DebbrahF
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 02-2009
Posts: 80
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
How do you keep your skills?
So, what do you do to work your skills? I'm not talking inspiration, but perspiration. What to you do to keep your (artistic) self in shape?
I'm thinking about it because I joined two meetup groups today. One is a drawing meetup and one an artists meetup. With the one I'll go draw, at the other discuss the local art scene.
I've debated drawing classes, but they all seem to be scheduled while I'm at work or have other commitments.  Or I chicken out/find a good excuse. Or forget until the classes have all started.
I need to take some computer classes...but the thought of the software I would endup drooling over scares me.
So.. what do you do? Push yourself? Take classes? Join groups? Something else?
---
For good or ill, luck and opportunity are 90%+ preparation...
|
|
2/10/2009, 11:44 pm
|
Send Email to DebbrahF
Send PM to DebbrahF
|
Sorsha Akai
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 02-2009
Location: Encinitas, CA
Posts: 122
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: How do you keep your skills?
Hmm, good question! Usually, I make myself sit down and do.....*something* It doesn't matter what either. If I feel I'm getting a bit rusty, and that art isn't an avenue I've persued in a while, it doesn't matter whether or not I'm inspired. I know I have a talent, I know I have a gift, and I know I have a love for just the act itself of drawing, painting, and what have you. So, yeah, it doesn't matter if its going to be a masterpiece, I just need to do something. My usual go-to is spirals/tribal stuff. It's a design that just comes naturally to me, and that I tend to draw on *everything* It's a very sub-conscious thing, too. There is no thought to composition or dimensions or anything, it just....happens. And if I get bored with that, but still have no inspiration, I'll bust out the ruler and some other traceable geometric shapes and just put them randomly down on paper or canvas, just to play with color.
When I haven't done art in a while, I think that's what I miss the most. I loooooooove to play with color!  ...I actually own a lot of children's coloring books, and I guess you could say that that too is a valid way of honing your skills. They're great when you don't want to actually draw anything, but you want to play around with shading and color composition, or even just testing out a new medium!
Yes, I'm 26 and I still color in coloring books. And if that makes me weird or immature, then....
--- "Make Your Dreams Out of Paper Mache." - Beck
 |
|
2/11/2009, 3:04 am
|
Send Email to Sorsha Akai
Send PM to Sorsha Akai
Yahoo
|
de Corbin
Head Administrator
Global user
Registered: 09-2008
Posts: 421
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: How do you keep your skills?
I went through a looooong period (twenty years) where I didn't do much art - I was tied up with work, raising a a family, rebuilding a house. I did do a lot of fine carpentry, and made furniture (too poor to by things!), which served as a creative outlet, but it just wasn't the same.
About two years ago, something weird happened (I won't tell you what - it's too weird, and I still don't quite understand it myself  ), and I had an enormous creative burst. In a period of a month, I wrote about 200 pages of stories (most of them are on my website), set up a website, did several large paintings, and started all kinds of stuff that I'm still working on.
It was like all this stuff had been going on inside me that I wasn't aware of.
At any rate, I hadn't lost much in the way of skills - a bit of manual dexterity, which came back quickly, maybe, but actually, my "vision" (what I wanted to express) was much better - more developed.
But - I think, that was a bad way of doing it.
What I should have done was to just take a bit of time and keep my pens wet, doing anything - still lifes, random scribbling, etc. I've found that it is much easier to get the juices flowing if you leave the faucet on a trickle than it is to get them going if you let the pipes get rusty.
So I'm with Sorsha Akai on this - do anything, but do something.
---   |
|
2/11/2009, 8:19 am
|
Send Email to de Corbin
Send PM to de Corbin
|
Saijen SilverWolf
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 10-2004
Location: Upper North East Tennessee
Posts: 109
Karma: 1 (+1/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: How do you keep your skills?
First let me say this to yo, Sorsha...I'm 50 and I still love to color in kids coloring books!!!!! Another means is to go to One Spirit and order their mandala coloring books. I have one of those...then I got 3 in a set recently and I really enjoy. I use only colored pencils on those. I would love to have a GOOD set of colored pencils that don't break all the time like the Crayola and Rose Art ones do. I can't seem to keep a good lead or point on either brand, but I can't afford what I really want.
Coloring in a coloring book, be it a child's or like my mandala books, is always a good way to keep some of your skills sharp.
I can't draw worth a toot, so I don't even pretend to try, but not long ago, I entered a contest in another forum...I didn't even place, which was fine, but what I came up with was rather unusual, and I liked it. I actually got the idea, for the things I will post here eventually, by doodling one day when I was bored.
Ok....
This first one is only a portion of the contest piece. The entire piece is like this corner.
This is my YinYang tree, that was drawn using the same flame-like concept.
The 2 above were the direct result of doodling one day when I was bored. As I said before, I can't draw worth a toot, but I like these....they're different.
While I don't draw, I didn't need to keep any skills sharp by doing this, but it inspired me to go outside of my comfort zone a little.
--- Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~
~~*~~  .~~*~~ |
|
2/27/2009, 4:07 pm
|
Send Email to Saijen SilverWolf
Send PM to Saijen SilverWolf
Yahoo
|
Sorsha Akai
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 02-2009
Location: Encinitas, CA
Posts: 122
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: How do you keep your skills?
If you ask me, it looks like you were well within your comfort zone when you drew those! They're beautiful!
--- "Make Your Dreams Out of Paper Mache." - Beck
|
|
2/27/2009, 6:12 pm
|
Send Email to Sorsha Akai
Send PM to Sorsha Akai
Yahoo
|
Saijen SilverWolf
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 10-2004
Location: Upper North East Tennessee
Posts: 109
Karma: 1 (+1/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: How do you keep your skills?
You're too kind, Sorsha *hug*....Thank you.
Fire is my Element, so I guess the look of flame itself isn't out of my comfort zone....the idea of putting it together like this was WAY out of my comfort zone...lol.
All of this from simply doodling!! Not a bad way to keep your skills sharp if you're an artist that draws, paints, etc.
--- Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~
~~*~~ .~~*~~ |
|
2/28/2009, 6:05 pm
|
Send Email to Saijen SilverWolf
Send PM to Saijen SilverWolf
Yahoo
|
Sorsha Akai
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 02-2009
Location: Encinitas, CA
Posts: 122
Karma: 2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: How do you keep your skills?
ooh, now that you mention it, they do look like flames! neat! firegrass!
and I loooooove mandala coloring books, especially Celtic ones! I had a book of sun-catcher ones too, they were fun! ....I usually end up making rainbows out of everything though, lol! What can I say? I like my colors to be in the correct order! When I do those, I usually use my Prismacolor markers or colored pencils. ....I <3 Prismacolor! Too bad the ink never lasts that long within the pens though, which is bad, considering how expensive those things are!
--- "Make Your Dreams Out of Paper Mache." - Beck
|
|
3/3/2009, 7:20 pm
|
Send Email to Sorsha Akai
Send PM to Sorsha Akai
Yahoo
|
Add a reply
Link to us
- Blogs
- Hall of Honour
- Chat
|
You are not logged in (login)
Board's time is: 11/29/2009, 5:29 pm
|
|
|
