Have you bought into the PracticeMakesProgress trend? Today's video asks a difficult question: WHAT are you practicing? And hey, if you want to practice acorns with me, the project details and supply guide are here: www.vanillaarts.com/blog/practice-acorn
Thank you for the point about how sketchbooks aren’t supposed to be perfect. Because social media always portrays their sketchbooks as “perfect”, it makes me feel bad when I just give up on a drawing because it’s not going well and move on. And that reminder of, “you’re going to have good-great art days where everything falls into place with relative ease, and sometimes you’ll have bad art days, but each art day is important” is something I really need to keep in mind. So thank you for this video. I’m also planning on building my Copic collection after watching your videos ❤ ( I just found you the other day )
Man... you're really good at shining light on uncomfortable truths and putting words to things I might have felt but never thought about enough to really elaborate on.
I had an art teacher for one term at a school before I moved and even though I was only 11 and I'm now several decades on from then, I still remember her and the amount she taught me and how fast my skills improved. She was the only art teacher that actually taught me skills and explained things, all the rest were just "grab some paper, have a go". We never learned techniques, how to use different materials, it was literally just practice with nothing to underpin it or focus it. She also used to read to us while we worked which was so lovely.
She sounds amazing. How fortunate you were to not only take her classes but take them at a young and important age. Thanks for sharing, you've given me something to think about.
So incredibly true! Thank you! I grew so much when I dedicated a couple sketchbooks just to messy practice and started things like gesture drills. Everyone should watch this video! ❤
Yes!!! My gestural figure sketchbooks were always the most embarrassing and I always felt really, really, really bad for the models when they caught glances at our hack jobs on their way out of the room. Learning is such an ugly process, LOL.
Excellent message that translates to any medium! I’m not a marker or colored pencil artist but your video came across my home page and I’m so glad I watched. It’s so easy to go down a tutorial rabbit hole and think you are learning all the things but in reality learn very little. Thank you for the enlightenment!!!
Great point! Rabbit holes are seductive because with very little effort, it feels like you’re going somewhere. Thanks for adding to the conversation!!!
Amy, that's so true. I would invest every cent in one of your courses again. They are excellently methodically prepared, very encouraging, full of humor, full of valuable knowledge and you get honest feedback. A lot of thought goes into the preparation, certainly also with the free videos like this one. I'm a huge fan. Why? Simply because you are educated in what you teach and - even better - you can teach it. Chapeau! Guys, book one of Amy's classes. To be, or not to be, that is no question here. You can see it in the growing number of subscribers. There is content here that really has value.
Awesome! I expected more pushback on it but perhaps people are getting used to me saying the quiet part out loud now, LOL Pssstttt... your black Frenchie portrait is beautiful!
Thank you for your honesty. I’ve seen plenty TH-camrs shilling. And your practice advice is applicable to any endeavor. In my sport we say “embrace the eww”. If you’re comfortable, you’re doing it wrong.
Great video. I always learn something from you. I find myself returning and rewatching your videos on specific aspects of coloring to better understand what you said and what you meant, then try to follow your advice.
I've been looking for local art classes for years, and haven't been able to find any. Everything around here is geared toward kids...and of course that's great, childhood is when our brains are most elastic and it's a great time to start learning! But adults still like learning, and it sucks that there aren't more classes for us! I've tried books and videos, but what I desperately need is someone to look at what I'm doing and show me what I'm missing, or how to fix it. I know it's not necessary to have someone else show me, but it's how I've always learned best!
I think this is a topic that everyone has to understand for themselves. I am guilty of this kind of "practise" because I didn't know any better. Today I would call it playing. And that is the most satisfying when I accidentally find a solution to a coloring problem. Real training is hard, frustrating and sometimes boring. It can also seem very time-consuming. But most of the time it is actually time-saving. One of the problems for beginners is finding good video tutorials and weeding out the ones that don't help you. The other difficulty is being honest with yourself and realizing what you need right now. It also takes time to see your own mistakes or accept what the teacher tells you. Sometimes you can't do that until weeks, months or even years later. I always stand there and think, "Why didn't I see that back then?" Even with works that I was initially happy with. The answer: experience. I wish I had discovered you sooner. especially this video. 😮💨But wait... I have seen videos of yours before. but it didn't leave such a lasting impression. I guess I wasn't ready to hear what you can teach us all🙄 nowadays I am so grateful for your way of telling the sometimes uncomfortable truth. I like your way of expressing it even if I don't like the matter. I never feel humiliate, but that you care about passing on your knowledge. I usually manage to accept and internalize what you have to say. nowadays I am so grateful for your way of telling the sometimes uncomfortable truth. I like your way of expressing it even if I don't like the matter. I never feel patronized, but that you care about passing on your knowledge. I usually manage to accept and internalize what you have to say
Thank you so much. I appreciate such detailed feedback and hearing your experience. I think you've also suggested a very good video topic here, the whole "Why didn't I see that back then?" is an excellent topic worth exploring. Thanks!
When did the definition of practice get so corrupted? Practice is when we take a new to us technique and put it through its paces, pushing it to the limits, and developing muscle memory. If people are just repeating stuff they alredy know, that ain't practice, that's repeating.
I have a theory-- I could be totally wrong but the timing fits-- the confusion has always simmered in the adult coloring community but it really started to blossom during Covid lockdowns. You're not dinkin' around with a coloring book if you're !!Practicing!! I do think people are earnest about it but there's a definite gap between the art community and the coloring community. Many terms have gotten twisted in translation and the concept of practice is a big one.
@AmyShulke could be. I alway think of music when I hear the word practice. If a person is playing a song they alredy know, they aren't practicing. But they are still adding beauty to the world. Same with art.
Nebulous "practise" is one thing I warned some people about in a basic overview of learning art - I encouraged them to identify the specific aspect they wanted to improve on and focus on that. Athletes don't do generic exercises to build up their skills - they have specific routines and training to build up specific and key areas of focus. If they're lacking in one area, they will do training drills to develop that skill Thinking on it, training drills is probably a far better phrase than practise 😄 My goal is to get better at rendering works - not necessarily in the perfect photorealistic sense, but to develop a better understanding of form, shape, lighting, and shade. Am I using markers and coloured pencil for that? Yes because I've identified that those are the most tactile for my learning, and also loops in lessons on doing underpaintings, blocking out colours, and then refining and adding detail to them all I hope that (aside from a few test swatches and notes) the _entire_ sketchbook I've reserved for this will be filled up with an assortment of foods, properly rendered, and showing progress
Yes! It's the depth one goes, not the distance. "The old master asks the confident student, 'do you really have ten years of experience, or a year of experience ten times?'"
Hello! So glad I found this channel! I have lots of watercolor paint and Faber Castell pencils. I saw a botanical artist, Wendy Hollender, who uses watercolor paint and pencils. Love her work, however, it's way too complicated for me as a beginner. Since I have invested in these materials, I want to use them and not buy the markers. Would your courses work for me using watercolor and pencil?
Most of my marker techniques are borrowed directly from watercolor. They're both transparent mediums so the color concepts generally apply. I have an advanced group where about 1/3 of the students use watercolor instead of marker. However, you stated that you're a beginner and for that reason, I recommend you find a beginner watercolor instructor instead of taking my classes. I don't teach anything about brush strokes, water control, or palette mixing which are all key things to master in watercolor. Later when you're getting consistent results from watercolor, then my classes will be easier for you to modify for watercolor.
I think you’re wondering about the unpainted pencil? Prismacolor Dark Purple can turn hot pink when it contacts pencils with white pigment in the formula. I substitute Derwent Lightfast “Purple” or “Violet” for Dark Purple. In this video, I was using Violet.
I feel like this should be "DUH" but obviously I've been struggling with what practice is when it comes to painting. I am 42 and just starting to take art seriously. It's been my love my whole life but always gave up when it got too hard. I started drawing and taking skillshare classes in June of this year. (so I'm not far into my process) I have learned a lot in the terms of what I like to do and what I don't, in drawing more of what I actually see, how to mute colors, and more about color theory. I'm finally to a point where I think I know what I want to create.....landscapes and maybe adding structures. Practicing painting is so overwhelming. I always thought I needed to paint an entire picture to practice a landscape but now I can see how to break it up to really get the best results. Like I said seems "duh". LOL!!!
Yes! When a musician practices, they don't keep playing the whole entire song. Instead we isolate the areas where we struggle and repeat those sections until they flow. Thanks for the comment, I love it when people add great info to the conversation!
