It started in high school…

I had one good art teacher in high school. I think I was a junior at the time. The assignment was to recreate a famous artwork. We had a somewhat random selection of famous art from different time periods. All were very large posters that took up the majority of our 6 ft. art tables. I don’t remember any of the other choices but my eyes landed on one image I knew was my best chance at success.

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This was it

I had no idea who the artist was but it was an animal. (I still prefer to draw animals.) My teacher gave me a set of various size pens to recreate this massive poster on an 8x10 in. sheet of paper. I loved every minute of it.

The more I drew, the more I discovered just how detailed and thought-out the design was. I loved the variety of textures and detail. The cracks and imperfections in shapes definitely made it into my personal drawings after school.

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AD

I don’t remember when, but at some point I was in humanities class and I saw a very familiar signature in my textbook. I scanned through the text and found a name, Albrecht Dürer.

It was the early days of the internet and my search for other images was slow; but eventually, I found more drawings, paintings, and engravings. Though I wasn’t enamored with the subject matter of most of his work, The level of texture applied to well-defined forms challenged me to work harder. I focused on shading and became a better observer of anatomy after studying Dürer’s work.

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I still reference his work

Whenever I need ideas or inspiration, Dürer’s work still makes it to my Pinterest boards. I’ve borrowed his watercolor techniques in almost all of my current paintings.

Rabbit in Watercolor

Albrecht Dürer, 1502

It’s time to recharge

Sometimes we just have those weeks. The ones that just zap us of energy and motivation. Well, I just had one. Ok, a couple of them.

So I decided to search YouTube for some easy, meditative art projects and spent a day creating art. It definitely helped to calm my mind and relieve some of that muscle tension I could feel in my neck and back.

Below are the 5 projects I tried out. You’ll find a list of materials I used for each and the instructional videos from each artist.

I also included a video of me trying out each project.

Spread the Love!

If you would like to support those artists, please click the little thumbs up on their video and subscribe if you would like to see more of their work. It does mean a lot to them.

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Pebble Swatches

by Natasha Newton

I could have spent a day just on these pebbles. The process made it so easy for me to slow down and enjoy the paint interacting with the paper.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Watercolor Paper

• Watercolor Paint

• Paint Brush

• Water Cups

• Artist Tape or Washi Tape

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Doodles for Stress Relief

by Miss Betsi

This was a really fun exercise. I did underestimate how much time it would take, however. If you are limited on time, I suggest cutting your paper in half.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Paper

• Pens (any pen or fine tip marker will do)

• Colored Pencils

• Eraser

• Artist Tape or Washi Tape

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Watercolor Exercises

by Lou Davis

I found this to be the most relaxing of the projects I tried. There are actually 3 different projects in the video and I highly recommend trying each of them!

Here’s what you’ll need

• Watercolor Paper

• Watercolor Paint

• Paint Brush

• Water Cups

• Artist Tape or Washi Tape

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Mandala Sunflower

by VA Arts

I love doing mandalas and the sunflower was a fun twist! This is another project that is probably more manageable with a smaller paper size.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Paper

• Compass or round objects to trace

• Pens (any pen or fine tip marker will do)

• Eraser

• Artist Tape or Washi Tape

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Neurographic Art

by Bethany Thiele

This was my favorite to practice my color mixing. I hope you enjoy this mindfulness exercise.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Watercolor Paper

• Watercolor Paint

• Waterproof Ink Pen or Marker

• Paint Brush

• Water Cups

• Artist Tape or Washi Tape

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Now you’re all set to create!

Check out my video below if you’d like to see my day creating some meditative art.

Design your Space

Having an inspiring place to create can make a huge impact in your work. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up in designing my own creative space.

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Lighting

It can be argued that lighting is the most important factor to consider in your creative space. Not only will it help prevent mistakes in your color choices and values; but correct lighting is better for your eyes as well.

• Natural light is always the best choice. If the sunlight in your space is too direct, diffuse it with a sheer curtain.

• Use photo lamps if natural light isn’t available. Since I’m working full time, most evenings when I have time for artwork the sun has already set. I’ve found photo lamps with a diffuser cover to be very helpful. I recommend monitoring how long you’re using them, however. (I’ve noticed that having them on too late into the evening can impact my sleep cycle.)

• Play around with mood lighting. I enjoy having warmer and softer lighting while I’m using my planner or working on the computer. I have a couple of cute lamps on and some candles I light while doing my administrative tasks. I find it tends to help me focus (plus it’s really cozy).

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Get Organized

Have your frequently used items ready to grab. Seeing your favorite, go-to supplies ready to go may inspire you to get started!

While you’re at it, this would be a good time to get rid of those old materials that can’t be used anymore. You can also set aside anything you haven’t used in a long time. Those materials can be put into storage, sent to another artist, or sold.

You might notice that you’re running low on some of your materials. I like having an ongoing list of supplies I need to replace.

Have fun with storage! I like having a variety of cute containers for pencils, brushes, pens, etc.

