What Should I Make?
It’s a question that only you, the artist, can really answer. I can throw some ideas at you, but you need to decide what sticks. If you’re not feeling invested in your project, it’s going to show with the end result. Part of that investment means choosing what to make.
Good art tells a story, connects with the viewer and evokes emotion. I encourage you to make art about something you are passionate about. If you’re feeling that connection, that’ll come through in your work, and chances are the viewer will feel it, too.
There are some activities here that focus on developing your drawing skills and exploring techniques with various media. But while skill development in art is important (it can help the artist tell the story more effectively), it should not be the end goal. Art that reflects a technically accurate representation of the subject (realism) may show great technical skill, but it will only have power if it communicates a feeling or message, and connects with the viewer.
Let 13 year old Evan Sharma school you on how to be an artist! Seriously, listen to everything he says:
How to get ideas
If you’re looking for some idea juice, check out these two videos:
Be inspired by cool things other artists are doing:
Make an inspiration bank:
Fill a couple of pages in your sketchbook with potential inspiration for future art projects. Include imagery you may be interested in drawing/painting this semester, as well as colours, textures, words, concepts… anything that intrigues you.
- images clipped from magazines
- images printed from websites
- small, quick sketches to develop later
- written notes
Here’s an idea:
Try something completely different!
Artist process:
Check out these two videos, with some good habits to get into, and some to avoid: