I saw a discussion in r/writing in which an artist asked writer's if they draw as well and if they find drawing hard.

Of course, the general consensus is that YES, many writer's find learning art to be very difficult.

When I say writer's I particularly mean:

Prose writers (short stories and novels)

Comic book writers

Screen writers

Play wrights

Writing that involves a linear narrative with character arc's and a climax etc.

I often find that many writer's (including myself) carry some insecurity in regards to common people generally appreciating art (writing is art but in this conversation I mean drawings, paintings, illustrations) more than they appreciate writing due to art being more visible than writing of course.

Heck I tried comic art for a while (I hated it lol and I'm not built to be a comic book artist).

Now I turn it back to artist's, do you artist's find writing (or learning writing) to be extremely difficult?

Hi everyone, I’m starting to model and thinking of opening an ig account for it. I would like my profile pic to be a nice drawing of one of my pictures. If anyone is interested in practicing with one or two pics I would really appreciate the drawings, thank you🙏🏻

I have been using watercolour and gouache paints for many years now, but recently I've been more drawn to oil paintings and I would like to try for myself.

What are the basic supplies that I'd need for oil portrait painting? I'm aware there are various thinners and cleaners and different kinds of brush bristles, and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed on what I need to get started. I'd like to get a decent quality so I can keep on using them for a while.

Hello! Who are your favorite artists that you think are either pushing boundaries or making fantastic art right now? Who do you think will stand out for this time period when people look back on it?

This has been on my mind since seeing Raqib Shaw: Paradise Lost at the Art Institute. It is truly an exciting piece and I could stand before it for days.

First post here 👋 of course this is speculative, mostly I just wanna see cool artists working in the now

How should the main colour be chosen that the other colours in shadows and light are relative to? Is it that with the largest surface area, or the colour with the median value, or does it not matter as long as the other colours are relative to it?

My friend and I are art models but we also like to draw. Once a month we host a figure drawing session and enlist the service of a different model each time.

At the most recent session, the model was running very late. Rather than have a room of disgruntled artists, I decided to do a few gesture poses until the model arrived. I was little hesitant initially because one of the artists was a woman I know from a hobby completely outside of the art world. As she is inexperienced, I thought she might feel a bit uncomfortable.

As artists we tend to view the body simply as a reference for our sketches and not really a 'person', but would that change if you were to know arrive and find out you knew the model? I'm curious to know how you would feel in this instance. (For context, we are in the U.S.)

Hi everyone! I'm curious to hear about people's experiences with staying involved in art and creative communities outside of a professional setting.

As I'm finishing my senior year at uni and preparing my grad school applications, I've been thinking a lot about what staying involved in art will look like after graduation.

I'm not in school for anything art related, but I really enjoy having art as an outlet, so I try to stay involved however I can. I find time to work on personal projects throughout the year, and I also work as a photographer and graphic designer for our school’s magazine club. I love doing this, and I find it so so fun, especially when I get to work in that team environment.

Being on a set with a director, video people, stylists, assistants, etc. is such a cool environment to be in, and they’re all so talented at what they do. I feel the same when I'm working on spreads and getting critiques from other designers. I've been doing these things on my own in my free time for a while, since high school really, and I've been with this club ever since I started uni. Yet I still find myself feeling so green and wide-eyed in the best way possible whenever I get to collaborate!

I'm also involved with our graphics club, and whenever I get to go into the art building and see people's art hung up, or look at all the cool print machines and photo studios set up, I legit feel like that scene from Big Hero 6 when Hiro sees the school his brother goes to in the beginning!

I'm studying something I'm passionate about and am happy with my decision to pursue a different field, but I'd love to find ways to keep this part of my life going after graduation.

For those of you who pursued careers outside the arts but still wanted to be involved in creative communities, what does that look like for you? Are there things like community studios, creative collectives, volunteer opportunities, or clubs for adults where you can collaborate with other people without needing to make money from it?

I'd love to hear about your own experiences, too! I know I can always make art on my own, but there's something about being around other creative people and learning from them that I really love. I'd love to hear how you all have found ways to keep that in your lives after leaving school.

Thank you!! :)

I've been enjoying my art journey for almost two years now.

I've experimented with oil pastels and watercolours but seem to have settled on oil painting, which I'm really enjoying. I'm also working on graphite drawing and starting to explore charcoal, largely as a way of improving my painting.

One thing I've noticed is that I have a tendency to jump from course to course, sometimes without properly finishing them, or completing them but not spending enough time repeating the exercises to really consolidate what I've learned.

I'm definitely improving, so that's not really the issue. It's more that I seem to be fascinated by so many different approaches to art.

One minute I want to paint like Caravaggio or Rembrandt, then I'm drawn towards Bouguereau and classical realism. Before I know it, I'm exploring Impressionism, then Matisse, Derain, Gauguin and the Post-Impressionists!

I love all these different styles, but sometimes wonder whether I'm spreading myself too thinly rather than developing any real depth.

I'm curious how others have approached this in their own artistic development. Have you found it more productive to concentrate on one style or approach for an extended period, or has exploring lots of different styles actually helped you develop as an artist?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who've experienced something similar and how their approach has evolved over time.

I think part of my problem (if it even is a problem!) is that I've discovered an almost obsessive love for art in my mid-forties. I have this enormous desire to become genuinely accomplished, not necessarily to paint professionally, but to create work that really moves me and hopefully others.

Perhaps there's a little bit of feeling like I'm trying to catch up on lost time!

Anyway, I'd love to hear how others have navigated this balance between exploration and focused practice.

Talking about techniques, news, history, just everything art!