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Jumpstart your Creative Time

All of us have a hard time starting a project sometimes. One of the easiest ways to remove creative obstacles is to make my workspace somewhere I look forward to be in.

• Leave it clean: One of my worst habits is not completely cleaning my work area when I’m done with a project. It makes it so much harder to begin when I have to clean first. Just spend a little extra time before leaving the space to tidy it up. You’ll love seeing a clean, organized space the next day.

• Put out things that motivate you: This could be a new art supply, a notepad with your next goal, or a small treat to munch on while you’re working. (I have my grandma’s candy dish in the room with some sweets.)

• Make your creative time into a ritual: Work at around the same time. Maybe you always use the same mug with a favorite tea and light some candles. Have special music playlists you only listen to while working. You’ll find that keeping the same welcoming rhythms and routines may get your mind and body prepared to create.

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Make this YOUR Space

This is the part I enjoy the most. Make your creative space a place that reflects you. Do you like a minimalist and clean environment; or would you rather it feel warm and lived in? Here are a few ways to personalize your space.

• Put up other artists’ work that inspires you.

• Place some of your favorite trinkets and memories around the room.

• Have some plants to liven up the space.

• Consider having a studio buddy. (I have my parakeet, Kiwi.)

• Decorate the room with your favorite color scheme.

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Happy Creating

I hope you’ve found this helpful. If you have your own tips of making your creative space more inviting and productive, please comment below!

Step#1: Finding Inspiration

Sometimes trying to come up with a new idea for a painting can be challenging. Here’s how I spark my imagination and come up with new ideas for artwork.

Getting in the Mood

1. Listening to Music: I have a few go-to playlists if I want something specific. Sometimes I explore on Pandora, YouTube, or Epidemic Sound to expand my collections. My current favorites are the “Dark Forest” playlists from Alexrainbirdmusic or searching for “dark academia” playlists.

2. Pinterest: I love looking at Pinterest for color schemes and references. I do have to say that I never copy anything I find on Pinterest (that would break copyright laws), but it does help me visualize the general structure or anatomy of whatever I want to create.

3. Instagram: Sometimes I look at other artists’ works, but more often I look at my own page. I know that may seem a bit… indulgent at first, but allow me to explain.

I do get inspired by reminding myself of who I am as an artist. I look at my own style and artistic perspective when I feel lost in possibilities. Sometimes I need the reminder of how far I’ve come and where I would like to go.

4. Going outside: I can be a bit of a hermit and at times I need to push myself to get outside and live life, learn about other things, and gain new perspectives. Most often, I crave getting out into the woods, sitting in front of a campfire, and observing what’s going on around me. Sometimes going out to a movie or getting coffee with a friend sparks a new concept for me. I’m not too much of a people watcher, but occasionally observing other people can give me an idea for a painting.

Step #2: Sketch it out

I’ll usually start in my sketchbook or on some tracing paper to block out my shapes. I’m looking for good composition in the size paper I’m planning for.

When I’m happy with the sketch, I’ll take a picture and edit it in Adobe Photoshop. This is especially helpful if I have a drawing in my sketchbook that is small and I would like to enlarge it.

The last step in transferring the image is to print it and trace it onto my watercolor paper.

This whole process helps me to efficiently take care of mistakes in the sketch and have the cleanest surface to work with when I move to painting.

Step #3: Painting

There are a lot of different approaches and techniques that go into this phase, but here are the basics:

1. Materials: I work with Liquitex acrylic ink using a lot of watercolor techniques. I prefer ink because of the vibrancy of the color and ease of layering. The paper is either Canson Cold Press Watercolor Paper or Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper. Both are acid free and have enough texture for using colored pencil. My details are drawn in with Caran d’Ache Luminance and Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils.

2. Process: I paint in layers (light to dark and foreground to background). There are exceptions (like in the above painting). I blocked in my background color first. This helped me establish the range of values in my work.

3. Details: The final details are put in with colored pencil. This is when I put in delicate highlights and add textures.

Step #4: The Completed Painting

I love being able to peel back the tape of a finished work.

I hope this has been a fun look behind the scenes. Check out my social media sites for more process content.

~Angie

Beginning

The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance. The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect, as unspoiled, as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life.

~Arnold Bennet

I’m very excited about 2024.

I’m spending the entire year preparing for a 2025 Shop Launch!

I’m looking forward to sharing updates with all of you! I’ll be preparing a collection of about 20 original artworks to sell. I’ll also have some fun behind-the-scenes content and announcements along the way.

Don’t miss an update! Subscribe to my newsletter or you can follow me on any of my social media platforms.

I have just started my newsletters. You’ll receive a welcome email when you sign up. I will be sending only a handful of emails this year BUT you’ll be the first to know about the launch date!

My Instagram and Threads accounts are perfect if you’re interested in seeing my process as I work on my paintings.

If you like video content, I have TikTok and YouTube available as well!

It should be an exciting year!

~Angie