Hear hear! Well said! Anyone who has ever learned a musical instrument knows that just sitting down and playing around on the instrument, or even playing through a piece of music the same way you always do, is NOT practice. Practice involves familiarising yourself with a certain way of doing things and deliberate exploration +/- correction. It involves development of NEW neural pathways and strengthening of them. It involves self assessment and deliberate variation to change (?improve) the outcome …
I think some of it might be down to influencer culture constantly promoting new products. Its hard to practice when you are constantly being tempted to buy a new set of pens or a different type of pencil, so practicing then becomes 'trying a new thing' rather than learning a new skill or developing an exisiting one. And as soon as you're done with one thing, there's a new set of pens out - time to practice your art with these shiny new tools! It could also be a shift in meaning. Doctors practice medicine, which is more akin to applying the use of a skill than atempting to develop proficiency in it. But that definition doesnt really make sense for #practicemakesperfect or whatever the hashtags are.
Excellent point. If you're promoting art supplies, your practice journal is more like a demo journal. I also love your point about a physician's practice. Great comments! I always kinda chuckle whenever I see #practicemakesprogress because you can just tell it was invented by someone who wasn't making headway with their practice. "Hey, let's move the goal posts so we can keep promoting practice!"
Great video. So true . I always think the same. I only call practice, when i tried to achieve sometime special. My practice sheets are always messy. Thanks for telling me, I always ask myself "why my practice sheets don't look so good, like the other artists ones? " now know
Love your videos but had to stop watching because of the background music. Too much of a distraction. Great content, great music, - but not both at the same time please.
Have you bought into the PracticeMakesProgress trend? Today's video asks a difficult question: WHAT are you practicing? And hey, if you want to practice acorns with me, the project details and supply guide are here: www.vanillaarts.com/blog/practice-acorn
Thank you for the point about how sketchbooks aren’t supposed to be perfect. Because social media always portrays their sketchbooks as “perfect”, it makes me feel bad when I just give up on a drawing because it’s not going well and move on. And that reminder of, “you’re going to have good-great art days where everything falls into place with relative ease, and sometimes you’ll have bad art days, but each art day is important” is something I really need to keep in mind. So thank you for this video. I’m also planning on building my Copic collection after watching your videos ❤ ( I just found you the other day )
It's such a roller coaster ride, right? Exuberant highs and soul crushing lows, sometimes all in the same session.
@@xx_robotkrew_xx1446 Me too! Just discovered this gem of a person. Speaks truth! Dispels myths!
Man... you're really good at shining light on uncomfortable truths and putting words to things I might have felt but never thought about enough to really elaborate on.
That's me, the ant at every picnic. Thanks for watching!
I had an art teacher for one term at a school before I moved and even though I was only 11 and I'm now several decades on from then, I still remember her and the amount she taught me and how fast my skills improved. She was the only art teacher that actually taught me skills and explained things, all the rest were just "grab some paper, have a go". We never learned techniques, how to use different materials, it was literally just practice with nothing to underpin it or focus it. She also used to read to us while we worked which was so lovely.
She sounds amazing. How fortunate you were to not only take her classes but take them at a young and important age. Thanks for sharing, you've given me something to think about.
I learn so much more from taking a class
Me too! And it's usually not what I expected to learn going in.
This was a very insightful video. Thanks!😊
Awesome, I love it when a video hits someone at exactly the right time. Thanks for watching and the feedback.
So incredibly true! Thank you! I grew so much when I dedicated a couple sketchbooks just to messy practice and started things like gesture drills. Everyone should watch this video! ❤
Yes!!! My gestural figure sketchbooks were always the most embarrassing and I always felt really, really, really bad for the models when they caught glances at our hack jobs on their way out of the room. Learning is such an ugly process, LOL.
Excellent message that translates to any medium! I’m not a marker or colored pencil artist but your video came across my home page and I’m so glad I watched. It’s so easy to go down a tutorial rabbit hole and think you are learning all the things but in reality learn very little. Thank you for the enlightenment!!!
Great point! Rabbit holes are seductive because with very little effort, it feels like you’re going somewhere. Thanks for adding to the conversation!!!
Amy, that's so true. I would invest every cent in one of your courses again. They are excellently methodically prepared, very encouraging, full of humor, full of valuable knowledge and you get honest feedback. A lot of thought goes into the preparation, certainly also with the free videos like this one.
I'm a huge fan. Why? Simply because you are educated in what you teach and - even better - you can teach it. Chapeau!
