Extend Your Creativity #1: Art
Wed, March 3, 2010 at 06:00AM "Adventure is worthwhile in itself."
- Amelia Earhart
6x8" drawing paper, pitt pen, acrylic background, merged in photoshop
Exercise. Extend. Experiment. Experience. Expand. Evolve. Energize.
Once you have learned how to sketch a jar, embroider a daisy chain stitch, quilt a baby blanket, knit a vest, or build a panini... what's next? Some thoughts on building upon what you know how to do:
1. Practice. Exercise your skill. If you learn how to draw a jar, draw lots of jars. Draw them on watercolor paper, artist trading cards & wood. Draw different sizes of jars.
2. Transform. Let your style evolve. Embellish with details, add curves, straighten lines, cross-hatching. Consider groupings, new perspectives, different canvas sizes, using typography and pattern. Consider your alternatives (thoughts about knitting at Handmade Homeschool). Explore color by using new colors (I rarely art journal in neutral colors), reducing or increasing the number of colors. Change the mood from calm to whimsical, serious to sunny, elegant to chaotic. Realism to abstract, or the reverse.
3. Novelty. Draw new things, like a digital camera, an adirondak chair, twigs from your garden, a bulldozer, an earring, bricks, daisies, an urban loft. I draw lots of doodles and mandalas; I just started drawing tiny buildings.
4. Process. Use new media. Paint | charcoal | colored pencils | neocolors | calligraphy | rapidograph + ink | watercolor paper | wood | digital tablet | polymer clay. Have you worked in charcoal or oil pastels? I haven't!
5. Combine. Create--> art from art! Use cut up abstract art in collage or mixed media art. Merge artworks in Photoshop, use an abstract painting as an art journal background, carve one of your designs into an eraser, draw a design on an art journal background.
6. Experience. Take your art out in the world. Draw at a cafe. Join a group of friends. Try urban sketching. Take a class. Start a blog. Photograph your art. Go to a workshop.
7. Share. Do things with your art. Sell your art (check out Aimee of Artsyville's typographical art). Make gifts. Develop an embroidery pattern (check out Amy + Opal's Here2There quilt patterns). Put your art on a t-shirt. Self-publish an art book (check out Hanna's A Creative Year). Record a stop-motion video for YouTube (check out Stephanie's mandala video). Write a tutorial. Teach a class. Do a swap. Try Mail Art. Join Flickr.
How do you build upon what you already know?
Reader Comments (4)
Tammy, those buildings are outstanding! Again, what precision :D I want to draw an adirondack chair (there I said it,
now maybe this will make me accountable) :D :D
Your venture into architecture is fascinating and intriguing! Can't wait to see more of your tiny homes and villages! Hugs, Terri xoxo
Love the buildings!
I have kept a nature journal for many years, separate from my art journal. I think this month I would like to try merging the two a bit by adding some nature sketches into my art journal and seeing where it takes me.
Love the Cuidad! More, more!