How do I find direction/inspiration?

I’ve been a member for a couple of months now, and absolutely loving it.

However, I’m very aware of a couple of things.

  1. That I’m learning through copying, and I worry that I’ll get to the point where I find I’ve copied all I can, and have no creativity/inspiration of my own

  2. I’m excitedly dabbling in pretty much everything covered on the courses (and spending a small fortune doing so - thanks Matt!), but I have no real ‘feel’ for what techniques/mediums/subjects I really feel drawn to. And it concerns me that, once I’ve completed the parts of the courses I want to cover, I’ll ‘have done it’ and lose interest.

Does anyone else share the same concerns, or experienced similar feelings?

How do you get inspiration, or find your direction?

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The best thing I found, is to experiment with all mediums and all kinds of objects. There is always something to work on. Also going to a museum, Art show, Art Festivals and galleries help to keep you to stay motivated.

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Thanks Denise - Hopefully the museums and galleries will open up again soon! Other people’s art is definitely one area I need to explore more.

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I think I had some similar concerns at first…I think with the “copying”…I have learned that with my new eye problems, it is best to “copy” and be accurate and you still have to work on “so much” more!..(as Matt says all the time)! haha…and you know, if it is a picture of my great grand one, I want it accurate, right?! :slight_smile:
Well, there is value, contrast, there is visual positioning, composition, light, dark, color, texture, line, …and, and,…Well, soo much more…
Then, there are the various classes that you can take and quite costly…
Also, although you do have to make some investments on the various art tools for various mediums, you get so much information from listening to Matt about how, you, as an individual, should be learning to draw or use each medium, to “interpret” what “you see”…
Gotta tell ya, I listen to Matt on the online classes and always pick up quite a bit on how to “think like an artist”…even though I am but a beginner??
Well, I would love to call myself an artist, but i don’t think i am “there yet”?
I think this is an awesome opportunity that we have here…so I don’t take it for granted and am amazed at the low cost…Hush…don’t let Matt know…Well, for some reason, He does know, and He wants to share…
Thanks for reading if you stayed tuned haha

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Oh, btw…although I am able to schetch…by listening to him…I have learned to be more accurate on my schetching and even do more! So, I think that the more I feel that I can sketch and check out each medium…the more chance I get to feel out what I really want to focus on.
(So far, my love for schetching and watercolors has expanded as I feel that watercolors has been a touch medium so far. So, it makes me feel that I can try another medium and so it is not so much “me”, but the medium) Hoope this made some sense hehe

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oh my! my typos :slight_smile: :smile: :grin:

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Hi Rambolini, I completely understand what you’re saying. I’m on my second year with Matt, and I have learned so much about the different media and techniques. Rather than copy what he’s doing, I try to think of something that I could do that is similar, but not the same. I have begun collecting photos for a resource file that I can turn to when I need an idea. Sometimes it really works, other times not so much. Keep your eyes open to what inspires you and how you want to create something wonderful from that.

Good luck! Matt is the best and you can’t go wrong with him, whether you copy what he is doing or start out on your own.

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Hi Candace, Thank you very much for your comment - I actually have a resource of photos which I’ve taken over the years which, until you mentioned it, I’d never even considered as a source for my artwork! I look forward to trawling through those later for some inspiration (well, hopefully I’ll be inspired :slight_smile: ).

Over the last couple of days I’ve tried to look at some of the lesson content and maybe take a different approach - e.g. trying to draw the charcoal gorilla in white on a black background. I even did a collection of tiny fruit in soft pastels.

Since Maki’s post regarding this topic the other day, I’m certainly feeling better about things, and even a little ‘inspired’!

One more thing - I’m also feeling better about my art journey simply because this forum community seems so supportive and helpful, which is really reassuring!

I agree with you, I had gone through a similar process. And, stopped drawing and painting altogether because all I had in my mind were rules, instructions and other artists’ ideas. But, I learned something about myself - I like to draw, I need it to get away, to be in the present. I just immerse in the passion, when I see something I am drawn to, I feel it and let myself go. So maybe you just need to let go, look around you and find what draws you to making art.

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Hi Rambolini,
I too understand how you are feeling. I have been with Matt now for 3 years and have learnt so much. What I do for example, with the current series of drawing the bee in coloured pencils, I follow the lesson, but, then I look for a photo on pixabay of a different bee and challenge myself to draw it using the techniques learnt from Matts bee.
Hope this helps,
Estelle, Australia

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I have liked dabbling in new mediums and have enjoyed all that I have used, except for Acrylics. One thing I have to stay away from is Googling the Dick Blick and Jerry Artarama sites or getting art supply books. I could spend a small fortune and I have spent enough getting for things that Matt uses; but, I realize he has been doing this for a very, very long time. I just have to use things that I have already and I have a little of most. The other night I was scrolling through lessons and on the tiger with oil-based pencils really interested me, but I don’t have any (yet) but will look at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. :heart_eyes:

I also have gone through magazines and pulled out a lot to use as subjects. Especially the National Geographics that BnL gives to us. The large pictures of very interesting people are my favorite subjects. I had always thought that copying a picture was cheating until Matt showed us how to do so. He is great and has a lot of good information to share.

:ok_woman: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

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