FOR YOU: Draw what makes you
happy and what you're interested in, not what
you think others want to see. Sticking to
subjects, themes and mediums that are
appealing to you will result in a more
enjoyable experience. 
 HAVE FUN: Art is fun! Enjoy the process!
Without further ado, here is the full list of
advice we received:
Take your time.
It’s the process, not the product that counts.
Always make time for your passions.
I had a teacher that told me to stop outlining
everything.... I chose to ignore and still outline to
this day.
There are no mistakes in art if you're happy with
the product.
Don’t give up even if you think others are better
than you. Your style is unique the way it is
because it doesn’t look like anyone else’s.
Are you drawing to please other people or are you
drawing what you feel, for yourself?
Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.
Work big and use all your space!
Comparison is crippling.
Don’t compare yourself to others, everyone
expresses themselves differently.
Create what you want to create and find a market
for it. Do not create to fit the market. This goes for
everyone who creates.
Keep going. The only thing that can make you
improve is you. And don’t be afraid to try new
things!
The best way to learn to draw is to start drawing.
My father always said "it's not the tools that
makes the artist. The Artist can make art out of
anything" Although tools certainly help!
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards
for very long. We keep moving forward, opening
up new doors and doing new things… and
curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” –
Walt Disney
Draw what interests you, you'll improve much
faster. Don't just draw what you think will please
others. Also don't compare your start to someone
else's finish; you're at different points in your
journey, so of course your levels will be different.
Practice. That simple.
Progress does not make perfect. Perfect is never
accomplished, improvement is always possible.
Don't be perfect. Enjoy the journey. And volume,
volume, volume.
When you find a paper you love, buy as much as
you can afford! There's nothing more frustrating
than finding the perfect surface, only to find out
you can't get it anymore.
Don't compare yourself to other artists. You can
never be them, because they are unique, as are
you. You will develop your own style with
practice.
An artist creates art first and foremost for
him/herself. So create, create because you must
and create because it's who you are.
Art is like a puzzle, you need to fit all of the
pieces together to create the final image.
Where is the light coming from? Draw
accordingly.
"Try it"...and I love it! I have changed a lot in my
technique over the years...all because my dad told
me to try an art class that I felt was above me. I'm
glad I listened. It only helped me!
There are no rules in art!
Find inspiration, but make art your own.
It's not what you can make; it's what you can fix.
Even a 15 min sketch a day will help you
improve. 15 minutes is nothing if you really have
the passion for this.
As basic as it is, practice! Also, don't be afraid to
set one project aside when you’re feeling
stumped... work on several projects and keep
switching whenever you feel discouraged. Once
you come back to it you'll feel refreshed and can
look at it with fresh eyes!
Never stop making art!
Always make a swatch for every new paper you
get.
Create the things that you wish existed!
Practice everyday.
Comparison is the thief to joy.
Inspiration is everywhere. You don't need to
search for long and follow your gut feeling when
you get the urge to make art!
See mistakes as happy accidents that challenge
you to incorporate them into your work.
Learn to draw basic shapes in space accurately.
Nothing is a mistake, only happy accidents.
Finished, complete, and perfect are all different
goals.
Always go for more expensive materials. I used
basic paper and pencils for years and it was only
when I went for higher quality materials that I
realized my own potential and how much easier I
could make it for myself. You get what you pay
for, as they say.
1. Experiment. Always. Try all different tools and
surfaces until you find the best fit for you and
your art. 2. Don't overwork pieces. When your gut
first tells you it's done, it's probably time to put the
pencils/brush down. 3. Don't be too hard on
yourself and measure your work by artists you
admire. 4. Enjoy what you make.
A Professor told me once that 75% of the time
spent on a painting should be looking at your
subject and "seeing".
1. Work, work, work. Improvement doesn't come
over night but through hours of work. 2.
Sometimes you need to be ok with sucking in
order to get better. 3. Don't get too caught up in
details that you miss the overall
composition/concept. Your composition needs to
be interesting in order to draw the viewer in. 4.
Put yourself out there. Try new things and don't
get stuck in a style early on in the game. Emulate
other artist's work and figure out what works for
you. 5. Reference, reference, reference. I used to
think I was a bad artist because I couldn't draw
without reference. Come to find out that using
references is vital to making your work come alive
and bring accuracy and realism into it.
Never compare your art to someone else's. The
road to learning is hard and requires the will to
keep at it. Sometimes frustration at not being as
good as someone you admire holds you back. That
piece of advice freed me.
Darker Darks, lighter lights.
Just create. Set aside time to make something.
Make time to be creative.
Use big sheets of paper, draw negative space,
practice.
Draw something every day. EVERY day.
Dedication is key and practice is what creates an
artist.
Do your best, do your worst, just do something.
