I think if you're making art for the long run, consistent joyful work is much better than pushing yourself with considerably difficult tasks. Joy comes from having a bearable challenge, and it keeps us in our seat, so it's already within us to improve just by listening to how we feel.
Agree with points 1 and 2, but I loathe having other people around while I am concentrating and trying to create. Solitude is essential and the presence of others is an aggravation and a distraction. Everyone needs something different to succeed though...
Barely a third through the video and your first topic just hit something deep. I… don’t know if I have a “comfort zone” with my art. I’m definitely familiar with the “learning and discovery” period when I find my grooves, figure out what I’m most curious to explore, and that curiosity ends up being way stronger than any fear of failure. As a result, I create some of my best work, but even when I don’t, just the act of creating anything is still fun. But when my emotions and energy level dip (seasonal depression, I’m looking at you), and I find myself more sensitive, critical, and shameful of my lack of productivity and progress, there really isn’t even a base level of creative comfort zone I can retreat to in order to find a bit of happiness. This is when I switch from “living/thriving” mode to “survival” mode, and I step away from art altogether to keep from the inevitable overwhelmed panic that lies way too close to the surface. I don’t know if this is just a mindset I can overcome because I’d love it if art can comfort and pacify in spite of my mental turmoil. I’d love to believe so! Either way, STILL LOVING THIS VIDEO and I will happily resume consuming the rest of it! Thank you as always for your amazing content!
I am a digital painter as well. I go on long spaces of not painting. Usually I just go on to TH-cam watch some tutorial videos and reflect on them. Then paint a simple thing using the concepts. I haven't painted anything into completion in months. All I've been doing is playing around with environment design, character design, composition and perspective. I've actually built a good foundation on those and can do something. However, I have this feeling that if I finish it to completion, all of it will look dumb and nonsensical. This feeling is normal. When I was young I tried to avoid failure thinking it was a bad thing. Now I run to it, smash into it and pick up the pieces and see what really worked well and what really flopped. Then I build a new foundation to stress test. I understand that I have to fail a lot before I create the pathways in my brain to take the step up from simple implementations to a large scale one. There are multiple ways I learn. 1. 25/75. 25% of the new implementation, 75% of the foundation that was built over the last iterations. Nothing here is being broken. Usually it's a slow simple way of learning and implementing and playing around with new concepts, but one is quick to place what they know to fill in the gaps. I am doing this now actually. 2.50/50. 50% new implementation, 50% of the foundation that was built over the last iterations. This one causes some cracks in the foundation, one has to think of new ways to fill them and keep everything holding on together. It's like when I went straight from portraits to cityscapes and landscapes. I could paint it great, but it was mentally taxing. I had to learn some perspective (NEVER GO DEEP into perspective it's a dead end trap!!) to find shortcuts and the brain burden was released once I realized how there is an eye line or horizon line. 3. 75/25 or 100/0. There is no difference here, your foundation will be broken and you will feel lost most of the time. This is NORMAL! You are coming here to build a new foundation. This is where new concepts MUST be found to build a new foundation. It's not about simply building off the previous one or trying saving it. This new foundation will have the old ones as a subset. The old one just isn't enough anymore. There is no foundation to fall back on because doing so shattered it. One will feel lost and realize they must use new concepts to find a solution. This was me when I went from painting simple cityscapes and landscapes to trying to build a fantasy one. Portrait painting and painting cityscapes and landcapes from reference will only get one so far. I though perspective was the answer for me, so I took time to build that foundation. Then I realized it was a dead end and the foundation shattered. Then I learned Composition and everything started to make sense. I build for composition and then use perspective to bring it into the 3D world. That foundation was built and I added portrait painting, cityscape and landscape painting, and perspective into it. (Although some like to start with perspective and bring composition in...that didn't work for me). Now I am in character design. I am just doing the 25/75 learning color theory building it upon the current foundation. There will be a time when I go in and say "It's time to put all this stuff together and see what happens" That is when I will be at the 75/25. I expect the foundation to shatter and for me to fail horribly. I don't lose any sleep or though anymore about failing as it is truly part of life. The problem is that I like to dedicate a full day to it maybe 2. So that I can keep trying new concepts here an there upon each failure that day. When I have a failure I sit and think what I did right and what I did wrong. Then I seek solutions to what I did wrong while cementing those that I did right as usable for the next painting. When I am learning to paint, (not painting to get paid for a service) I expect every painting to come out a failure. This takes any type of expectations off of me and lets me explore more. If you can't see how you are making mistakes or can see how to progress, then you might need somebody to help teach you how to do so. The reason why it took me about a year to learn how to digital paint was because I already went through the process of learning how to learn...I also knew how to track my progress well.