Guys, book one of Amy's classes. To be, or not to be, that is no question here. You can see it in the growing number of subscribers. There is content here that really has value.
Wow! Thank you D, for such a glowing review! So glad you're watching.
FINALLY someone said it!! Loved this video and you are a beautiful artist by the way. The most true and honest video on the WWW hands down
Awesome! I expected more pushback on it but perhaps people are getting used to me saying the quiet part out loud now, LOL Pssstttt... your black Frenchie portrait is beautiful!
Oh thanks nice of you to say💜
Thank you for your honesty. I’ve seen plenty TH-camrs shilling. And your practice advice is applicable to any endeavor. In my sport we say “embrace the eww”. If you’re comfortable, you’re doing it wrong.
Love it! I think I'll steal "Embrace the ewww." That's perfect!
@ Steal away! I love your tutelage. Valuable!
So glad I found you !!
I'm glad you're here! Thanks for watching and hey, thanks for leaving a comment too. It helps so much and I also appreciate the feedback.
Great video. I always learn something from you. I find myself returning and rewatching your videos on specific aspects of coloring to better understand what you said and what you meant, then try to follow your advice.
Awesome; I am so pleased to read this. Thank you!
I've been looking for local art classes for years, and haven't been able to find any. Everything around here is geared toward kids...and of course that's great, childhood is when our brains are most elastic and it's a great time to start learning! But adults still like learning, and it sucks that there aren't more classes for us! I've tried books and videos, but what I desperately need is someone to look at what I'm doing and show me what I'm missing, or how to fix it. I know it's not necessary to have someone else show me, but it's how I've always learned best!
Have you looked at your local community college? I’m in a very rural area but the college runs both art classes and open studio hours.
I think this is a topic that everyone has to understand for themselves. I am guilty of this kind of "practise" because I didn't know any better. Today I would call it playing. And that is the most satisfying when I accidentally find a solution to a coloring problem. Real training is hard, frustrating and sometimes boring. It can also seem very time-consuming. But most of the time it is actually time-saving.
One of the problems for beginners is finding good video tutorials and weeding out the ones that don't help you. The other difficulty is being honest with yourself and realizing what you need right now. It also takes time to see your own mistakes or accept what the teacher tells you. Sometimes you can't do that until weeks, months or even years later. I always stand there and think, "Why didn't I see that back then?" Even with works that I was initially happy with. The answer: experience.
I wish I had discovered you sooner. especially this video. 😮💨But wait... I have seen videos of yours before. but it didn't leave such a lasting impression. I guess I wasn't ready to hear what you can teach us all🙄
nowadays I am so grateful for your way of telling the sometimes uncomfortable truth. I like your way of expressing it even if I don't like the matter. I never feel humiliate, but that you care about passing on your knowledge. I usually manage to accept and internalize what you have to say.
nowadays I am so grateful for your way of telling the sometimes uncomfortable truth. I like your way of expressing it even if I don't like the matter. I never feel patronized, but that you care about passing on your knowledge. I usually manage to accept and internalize what you have to say
Thank you so much. I appreciate such detailed feedback and hearing your experience. I think you've also suggested a very good video topic here, the whole "Why didn't I see that back then?" is an excellent topic worth exploring. Thanks!
When did the definition of practice get so corrupted?
Practice is when we take a new to us technique and put it through its paces, pushing it to the limits, and developing muscle memory. If people are just repeating stuff they alredy know, that ain't practice, that's repeating.
I have a theory-- I could be totally wrong but the timing fits-- the confusion has always simmered in the adult coloring community but it really started to blossom during Covid lockdowns. You're not dinkin' around with a coloring book if you're !!Practicing!!
I do think people are earnest about it but there's a definite gap between the art community and the coloring community. Many terms have gotten twisted in translation and the concept of practice is a big one.
@AmyShulke could be.
I alway think of music when I hear the word practice.
If a person is playing a song they alredy know, they aren't practicing. But they are still adding beauty to the world.
Same with art.
Maybe because I haven't learned to colour yet, but think the skills and results are just as much art as any other media.
