Having your own style!
I love my art and I don't think that is a bad thing to admit. The moment you begin to put too much pressure on yourself, the more likely you are to lose your passion and your reason for creating it in the first place. If I don't connect with something I create, I tend not to be as proud of it - not because it isn't good, but because it isn't what I want to be creating and it no longer has any meaning to me. Everyone has their own style, it's important to embrace it! I think being bold is also a good way of progressing with art. The times where I am not thinking too much about what I'm drawing or painting, are the times where I produce the best results. Self-sabotage is also an issue which I think stems from a lack of self-confidence or self-doubt. It's important to incorporate your individuality and creativity. I like to study other artwork for inspiration but I think you should always try to have your own style and be proud of it!
Self-Portrait
Using pencil
For all paintings, whether it be portraits or landscapes I think that my work turns out better if I have made a sketch first, if you give yourself at least an idea of how you want the overall picture to look, then it gives you something to work with rather than diving in with paints straight away! I find sometimes that I actually prefer a piece if I have sketched it in detail. In this drawing, for example, you could argue that it would look better if it was painted, it looks slightly unfinished- but sometimes I like a pencil drawing, it is good to build up the shading and you can get a really good effect from it. Anyone can use pencils to draw, even if you don't think you are very artistic, you can follow tutorials and read art books which help you to know the basic forms of objects and people. It is good to practise drawing, don't start with the most difficult objects, or try to do a piece involving lots of people etc. It is about using common sense, building up your skills and understanding the shadows and highlights which can have a big impact on the finished look. Within art, you learn from your mistakes and no one can be a master or perfect straight away. Just like everything else in life, it is best to start from the beginning and work your way up.
Updated self-portrait
My first time using watercolour
Sunset
Colourful Paradise
Sunsets and Acrylic Paints
Sunsets, Beaches and Forests. These are three of my favourite things to paint. I like to paint from my head normally, so I don’t use a photo, or I will just look to a photo for inspiration. If you are painting a sunset, you can vary the colours you use, the angle you choose and the perspective. You can decide if you want to paint just the sea, with the sun light shining directly downwards, whether or not you want to include some land, or boats in the painting. If you are painting a beach, you can vary it by deciding if you are painting a sandy or rocky beach, if there are people, what the weather is etc. Forests are a good thing to paint if you are wanting to practice drawing trees, or if you want to create a big painting, a forest is a good choice as it is consistent throughout the painting and you can make it very atmospheric. Acrylic paints are what I use mainly, but I like to vary it every so often to learn new skills and try different styles. Acrylic paints allow you to create texture and depth, you can build the paint, you can alter mistakes by painting over them, and you can also use a variety of colours.
As opposed to oil painting, where you normally stick to minimal colours. I have never tried oil painting, but I know that it is a unique style of painting as it is hard to replicate the overall effect any other way. Watercolour paints are definitely much more difficult than using acrylic paints. When using watercolour, you cannot build up the paint in the same way. I think watercolour paints create a very realistic effect though. I would definitely investigate into how to use watercolour paints and different techniques before attempting them.
Geometric sunset
Geometric Style
I have never tried doing anything in this style before. I wanted to try something different as I have been painting a lot of sunsets in the same style recently. I would say that trying different things, while still doing what you know, is a great way of progressing and challenging yourself. I chose fairly dramatic colours to try and make the painting eye-catching. It is done with acrylics, and it took me around 4 hours to complete. I enjoyed the fact that it felt very calming to paint this, but it was also difficult at the same time as I didn't want to make any mistakes. Putting yourself out of your comfort zone is key within everyday life, and especially when creating art. I would recommend that anyone tries a new style, one that they may never even have heard of before - as you may surprise yourself!
Mourning