@@chukukaogude5894 Thanks for sharing your thought process. Learning how to fail is hard. 5,000+ blitz games of chess was probably the best way I learned to deal with it. But I'm sure others have found easier methods.
@@chukukaogude5894 I don’t know why I was never notified of this response but hot damn am I glad I eventually found it! Your use of metaphors in “foundations” and percentages to compare new to old - they just make so much sense and seem like a good metric to really examine and measure how I feel about producing art. “Why am I so stressed? Maybe because I’m at about a 60/40 and all the new is a little overwhelming. Do I want to keep going for the sake of the new? Or would I prefer cutting back on the new to catch my breath and test just a little bit of new in safer waters.” I’m a bit of a weirdo that clings to methods of “logically” measuring emotions and mindsets, and that percentage device just clicks! I’ve definitely been more attracted to expressive portraits lately, so that feels like a good place to starting testing and evaluating what comes of lots of experimentation! Thank you so much for your amazing response! It’s given me so much to think about and try to implement now!
I’ve found your videos so helpful with my work. I’m a wood carver not a painter but your approach to learning & growing in your art translates well to all art. Thanks
Thank you so much. I am presentlyworking on two portrait commissions with a time limit. They are portraits of babies which I find so much more difficult. Also from bad reference meaning that they are taken with a flashlight. I could really relate to your video and insight.
I've been struggling with derailment lately after coming to a place in my most recent piece where I don't know what step to take next. I've stepped away from it and picked up an old unfinished (and drastically different) piece and tried to continue it, but ran into the same problem. I like the ideas of returning to my comfort zone and looking to artist references of similar styles for what I'm hoping to achieve. I'll have to do some searching and see if that helps me get back on track. I love your videos and although acrylic is my medium of choice, I've still learned so much that I can apply to my own practice.
I really enjoy your videos and the painting is exquisite. I would like to ask you or challenge you if you are willing. Can you paint like this with slow drying acrylics such as Golden Open paints and if yes would make a video of it thank you for any consideration.
I like how you use cool colors in your portraits. That might seem counterintuitive when painting flesh or hair but results in a splendid painterly style impossible to achieve w realism.
My problem with painting is that I was flowing along, quite intuitively on large canvases, not aiming to be a master-artist, but just do what I enjoyed. I had a couple of solo exhibitions and I enjoyed it. After a breakdown in my marriage, I kind of collapsed, physically and mentally. To get myself going again, I did a journaling workshop. The journal was tiny! So I was right out of my comfort zone. Then I watched some TH-cam videos on journaling and I started experimenting with a stylised approach. Got some good stuff going on in that little book! But now, I have recently started going back to canvas (always been an acrylic paint fan) . Problem is that I have lost all confidence in myself as an artist. I'll start reworking a painting and slog away at GETTING IT RIGHT!! And I end up frustrated, tired, and starring at a muddy mess. I don't know what to do with myself. Any suggestions?
I have been painting for over 30 years and I do 100% figurative paintings. What you do NOT do is begin with an accurate sketch. You professionals just start painting with your built in radar for proportion and sketching in the "bones" for accuracy. Too many videos do not give information on the beginning of a painting.
I am a fine artist and use a bridge- I never hold my brush this way it is not correct, and one has no control over fine strokes this way at ALL. One holds a fine brush like a pencil- watch the great BOB Ross and WILLIAM BOUGUEREAU in old photos- the MASTER of all artists. Kim
I think if you're making art for the long run, consistent joyful work is much better than pushing yourself with considerably difficult tasks. Joy comes from having a bearable challenge, and it keeps us in our seat, so it's already within us to improve just by listening to how we feel.
Agree with points 1 and 2, but I loathe having other people around while I am concentrating and trying to create. Solitude is essential and the presence of others is an aggravation and a distraction. Everyone needs something different to succeed though...