Nebulous "practise" is one thing I warned some people about in a basic overview of learning art - I encouraged them to identify the specific aspect they wanted to improve on and focus on that. Athletes don't do generic exercises to build up their skills - they have specific routines and training to build up specific and key areas of focus. If they're lacking in one area, they will do training drills to develop that skill
Thinking on it, training drills is probably a far better phrase than practise 😄 My goal is to get better at rendering works - not necessarily in the perfect photorealistic sense, but to develop a better understanding of form, shape, lighting, and shade. Am I using markers and coloured pencil for that? Yes because I've identified that those are the most tactile for my learning, and also loops in lessons on doing underpaintings, blocking out colours, and then refining and adding detail to them all
I hope that (aside from a few test swatches and notes) the _entire_ sketchbook I've reserved for this will be filled up with an assortment of foods, properly rendered, and showing progress
Beautiful. Thanks for posting this!!!
Yes! It's the depth one goes, not the distance. "The old master asks the confident student, 'do you really have ten years of experience, or a year of experience ten times?'"
Beautiful summary. Thank you!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks for watching!!!
Hello! So glad I found this channel! I have lots of watercolor paint and Faber Castell pencils. I saw a botanical artist, Wendy Hollender, who uses watercolor paint and pencils. Love her work, however, it's way too complicated for me as a beginner. Since I have invested in these materials, I want to use them and not buy the markers. Would your courses work for me using watercolor and pencil?
Most of my marker techniques are borrowed directly from watercolor. They're both transparent mediums so the color concepts generally apply. I have an advanced group where about 1/3 of the students use watercolor instead of marker. However, you stated that you're a beginner and for that reason, I recommend you find a beginner watercolor instructor instead of taking my classes. I don't teach anything about brush strokes, water control, or palette mixing which are all key things to master in watercolor. Later when you're getting consistent results from watercolor, then my classes will be easier for you to modify for watercolor.
@@AmyShulke , thanks so much!
What pencil is that you are using?
I think you’re wondering about the unpainted pencil? Prismacolor Dark Purple can turn hot pink when it contacts pencils with white pigment in the formula. I substitute Derwent Lightfast “Purple” or “Violet” for Dark Purple. In this video, I was using Violet.
I feel like this should be "DUH" but obviously I've been struggling with what practice is when it comes to painting. I am 42 and just starting to take art seriously. It's been my love my whole life but always gave up when it got too hard. I started drawing and taking skillshare classes in June of this year. (so I'm not far into my process) I have learned a lot in the terms of what I like to do and what I don't, in drawing more of what I actually see, how to mute colors, and more about color theory. I'm finally to a point where I think I know what I want to create.....landscapes and maybe adding structures. Practicing painting is so overwhelming. I always thought I needed to paint an entire picture to practice a landscape but now I can see how to break it up to really get the best results. Like I said seems "duh". LOL!!!
Yes! When a musician practices, they don't keep playing the whole entire song. Instead we isolate the areas where we struggle and repeat those sections until they flow. Thanks for the comment, I love it when people add great info to the conversation!
Hear hear! Well said! Anyone who has ever learned a musical instrument knows that just sitting down and playing around on the instrument, or even playing through a piece of music the same way you always do, is NOT practice. Practice involves familiarising yourself with a certain way of doing things and deliberate exploration +/- correction. It involves development of NEW neural pathways and strengthening of them. It involves self assessment and deliberate variation to change (?improve) the outcome …
I agree with everything you’ve said here. Thanks for adding to the conversation!
I think some of it might be down to influencer culture constantly promoting new products. Its hard to practice when you are constantly being tempted to buy a new set of pens or a different type of pencil, so practicing then becomes 'trying a new thing' rather than learning a new skill or developing an exisiting one. And as soon as you're done with one thing, there's a new set of pens out - time to practice your art with these shiny new tools!
It could also be a shift in meaning. Doctors practice medicine, which is more akin to applying the use of a skill than atempting to develop proficiency in it. But that definition doesnt really make sense for #practicemakesperfect or whatever the hashtags are.
Excellent point. If you're promoting art supplies, your practice journal is more like a demo journal. I also love your point about a physician's practice. Great comments!
I always kinda chuckle whenever I see #practicemakesprogress because you can just tell it was invented by someone who wasn't making headway with their practice. "Hey, let's move the goal posts so we can keep promoting practice!"
Great video. So true . I always think the same. I only call practice, when i tried to achieve sometime special. My practice sheets are always messy.
Thanks for telling me, I always ask myself "why my practice sheets don't look so good, like the other artists ones? " now know
The messy pages are where the hard work happens :)
Love your videos but had to stop watching because of the background music. Too much of a distraction. Great content, great music, - but not both at the same time please.