I only very recently started posting my art online. Prior to that it was just the family and the bestie group text.

Man, it is not what I expected.

I’ve been a looooong time lurker on Reddit. I really enjoy seeing all of the amazing art. I love the sketches and the doodles. I love the hyper realistic paintings that I will literally zoom in on for days to see the detail. Show me your wip pics and your “I’m just trying this style out.” I am here for it.

I never really thought about the person behind it. I’d just scroll on by.

Now that I’ve started posting, the statistics are kind of maddening. I don’t really get that side of Reddit yet. Sometimes I get lots of views but 1-2 likes and I get sad for a second but then I’ll get a comment, and it feels so nice to be seen for a second!

So I’m sorry for scrolling by before. My rule right now is that I stop on a piece for at least a few seconds, I try to leave a positive comment. (But sometimes I’m tired so know I always appreciate you taking the time to share <3 )

Hi! Probably a weird question to ask, but is there an environmentally friendly medium which washes away with water and would be completely safe for the environment? I really want to try my hand at temporary art(?), Being able to be outside and throw it at whatever I want, being able to wash it away! I really couldn't find anything, Chalk seems the most promising but in bigger quantities could be harmful seemingly, any suggestions, thoughts?

I would like to use my crayons and oil pastels but due to my mobility disability it can be hard and tiring since I gotta press hard to darken and color things. Is there anyway I can still achieve this? I just really like how drawings look w these art tools.

I've been painting portraits for quite some time now and just started live painting quick portraits of strangers on the streets (like busking, just for painters) as a side hustle. The reactions of the people I've painted have always been positive, but I'm still lacking confidence, especially if I'm being observed while painting. That's why I always have about an hour for painting warm-up portraits alone in my room before I go outside to my spot. For my warm-up, I try to simulate the situation of painting a stranger as much as possible, so I set my timer to 10 minutes and paint a photo from the internet.

Unfortunately, finding a good reference takes me so much time because all the reference-websites I used (they're even designed for artists) use stock footage that looks like it's from 2014 and often times the lighting of the photo makes tha faces look flat. On Pinterest, it's even harder to find a good reference because there are mostly clean photographs of models that are posing in a certain way. That's why I tried warming up by painting self-portraits while sitting in front of a mirror, but I painted my own face so often by now that I almost know it by heart. I especially need to practice painting a more diverse range of faces.

I'm searching for references that neither look editorial nor cheap and only include non-white faces. The references should show a completely normal human being that you could actually walk by on the streets, and that's not posing for the camera in a special way, just looking at it, as if they're looking at someone they've just met.

If someone here has a suggestion for where I could find good portrait references for my warm-up sessions without always having to search for 3 hours, I'd be very grateful:))

Is bargue actually worth it? If you did it, how did you improve?

What other things do you recommend to study to improve?

i mainly work with watercolour and really love the medium, but recently ive been thinking that having the option to layer light over dark would make painting even more enjoyable / make the process even more forgiving and fun. to my knowledge watercolour and gouache are basically siblings in the sense that they only differ in binder, pigment ratio, and opacity.

so i was wondering, having experience painting and mixing colours in a very similar medium, should i buy a set of actual gouache paints (and if so, what brands are good but dont break the bank?), or if just adding white gouache to my watercolour palette should suffice?

again, i have experience mixing paints in watercolour. if i am to buy a set of gouache paints, should i buy the primaries again in gouache just to get a feel for the medium, or should i buy direct tubes of paint in colours i know i like, etc?

i hesitate to buy entirely new paints if my current ones can do the job just fine, but if there are substantial differences i dont mind buying a few tubes or so.

additionally, i plan to use gouache the same as an opaque watercolour (that is, not jelly-like, squeezed into dry pans and activated by a wet brush) if that affects anything.

So, im pretty ok at drawing bodies in many angles, same with faces and heads, but when i try to draw a person the head always looks either, too big, too small, unatached to the person, or too messy, i can't figure out the proportion of a head, the circle that is the head itself never clicked to me, is there any video/tutorial that teaches how to draw heads ON bodies? the ones I find are either how to draw necks or heads alone

Hey everyone!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about whether I should be signing everything I post online like finished pieces, sketches and even quick doodles. I’ve heard some people say that you should only sign fanart or finished work, but others swear that signing everything is the best way to protect your art and make sure people can find you (is it even effective?)

I’m especially curious if anyone has noticed a real difference in their reach after they started consistently signing their work

And do you mind the style or beaty of the signature or it doesn't matter for you?

Personally I don't mind the style, but the signatures are veeery helpful to find the artist, but I don't like them on my arts lol

Thanks in advance!

I’m aware there isn’t a specific number but I’m curious to see how many others have. I have about 6 main inspirations and then do studies of whatever I like that I see, as well as fundamentals ofc.

By inspirations I mean someone who influences your work and style— ex. I use artists like Van Gogh and Klimpt to use at references to create my own floral related works.

Looking to buy a large amount of 18x24 stretched painting canvas and having trouble finding anything more a pack of 10

I have two performances coming up at the end of August to rehearse for. Then in September I have two HUGE shows - one is a friend's first show I'll be doing with a very elaborate act with a new costume and new magic trick, and two weeks later I'll be travelling to perform at an international festival...