I agree. I love the urban sketching style for instance… but not in public.
I‘m proud being one of your students. You are such a good mentor and I look up to you and your work. Thank you for being the way you are ❤.
Barely a third through the video and your first topic just hit something deep.
I… don’t know if I have a “comfort zone” with my art. I’m definitely familiar with the “learning and discovery” period when I find my grooves, figure out what I’m most curious to explore, and that curiosity ends up being way stronger than any fear of failure. As a result, I create some of my best work, but even when I don’t, just the act of creating anything is still fun.
But when my emotions and energy level dip (seasonal depression, I’m looking at you), and I find myself more sensitive, critical, and shameful of my lack of productivity and progress, there really isn’t even a base level of creative comfort zone I can retreat to in order to find a bit of happiness. This is when I switch from “living/thriving” mode to “survival” mode, and I step away from art altogether to keep from the inevitable overwhelmed panic that lies way too close to the surface.
I don’t know if this is just a mindset I can overcome because I’d love it if art can comfort and pacify in spite of my mental turmoil. I’d love to believe so!
Either way, STILL LOVING THIS VIDEO and I will happily resume consuming the rest of it! Thank you as always for your amazing content!
I am a digital painter as well. I go on long spaces of not painting. Usually I just go on to TH-cam watch some tutorial videos and reflect on them. Then paint a simple thing using the concepts. I haven't painted anything into completion in months. All I've been doing is playing around with environment design, character design, composition and perspective. I've actually built a good foundation on those and can do something. However, I have this feeling that if I finish it to completion, all of it will look dumb and nonsensical. This feeling is normal. When I was young I tried to avoid failure thinking it was a bad thing. Now I run to it, smash into it and pick up the pieces and see what really worked well and what really flopped. Then I build a new foundation to stress test. I understand that I have to fail a lot before I create the pathways in my brain to take the step up from simple implementations to a large scale one.
There are multiple ways I learn.
1. 25/75. 25% of the new implementation, 75% of the foundation that was built over the last iterations. Nothing here is being broken. Usually it's a slow simple way of learning and implementing and playing around with new concepts, but one is quick to place what they know to fill in the gaps. I am doing this now actually.
2.50/50. 50% new implementation, 50% of the foundation that was built over the last iterations. This one causes some cracks in the foundation, one has to think of new ways to fill them and keep everything holding on together. It's like when I went straight from portraits to cityscapes and landscapes. I could paint it great, but it was mentally taxing. I had to learn some perspective (NEVER GO DEEP into perspective it's a dead end trap!!) to find shortcuts and the brain burden was released once I realized how there is an eye line or horizon line.
3. 75/25 or 100/0. There is no difference here, your foundation will be broken and you will feel lost most of the time. This is NORMAL! You are coming here to build a new foundation. This is where new concepts MUST be found to build a new foundation. It's not about simply building off the previous one or trying saving it. This new foundation will have the old ones as a subset. The old one just isn't enough anymore. There is no foundation to fall back on because doing so shattered it. One will feel lost and realize they must use new concepts to find a solution. This was me when I went from painting simple cityscapes and landscapes to trying to build a fantasy one. Portrait painting and painting cityscapes and landcapes from reference will only get one so far. I though perspective was the answer for me, so I took time to build that foundation. Then I realized it was a dead end and the foundation shattered. Then I learned Composition and everything started to make sense. I build for composition and then use perspective to bring it into the 3D world. That foundation was built and I added portrait painting, cityscape and landscape painting, and perspective into it. (Although some like to start with perspective and bring composition in...that didn't work for me).
Now I am in character design. I am just doing the 25/75 learning color theory building it upon the current foundation. There will be a time when I go in and say "It's time to put all this stuff together and see what happens" That is when I will be at the 75/25. I expect the foundation to shatter and for me to fail horribly. I don't lose any sleep or though anymore about failing as it is truly part of life. The problem is that I like to dedicate a full day to it maybe 2. So that I can keep trying new concepts here an there upon each failure that day.
When I have a failure I sit and think what I did right and what I did wrong. Then I seek solutions to what I did wrong while cementing those that I did right as usable for the next painting. When I am learning to paint, (not painting to get paid for a service) I expect every painting to come out a failure. This takes any type of expectations off of me and lets me explore more.
