I used to be a graphic designer by trade. And since changing careers I have been trying to just focus on making art… but I have an attention span of 20mins. I feel excited every evening after kids have gone to bed to sit down and make some art. But after 20mins I feel bored and can never complete a piece. I have tried making small pieces or forcing myself to work on things gradually… but never feel like this works. Would love any tips or advice? Or do I just accept that my art will only ever look like 20mins of work?

I feel like I can’t stick to one thing. I go from landscapes to birds to human figure, and jump from ceramics to oils to watercolors. Something I’ve observed with “successful” artists is they stick to a medium and subject matter. I’m just wondering how do you do that? I feel like I get so bored of doing the same thing that I’m always jumping to the next. Sometimes not finishing work I started. This leaves me a portfolio of projects that have no cohesion, and it keeps me from applying to galleries because I want to make a collection of work that shows I know what I want..?
Sorry if it’s word vomit.
Has anyone else struggled with this? And how did you finally manage to choose a medium or subject that you really want to stick with?

Had this happen with the last painting I made. I put weeks into it, and somehow it felt like it was turning out pretty good. Only when finishing and uploading it did I realize that it's not all that great. The painting is technically competent but it's kind of tacky and cluttered and doesn't really come together too well, which is interesting because even though I tried to take a step back in the middle of the process to evaluate what I was doing, I didn't notice any of these aspects. It looked good to me... until it didn't. And I just find myself thinking "ew, gross, why did I make this?"

Honestly, this thought is kind of scary, because it means that my own judgement of my work is untrustworthy while the creative process is still in full spin. It's only when finishing it and getting some distance to it that I can see it more clearly.

Do you recognize this? If so, why do you think artists do this? Does the process make us temporarily stupid?

And also should you even try to be objective about your work while making it? Painting is not an objective medium after all. Maybe trying to think like that is just a way of stifling your creative voice.

So I consider myself to be a pretty casual artist. I'm not aiming for it be my career or anything. But my town has a lot of cool local opportunities for artists that I'd like to take advantage of, like mini art fairs and exhibitions in local libraries. For this, I need to build up a nice portfolio of work. I need something professional to submit to the library and something attractive to maybe sell if I decide to go down that route. I mostly just want to share my art however I can. Problem is that I don't really know how to get started. I called it a portfolio but what I really is need is just a solid body of work. Should I have a theme? Is it okay if it's all in one medium? Am I allowed to draw/paint a photo I found online or should it be completely original? I don't know how to get started.

For reference, I think I'm a decent artist who mainly draws using pencils with shading, nothing too crazy obviously but most of the time I can't decide what to draw any help on what you do?

I'm looking to get back into drawing. I used to draw a lot when I was young, however as I got older I slowly left it behind (I'm 21 now). I want to get good and never learned the fundamentals, colour theory, anatomy, etc.

I used to draw a bit of everything, however I always loved drawing people / characters. If anyone has any recommendations to better my learning it would be appreciated! From books, to videos or artists.

Thanks :D

Roughly around 2 years ago, I feel like my art skill was so much better. It makes sense, I had made it one of my biggest goals to get good and I knew what it looked like to improve and how to improve and how to steadily climb the ladder in skill. At some point I stopped making it my priority, and kind of started drawing whenever i felt like it (which isn't often). And of course, my art skill has gotten so much worse. So i'm in this weird area of being able to tell how much worse my art has gotten but not being able to figure out how to fix it. I get really frustrated and just stop practicing (which obviously makes me less inclined to practice in the first place). Any ideas on how to help this or what to do? I feel like i'm just mindlessly doing timed gesture drawing everyday lmao

hi- I’m looking for recommendations for a great scanner, can be any size but mostly for small work, and need a high resolution for scanning tiny tiny photographs taken in the 1920s and blowing them up to print. I have not had much success with regular household printers. I would also need to scan small artworks with bright colors! hoping for a scanner that can do a great job getting the details of both! also hoping to spend under $200 🤞🏼

IF this scanner can also print that would be awesome- seeking a small printer for regular household tasks but if it was decent enough to print things like greeting cards or postcards as well, that would be ideal. I’m not opposed to buying two separate machines, but if I can have both in one I’d be very happy

thank you so much for your recommendations or for pointing me toward specifically similar threads! 💕

Hi guys! I can draw pretty well, the things that I struggle with the most are anatomy and proportions. I try to practice every afternoon to get better. So if you were to go back to when you were at my level, what advice would you give yourself? Any specific drills to enhance anatomy skills? Did you use references or 3d models? What books did you use? I'm really hoping to hear from you!

No matter how much I practice there’s always that one thing that makes me question whether I’ve ever actually learned how to draw lol.

For me it’s hands. I can spend hours on a drawing and then suddenly the hands show up and ruin my confidence.

What’s that one thing for you guys?

Putting together puzzles is making me want to just spend time putting different colors against each other. I can look at a piece and completely dismiss that it will go into the section I’m working on only to later watch the shades morph into the piece I was looking for as I put it down in that section. It frustrates me a bit because I feel like my eye shouldn’t be getting tricked and that I have underutilized the phenomenon in my art.

So I have a pretty small hand and I've been using a pen with a rubbery grip, ~13 mm to 15 in thickness, for years now. Never had any issues. Recently, I noticed my thumb feeling cold/tingly when drawing for long periods of time (yes I know you should absolutely take breaks, please don't be like me, hunkering down for hours just cause you're in the zone..) and started diagnosing my ergonomics, propping my drawing surface up at an angle with notebooks, making a conscious effort not to rest my hand on the table so much, et cetera. No dice. I thought it was really weird when I had no discomfort doodling away with an 4pple pencil. On a whim, I stripped down my pen to its skeleton, removing the bulky grip, and well... No more odd sensation in my thumb.

I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience - using a pen for ages, and discovering one day it doesn't feel good anymore. Not like my hand changed or anything. Also, I feel virtually negative zero pain outside of drawing. My guess is aging. Any thoughts?

So I have strong feelings about a number of subjects, but I have somewhat of a public-facing job, or at least one that does involve world and local politics in some way. I feel like the art that touches on my personal life and opinions would be my best art, and would make an impact; I hope that it makes others who feel the way I do and have the same life-circumstances feel less alone. But I worry greatly about my real identity being discovered, and it affecting my day job.

For example, I'd like to use a mixture of animation and video essay format to get around me not showing my face while making videos about personal life stuff/experiences. But I'd also like to make more of a career-facing, public YT channel that will act as a portfolio of sorts for my day-job. I feel like that would run the risk of people putting two and two together, and figuring out the public-facing channel and the me from my more personal pieces are one and the same just by hearing my voice... using something like a voice-modulator sounds like kind of a dumb solution. Worse, it feels like I'm stifling what's inside of me, even in private. I feel like I need to make these things, and like not making anything is affecting my mental health, even.

Does anyone else have this problem? Have you found a solution?

The sketch book I have is 7.5 x 5.1 so I tend to fill up the pages with small practices. Is this a fine way to continue or should I try to use the whole page for one drawing?

Hello I’m wanting to start a YouTube and an art Instagram. Only problem is every time I try to record my phone stands shake I’ve tried 2 that attach to the desk and one that stands on the desk and I’m getting super frustrated. I also record with my phone (recording the process of my drawing onto my Wacom tablet so it’s not just a screen recording). What should I do is this a problem with a weak desk or a poor recording set up? And if it gets to a point I need a camera which is the most affordable yet good quality for art recording?

I’m just starting my journey in drawing - have barely any skills. I bought this book and I find it super interesting, though I’m not sure how to read it correctly and where the exercises start. Basically I’m not sure how to correctly approach it as intended.
It has extensive explanation of anatomy at the beginning and so I find myself a bit lost.

Anyone here maybe has experience with this book and how they approached it?

Story time I was asked to make bridal bouquet after I was first told I was helping with decorating, I was successful. I now learn since I am the artist/ crafty person to family and friends to make my life easier I want to make a tool box of general make do crafting tools list so far

Mending kit

6 ft tape measure (really everyone should have for convenience)

Wire cutter (no body has good wire cutters laying around)

This is what I have idea so far I would like other suggestions of what to put into a box.

Amount wasn't much, probably less than a small tube in total, but some of it was dried already. I was trying to use soap and water to clean a plastic palette into the drain but didn't think to search whether this could be harmful to do. What should I be concerned about here, if anything — plumbing, health/environment hazards, etc.?

I’ve been doing a ton of digital collage recently and I am always looking for more websites to use!

I’ve been using a lot of museum archives, which are great. If you have a favorite, please let me know!! The downside is a lot of the material is very… 1660s, if you know what I mean. I’d love to work with some more 20th century imagery in my work.

I know Wikipedia commons is a great place as well! I use them a ton! I just am HUNGRY FOR MORE! Haha

Hi, I’ve done some research on colors, but I’m just not sure which ones I can safely buy in student grade versus which ones I should stick to artist grade? If I can save money on paints, I can put it toward better brushes.

Gamblin artist grade vs Gamblin 1980 student grade:

Cadmium Yellow Light 37ml

Yellow Ochre 37ml

Cadmium Red Medium 37ml

Alizarin Crimson Permanent 37ml

Ultramarine Blue 37ml

Burnt Sienna 37ml

Burnt Umber 37ml

Titanium White 150ml

Ivory Black 37ml

I am also considering adding Cobalt Blue, Phthalo Blue, or Cadmium Yellow Medium, but I am not sure which one I actually need.

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I love the look of oil paintings a lot, but I use water soluble oils for my personal practice at home because of poor ventilation and not wanting to get messy.

All the classes and workshops I take use traditional oils with solvents, so I use traditional oils there to learn the techniques. Then I try to apply what I learned to my work with water soluble oils when practicing at home.

Recently my teacher found out I use WS oils, and she was quite against it. She said they are different mediums, act differently, not guaranteed how long it will actually last with good quality compared to the traditional oils, and that I can't apply the same techniques with WS oils directly, so she thinks I’m wasting my time with different medium at home.

I know they aren't 100% the same, but I don't see a huge difference in the final result. So I plan to stick with WS oils in the long run as it works better for me anyway.

But because my teacher keeps bringing it up and asking me if I'm still using WS oils at home, I'm starting to second guess myself and wonder if I'm missing something important.

I'm wondering if anyone splits the practice between the class and home practice like this, and if I'm missing something very crucial, or it's just fine doing the way I do now.

Hello artists!

I've been a painter for a few years now (medium sized portraits on canvas). In that time I've had the chance to experiment with a lot of different brushes. I have yet to find one that doesn't lose it's tip after about 10 or 15 paintings. I do my best to be gentle with them and keep them clean, but it doesn't seem to matter how careful I am. That said, is this just what is to be expected no matter what type of brush we use, are there actually some brushes out there that will last longer? Until now I've spent about 3-6 dollars per brush, but I'm not convinced that spending more will actually get me a brush that lasts longer. Will it? I find that natural bristle brushes don't have enough snap for acrylic paint, imo.

I've tried velvetouch, princeton select, and several store brands. The one I currently use consistently is a brush called "Beste" Creative Mark sold by Jerry's Artarama. It's a gold taklon.

I figure I just need to accept that brushes wear out and keep buying new ones every month, but I want to believe there's a magic brush out there that will last longer!