Here’s a master list of links on how to make art:
As someone who is overwhelmed by the multitude of paint colors to use and make, the idea of a limited palette appeals to me, That’s why I liked this piece on the wonderful world of the limited palette as well as this one on the 7 benefits of painting with a limited palette. Relatedly, here’s an essential guide on the zorn pallette. More on the Zorn palette,here and here. And here’s something on monochrome watercolour portrait.
Here’s a bunch of how to advice, including how to make diy packing tape transfers, how to do grisaille underpainting technique, plus an an unofficial guide to block printing. More on block printing here.
Want to paint using coffee? Why not. How about how to glaze with acrylics?
Here’s 5 Tips for Trois Crayons Drawing Technique. More how tos: How to draw leaves like John Ruskin, How to draw with ink, How to draw with graphite and How to draw with charcoal.
Some great trois crayons drawings here. Some great collage work here.
If you want to lay out a book, here’s how it works. Related, here how to make a booklet which is a half fold in the middle. Relatedly, here’s: How To Make An eBook.
Finally, here’s how to draw a portrait in pencil.
Inspiration: I found the following sites give me inspriation to make things. For example, block prints by svPhoenixStudio. More block print material here.
Other things I found inspriring were these Italian renaissance drawings, these notable book covers and even these fonts for cookbooks. I like this guy who paints a lot of eggs, plus much more: egg painter. I like these illustrations by jason sturgill. The printing press work on display here: a man of letters. I loved these Istock photos of flowers on wallpaper. And these government prints that are free to use.
Do you like the color blue? Here’s some blue to inspire you.
For fans of posters, take a look at this, on how give it a polish classic film posters with a twist in pictures.
Some photography help here, why i still shoot vintage kodak brownie hawkeye film camera and here,
Some inspiration from the beautiful film, perfect days.
Zines: I still love zines. If you do too, check out these quaranzines. Read what the heck is a zine and What in the sam-heck is a zine? Then learn how to turn a google doc diary into a zine. Lots more zines here.
More art thoughts: on junk journaling benefits. Something on quantity and quality. Good advice: everything i make is a diary entry.
I really liked this book Brian Eno put out: Brian Eno Explores What Art Does in a New Book Co-Written with Artist Bette A. More Eno, here: Oblique Strategies.
Some insights onT he Highly Systematic Methodology of Dutch 17th-century Painting Techniques.
Why we need your art. Now go mess around and make something. One way to ease into painting is to focus on one color. Here’s some good guides on monochrome painting: how to paint in monochrome, on monochrome watercolor painting techniques, more on monochrome painting, how to paint using one color here, and easy one color painting guide.
Once you want to branch out from one color, consider this site: mixer.
Here’s some easy watercolor art ideas.
for acrylic fans: paint acrylic light to dark or dark to light.
If you want to Bind a Book read this.
A good piece on how Renaissance art used tracing cartoons. Relatedly, read this on stenciling with acrylic paint.
Helpful advice on painting your first object.
Read this if you like to draw with ink: how to draw a portrait with ink.
Finally, here’s some good inspiration for older artists: a new start after 60 it took 70 years to find my inner artist at 82, and this: ” I don’t know if i like it”…artist finally shown at royal academy after 31 attempts and finally this, on David Hockney drawing from life.
Ok, maybe this lesson on “How to Paint Like Hayao Miyazaki” will not result in work of his stature, but it was interesting to see how basic his technique is. Great work, simple approach.
Here’s a piece on much much older drawing lessons from Katsushika Hokusai Who Famously Painted The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The lessons themselves are online. You can get a sample of them, here: Japanese – Quick Lessons in Simplified Drawings. Old but still relevant.
As for other tools (some NSFW) that can help you draw and paint, there’s Figurosity, Figure drawing poses and gesture drawing tools. There is Magic Poser Web. Give intro Line of Action a visit. Lastly, here’s 20 Artistic Prompts to Get You Through a Creative Slump.