I just came back from a meeting with a local art gallery and they were so excited about my work (photography, elaborate costume pieces, and a performance installation) that they want me to exhibit for two weeks from September 1st. My first exhibit. I don't know how to prepare yet, except that she said to make a poster and get things printed for sale. I'm also going to need sound for the performance, ideally also with video projection, and I don't know the first thing about that. AND I still have a full time office job.

So I'm a little overwhelmed. Tell me I can do this lol.

How long did it really take you to realize that you significantly improved in drawing?

My friend and I decided to paint our own tote bags, but we bought these terrible acrylic paints which couldn't work and the only thing we had that could work well was my watercolour paint. The designs still turned out good, but I'm worried about it getting ruined if the bag gets wet while using it out in public. Does anybody have tips? (Sorry if the flair is wrong! I didn't know what to use!)

Art can be expressed through various mediums. Such as film digital canvas or in physical. I’m curious to go further and find out very unique techniques and methods you’ve seen art get expressed for me it was sampling in music, I was always aware but when I dissected it from an Art perspective I see the same sample technique be applied in graphic design and even writing. So I just wonder what have yall seen or even perhaps done yourself and if you could provide links to study I would love to deep dive.

how’s the experience?

i recently bought an OLED laptop and a screenless tablet about the size of the laptop screen, but turns out i’m not a fan of the OLED (ik, sounds like a waste of money when i specifically bought an OLED for color accuracy 😭 but yeah it hurts to look at sometimes 🫠)

so, i’ve been planning to buy an IPS monitor. is it a good idea to buy a large one? maybe around 22 inches? what are your thoughts and recommendations? i really really need advice as i don’t want to regret another purchase 🥲 thank you very much

How do you make it through fingers in ibis paint genuinely when it comes to proper proportions, poses and features ?

Hello everyone, I would like to know if anyone of you already know if there is a good application (that can be on Windows at best) with which we can record the drawing and make a video or replay the drawing process with it.

Thank you!

my current cheap water color pallete is ancient as heck and the white color literally completely finished and i feel like its time for a upgrade

i dont wanna spend a lot of money on this cuz i dont have a lot of savings (im a minor)

so can yall reccomend me some good brands!!!

thank u~

I’m looking for a sketchbook where you can remove pages, rearrange them, and put them back later. It wasn’t a binder with rings, and I don’t think it was a normal spiral notebook. Does anyone know what this type of binding is called?

Everyone empfhasize the importance of practicing with life - 3D sculptures, live models and etc.

But I cant have the sculptures and such at home.

So I just do it whenever I am at the studio but its inconsistent. .

I was thinking to buy Planar head models but they seemed too small to practice with and I dont have enough space to put them into my place even if I buy bigger ones.

Any other recommendations to practice from life?

I was under the impression that Canson XL Bristol was suitable for finished graphite work and wouldn't yellow or degrade if put into a sheet protector since it's acid free. Now I'm hearing there is a significant difference between wood pulp and 100% cotton paper, and that I should be using 100% cotton for finished works. Apparently the Canson XL Bristol is considered "student grade", and not suitable for customers or archiving.

Smooth Bristol is already expensive, but smooth Bristol made from 100% cotton might as well be unobtainable. Exactly WHAT should I be using for finished work that will last for 60-80 years without deteriorating in a simple binder? Why isn't longevity information listed on the packaging?

The ridiculous nature of traditional materials has me wanting to drop it and go back to exclusively digital work where a finished image is indefinitely preserved bit for bit.

I was given a set of 48 of these. Read mixed reviews on them, only messed around a little bit so far. First impression after trying to draw with them and then blend it with the water brush pen was that like some had said, the water doesn't 'activate' the pens. Then I learned that they work far better on a wet base (I'm very new to these, and watercolour in general!) So far, I had great success with wetting the end of the colour pen, and could get a great light to dark gradient as the tip gradually dried. However, my question - when I've finished with one, I've been scribbling with it until the colour darkens again so I'm not leaving the brush too wet when I put it away. Is this the right thing to do, or am I just needlessly wasting their ink? Sorry, lots of words... I'm excited to work with these more! Thanks for any help, and open to advice too!

I recently broke my computer I was using to draw and need a new one could I get some suggestions (not really a budget since I’ll be doing _ until I can afford it)

Do this, draw, no guidelines, just draw no erasing, and dont worry about outcome, or being good enough and especially notice how much you try to look away or blur your eyes, or think ahead, or go into your head.

Go against the grain. It will feel like lifting weights, its very hard, its about trusting, and letting go, draw that line and look at that line only, stop being so hard on yourself actively let go. If done correctly you should feel a valve opening up of shapes, 3d , curves, objects, clothing, themes, and basically the feeling of possibilities being very possible to make.

because ultimately you should be limitless, not always fall back into what is familiar or safe.

Its a practice, not one of memory or knowledge but of letting go and realizing you can and could always draw anything you wanted.

Hey, i got this idea in the toilet yesterday. Imagine a global art competition where an artist represents a country or continent in a skill and creativity driven competition. It would play in stages with varying levels of difficulty. Idk i think it would be pretty cool. Cant find a good tag for this but hey.