. . . A seasoned artist might take this pain and translate it into something devastatingly beautiful. I am not a seasoned artist. And right now, art is the last thing on my mind. . .
. . . It's all part of the discovery stage of learning art, so for this reason, I have no regrets—not over purchasing the first sets of each mediums, at least. The second, third, and/or fourth watercolor/gouache/colored pencil/etc. set, however? Yes, there's plenty of guilt there. Art supplies are meant to be used. They're not doing their job if they're just collecting dust. That doesn't spark joy for either party—not the user nor the item. . .
The dreaded job search. . . where do I even begin? It really has a way of shattering your sense of self-worth. Maybe it's the act of condensing who you are onto a sheet of printer paper, only to have it tossed into the recycling bin. Or knowing that AI software combed through your application and deemed you thoroughly unworthy to even be assessed by a living, breathing person. . .
This post features the la crème de la crème of my art supply collection. From Mei Liang Pretty Excellent watercolors, to Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, have a read through my top recommended artist and student-grade supplies.
There are times when I love art my art. But these moments are rare. More often than not, I find myself fighting with my art. Frustrated because it doesn’t want to do what I tell it to. My hues repel one another. My inkwork is off beyond recovery. . .
Before diving into my lake pigment exploits, I'd like to give credit where it's due. What kickstarted this whole DIY journey was a YouTube video posted by Arleebean on paint making. She filmed the process of creating a watercolor binder and mulling store-bought pigments into them. I was in complete awe. . .
Deciding to dive into the world of art can be a very intimidating venture. As with learning any new skill, it's difficult to know where to start in terms of supplies and materials. When I started to learn how to draw back in 2016, I remember feeling so overwhelmed. So, I've taken the liberty of crafting this ultimate guide to art supplies for beginner artists. Note that I'm still in the process of learning myself, so this post will be a living document. I'm beyond open to feedback if you have anything to add to this. . .
Watching your art improve over your first couple of years is an exhilarating experience. It's full of anticipation and wonder—and makes you feel like you can take on the world. This video showcases my art improvement from the very beginning, until the end of 2018. In other words, I go through every single drawing in my infamous "crappy Walmart sketchbook". Yes, the sketchbook I purchased during a fateful summer afternoon when the fan-art driven desire to learn how to draw slapped me in the face (RE: My Coming of Age Art Journey (Part 1) – Finding Inspiration).
Art is born from self expression. It's essentially an outlet used to make sense of your thoughts—especially when you're feeling just a tad neurotic. It's a form of storytelling. Of…
There aren't many perks to being an amateur artist; however, it does come with one clear benefit: An inflated and unearned sense of confidence in your (lack of) abilities. So when my mom, of all people, asked me to paint a huge "masterpiece" to be hung in our living room, I of course told her that I could handle it. "It'll be easy breezy!" I thought. So I went to the nearest Dollarama and picked up a couple of large paintbrushes. . .