Speaking of NSFW, here’s a good online lesson on Drawing with Charcoal in Craftsy, that I found really good.
Need more help? Here’s a good exercise from Austin Kleon: The 30-minute noticing workout.
Here’s a wealth of Watercolour lessons for anyone who wants to go that way.
If you are looking to make something, the Washington Post has a section on beginner diy projects.
Perhaps you always wanted to learn to paint? If so, Domestika has this creative watercolor sketching for beginner course.
If you have already started painting and you want to improve your skills, these
YouTube videos by Ian Roberts on Mastering Compostion are good. Likewise, if you can go to the artistsnetwork.com and get guides like this: how to thin acrylic paint and more.
Another source of education is My Modern Met Tutorials.
If you fantasize about going to art school but can’t imagine how you could pay for it, read this: Don’t Want to Pay for Art School? Here’s a Streamlined Syllabus for Getting your MFA.
If you want to do something musical instead, check out patatap, a fun way to make noises and visuals with your keyboard.
A good primer on zines is here.
More on how to make them, here.
This is a technical zine on networking. I like it. Here are more technical zines: shop.bubblesort.io
More good stuff from the creator of the networking zine, including why she sells zines, and here how she made a zine.
If you want to take a more professional approach to making zines, see: How to print zines
Also good is this: How to Make a Zine (with Pictures) from wikiHow.
I’ve been interested in drawing with ink lately, so here’s some good links on how to ink a drawing and how to make pen and ink drawings here. Two good videos on drawing with ink are here: Draw with ink and Also draw with ink.
This may be one of the best guides I have ever come across regarding thumbnail sketching from an instructor at RISD.
I’m a big fan of the artist who draws the Metropolitan Diary drawings, so I enjoyed this piece on what the Metropolitan Diary taught its illustrator about New York.
Here’s a clip I saved of Peter Falk from Wings of Desire when he talks about the and the happiness with the simple things in life, like drawing. Speaking of Falk, here’s a story on his own art work, here.
I’ve always been inspired by Jim Jarmusch’s Collages and wished I did more. So I was happy when I found this piece on collage art ideas. Really good stuff.
I have always found these Scribbled Portraits of Brooding Figures by Adam Riches inspiring. It reminds me of some of the great drawings my brother Ed used to do.
More links: If you want to take up drawing cartoons; if you want to learn how to Draw a Self-Portrait; if you need more advice on how to draw, How to Draw in Six Steps; here’s a quick beginner’s guide to drawing.
Finally, here’s some good things to consider:
- Nick Cave gives advice to a 62 years old who decided to learn how to play guitar and wanted to know if it is a fool’s errand for someone of my age?
- Pointing at things by Austin Kleon
Sometimes you can get so hung up about making art you don’t make anything at all. This could be due to several reasons. For example, if you are worried about your style, read this. If you are frozen because you wonder if you are you good enough to be an artist, go here. You can also read this: how to boldly pursue your artistic calling even if youre riddled with self doubt. If you wonder if your art is good enough to sell, click this. For an example, see how this artist sells art on etsy.
If you think you are no good, get over yourself and read: 7 sins of beginner artists what keeps you from being good and 21 days to be a better artist. If you think you have no skill, head over to this: create art without skill and this: you can draw and probably better than i can. If you think you need to go to art school, read: don’t go to art school. If you think you are too old: why it’s never too late to become an artist. If you need some prompts, go here: Some good prompts from Inktober.
If nothing else, make yourself a zine. Here’s advice on making a zine, on how to fold a zine, and how to make a one page zine. Here’s some zine advice and more zine goodness is there.
A quick beginner’s guide to drawing – Ralph Ammer
How to Draw in Six Steps – The New York Times
How to Draw a Self-Portrait – The New York Times
This is a nice little tool if you want to turn a photograph into a stencil or drawing: Free Picture Stencil Maker.
Sounds impossible, but if you go here and watch the enclosed video, you will feel confident you can watercolor too: How to watercolor: In under 3 mins.
Smart People I Know 