While I think expensive art tools and materials do
make a difference.... always have a large cheap
sketchbook or paper. You'll be more inclined to be
experimental and think less about money. Also
don't point out mistakes after a compliment.
Accept the compliment :).
Draw everyday! You'll only get better from where
you are now!
When drawing a face look for the darkest parts
and draw them first.
There's enough red tape in life, create whatever
makes you happy. Don't worry about what other
people think of it.
Try quick pen sketches and sketch everything you
see in pen.
Learn to draw with your eraser. And one of my
life quotes - everyone starts somewhere, so begin
where you are.
Art is what you make of it. It's not perfection or
being a certain way or using certain materials. It's
laying your soul to paper and forgoing the rest.
Try a 5 minute sketch challenge: Draw without
lifting up your pencil or using an eraser.
Don't throw any image you create away, even if
you hate it and it's terrible. You'll only see the
improvements you've made when you look back at
them.
I was self-taught, and the most important thing is
that practice makes perfect! Everyone has a piece
that they end up hating, or isn’t great, but it
doesn't mean you’re a bad artist! Art is unique and
you have to find what works for you.
Just keep swimming.
Be a CONSCIOUS learner. Really understand
what you are doing wrong or right. You won't
improve if you keep doing what you've always
known how to do. Also if you're good at
something, never do it for free.
Never compare your art to other people's art;
compare your art to previous projects, that's the
only way you can improve & grow, from YOUR
art.
Art is not what you see but what you make others
see.
The best art advice I've been given so far was to
start using the Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Plate.
When I started using this, my art changed
dramatically. Love this paper for my art.
Study values and shapes of the values.
Become okay with asking for critiques... it will
help you become better at what you are creating.
Draw what you see and not what you know. Treat
everything you're drawing as if you're seeing it for
the first time.
Learn how to see your own art through the eyes of
a critic, draw what you see not what you know,
don't compare yourself to other people, always
keep drawing no matter how many people hate it
or how many people see it, always keep
improving.
Do not point out the flaws in your work. What
you've done is ruin the viewers pleasure of liking
the work. They didn't notice it and loved it, now
it's spoiled for them. Just smile and say thank you.
There is no box.
Keep going and don't give in.
Draw every day and don't give up! 
To improve, increase your failure rate.
Practice, practice, practice.
Don't think. Do.
When drawing a portrait, look at the image upside
down or in a mirror to check proportions
Use the best products you can afford.
That Strathmore paper is the best!!! (We had to
keep this one on the list!). 
Draw what you see, not what you want to see.
Fun is the number one ingredient - it shows in
your work.
Do not judge your artwork against others. We all
have different styles of art and no one style is
better.
Don't pay attention too much on details, "less is
more".
Don't compare to despair; admire to inspire!
Loosen up and let it flow ~ don't force your
creativity.
Don't be afraid to waste a painting.
Keep going. Sometimes, when I think a piece I am
working on is bad, it just isn't finished.
Save your old work so you can look back and see
how much you have grown as an artist.
Paint what you see not what you think you are
supposed to see.
Don't compare your artworks to others. Everyone
is learning at a different rate.
You're only as good as you are right now in that
moment, we all get better the more we work, so
keep creating more artwork rather than perfecting
just one artwork. What looks perfect now may not
look so perfect later. Basically don't be a
perfectionist.
You can do anything if you try.
Push past the ugly /disjointed stage of a painting...
Everything comes together after that stage.
Have a point of view; refine it and defend it. That
speaks to me to keep my art authentic.
Practice, Practice. Practice.
Make stuff, fail, try again, practice, repeat. Do it
for you.
People criticize my style but it took me years to
find it. Don't let other opinions kill you.
Only draw on days you eat.
The real beauty of art appears through
imperfections.
It is perfectly okay to create something just for
yourself. You have the right to just want that one
piece or pieces that are for you and you alone.
Sharing it is not obligatory.
Practice, practice, practice. Practice some more.
Not every piece of art you make is going to be a
masterpiece and that's ok. Create, create, and
create some more.
Never compare your work to others.
Don't wish to be better. Practice!
Whenever sharpening a pencil by hand, turn the
sharpener, not the pencil. Save your pencils &
your sanity.
Make 100 more.
Just keep making art, no matter the quality or
subject. Always keep at it, never stop. Make it a
part of your life, like eating.
Look at the spaces between objects in a still life.
Create every day, even if it is merely a doodle.
Take a little from everything that you look at and
experience in art and make it yours.
Spend the money on quality supplies- it's not
worth it in the end to try and force levels of
quality that inferior or cheap cannot give.
Use the tools in combination with the surfaces
they are designed for.
Always stand back from your work.
Learn from the artist but never copy.
Draw. Draw everything you see.
Don’t quit.
Draw every day.
The only thing I was told was to keep doing what
you're doing. You have a style that's very unique
and don't stop.
Last but not least:
Don't drink your paint water.