If you can't see how you are making mistakes or can see how to progress, then you might need somebody to help teach you how to do so. The reason why it took me about a year to learn how to digital paint was because I already went through the process of learning how to learn...I also knew how to track my progress well.
@@chukukaogude5894 Thanks for sharing your thought process. Learning how to fail is hard. 5,000+ blitz games of chess was probably the best way I learned to deal with it. But I'm sure others have found easier methods.
@@chukukaogude5894 I don’t know why I was never notified of this response but hot damn am I glad I eventually found it!
Your use of metaphors in “foundations” and percentages to compare new to old - they just make so much sense and seem like a good metric to really examine and measure how I feel about producing art. “Why am I so stressed? Maybe because I’m at about a 60/40 and all the new is a little overwhelming. Do I want to keep going for the sake of the new? Or would I prefer cutting back on the new to catch my breath and test just a little bit of new in safer waters.”
I’m a bit of a weirdo that clings to methods of “logically” measuring emotions and mindsets, and that percentage device just clicks!
I’ve definitely been more attracted to expressive portraits lately, so that feels like a good place to starting testing and evaluating what comes of lots of experimentation!
Thank you so much for your amazing response! It’s given me so much to think about and try to implement now!
I’ve found your videos so helpful with my work. I’m a wood carver not a painter but your approach to learning & growing in your art translates well to all art. Thanks
Thank you so much. I am presentlyworking on two portrait commissions with a time limit. They are portraits of babies which I find so much more difficult. Also from bad reference meaning that they are taken with a flashlight. I could really relate to your video and insight.
been painting for 33 years with no burnout and still going strong.
I've been struggling with derailment lately after coming to a place in my most recent piece where I don't know what step to take next. I've stepped away from it and picked up an old unfinished (and drastically different) piece and tried to continue it, but ran into the same problem. I like the ideas of returning to my comfort zone and looking to artist references of similar styles for what I'm hoping to achieve. I'll have to do some searching and see if that helps me get back on track. I love your videos and although acrylic is my medium of choice, I've still learned so much that I can apply to my own practice.
Love your style and advice. 😊
Excellent tutorial 🙏
Exellent artist
Omg I’m still learning…
Nice work
Everything you said in this video I felt it deeply! Your words are so helpful ♥️ beautiful painting.
I really enjoy your videos and the painting is exquisite. I would like to ask you or challenge you if you are willing. Can you paint like this with slow drying acrylics such as Golden Open paints and if yes would make a video of it thank you for any consideration.
I like how you use cool colors in your portraits. That might seem counterintuitive when painting flesh or hair but results in a splendid painterly style impossible to achieve w realism.
My problem with painting is that I was flowing along, quite intuitively on large canvases, not aiming to be a master-artist, but just do what I enjoyed. I had a couple of solo exhibitions and I enjoyed it. After a breakdown in my marriage, I kind of collapsed, physically and mentally. To get myself going again, I did a journaling workshop. The journal was tiny! So I was right out of my comfort zone. Then I watched some TH-cam videos on journaling and I started experimenting with a stylised approach. Got some good stuff going on in that little book! But now, I have recently started going back to canvas (always been an acrylic paint fan) .
Problem is that I have lost all confidence in myself as an artist. I'll start reworking a painting and slog away at GETTING IT RIGHT!! And I end up frustrated, tired, and starring at a muddy mess. I don't know what to do with myself. Any suggestions?
Very nice
Very nice beautiful
Thanks
Good painting
Chelsea, you are so wise, and so talented, thank you
Super 👌
Hi, do you have an online painting classes?
Yessss
👏👏👏
I have been painting for over 30 years and I do 100% figurative paintings. What you do NOT do is begin
with an accurate sketch. You professionals just start painting with your built in radar for proportion and sketching in the "bones" for accuracy. Too many videos do not give information on the beginning of a painting.
total perfection doesnt exist and way too many people end up burnt or end up hating art trying to create something they think is perfect
I am a fine artist and use a bridge- I never hold my brush this way it is not correct, and one has no control over fine strokes this way at ALL. One holds a fine brush like a pencil- watch the great BOB Ross and WILLIAM BOUGUEREAU in old photos- the MASTER of all artists. Kim