This summer has been fairly hectic between working, graduating, and moving back to my hometown but I have somehow managed to find enough time to work on my art. As a recent graduate I've been freaking out a bit about how to make my art more marketable. I have been told by many of those who I've asked advice from that what my doodle drawings need is the inclusion of color. I have created some beautiful doodle landscapes and creatures recently using only black ink but a huge part of me has been worried that adding color to these already existing drawings will ruin them, making them look cartoony or child-like. In an attempt to fix this problem, I decided to begin creating art with a layer of color to guide my drawings. This method, shown in the photo on the left, has worked so much better for me because the color and line work interact from the very beginning.
In addition to my hesitation to add color, I have also I struggled a lot the past semester in my painting class with my tendency to overwork my pieces by filling up the entire canvas with intricate designs. In doing this I began to lose the form and movement of both the paint and line work. By laying down color first then proceeding with drawing I have begun to rid myself of this bad habit.
Approaching art making this way has really helped me improve as an artist and I have begun to overcome these obstacles I had been struggling with. I cannot say I have completely overcome them but I am slowly finding my way! I have also been thoroughly inspired by the constructive criticism of others and I really do appreciate the honest feedback from everyone who I’ve discussed this with.
What am I thinking about for the future? I’ve been toying with the idea of applying to some screen printing jobs since I absolutely fell in love with the art form in college; however my long-term goals revolve around eventually licensing my art work to t-shirt, skateboard/surfboard, or pattern design companies. I have no idea what my next step will be but I’m staying hopeful!
In addition to my hesitation to add color, I have also I struggled a lot the past semester in my painting class with my tendency to overwork my pieces by filling up the entire canvas with intricate designs. In doing this I began to lose the form and movement of both the paint and line work. By laying down color first then proceeding with drawing I have begun to rid myself of this bad habit.
Approaching art making this way has really helped me improve as an artist and I have begun to overcome these obstacles I had been struggling with. I cannot say I have completely overcome them but I am slowly finding my way! I have also been thoroughly inspired by the constructive criticism of others and I really do appreciate the honest feedback from everyone who I’ve discussed this with.
What am I thinking about for the future? I’ve been toying with the idea of applying to some screen printing jobs since I absolutely fell in love with the art form in college; however my long-term goals revolve around eventually licensing my art work to t-shirt, skateboard/surfboard, or pattern design companies. I have no idea what my next step will be but I’m staying hopeful!