Art isn't always the fun, relaxing hobby that everyone thinks it is. If you take your art seriously, sometimes art can be hard. Artists can't just google the answer to our problems and we can't pull out a calculator when we want to speed up the process. We are left to face the difficulties of making art on our own. I am here to remove some worries with my 4 step guide to overcoming the common challenges we artists face.
1. Artists block
Artist block is something very common amongst us artists. When you want to create but you just can't figure out what. When I experience this I tend to turn to other forms of art for inspiration. Poetry, music, and even dance. Many of my paintings have been inspired by books I have read. One example is the book The subtle art of not giving a fuck by Mark
Manson. This book was beautifully written and as I was reading it one of the lines really stood out to me. It said,“ Pain is an inextricable thread in the fabric of life, and to tear it out is impossible but also destructive”. I was instantly inspired by this quote and could visually see my next painting, thus this quote inspired my painting unraveling (image on the right ). My advice to artists is that your creative juices need to be replenished. You have to take a day off from creating and instead observe and learn.
2. Finding your art style
If you want to take your art more seriously, I advise you to find your unique art style. Since artists are usually free-spirited people, sticking to one art style can be very daunting. I promise you it is not as bad as it sounds and will help develop your artistic identity. To find your art style you first have to experiment with different styles, mediums, and techniques. Examine your art process. The things you don't like to do, just remove them. You should enjoy every step of your art process. Next, Your style should include a part of you. If you are a POC you might want to paint people of color. If you are a women's rights advocate, include empowering components in your work. With more and more experimentation, your art style will start to form. For a more detailed guide on finding your art style, read my last blog post below.
3. Art Supply Can be Very Expensive
Yes! Art supply is very expensive. But there are ways to save money and I'm more than happy to share that with you. So a lot of art is experimenting, practicing, and learning. My favorite life hack for saving money on this is going to thrift stores and finding old canvases. Then I take a good quality gesso like this one and give the canvases two coats of gesso. Now, this might not be something you want to do for a final piece, but if you're just practicing your technique or mastering a new skill this can save you a lot of money. Another life hack of mine is for my oil painters. Oil paint can be very expensive especially if you like to paint thick. My advice is to save on the oil painting by painting the first couple of layers of your painting with acrylic paint. Then, apply the oil paint as your final layer and you won't be able to tell the difference. I must warn you to never use oil under acrylic because it will cause the painting to chip. I hope your painting looks beautiful and your pockets even nicer.
4. Creating a body of work
A body of work in art is like a series. A collection of paintings that follow a theme or the same central idea. I have struggled with this because it's very hard for me to stick to one theme, and expand it amongst different paintings. My first tip is to choose a broad theme like emotions, seasons, and love. The more general you get the easier it will be to expand on it. Then create sub-themes and those will be your individual paintings. So for example, if your theme is weather seasons, your sub-themes can be Fall, winter, spring, and summer. You will then go on to create paintings of those sub-themes and that will create your body of work. I am in the process of creating my series of work. You can check out my portfolio at the link below.
I hope you have found helpful my guide to making art easier. I wish you all a happy and peaceful art-making. Subscribe to my Newsletter for updates, and my Tik-Tok, Pinterest. and Instagram for other art content!
Ashley Garcia
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