New Year's Resolutions don't just have to be about losing weight or quitting smoking! Though these are certainly worthy endeavors, if you've been wishing to develop your creativity or drawing technique, now is the time to make these wishes into tangible goals. Pick one of these great ideas, write it out on a piece of paper, and stick it on your fridge or mirror as a daily reminder of your creative priority for the year.
Some days the world seems to conspire against creativity. Don't let your art get crowded out. Timetable it, the way you do other activities - even if its only a couple of hours a week. If need be, enrol in a class so you have a time and space commited to making artwork. Prioritizing is critical if you aspire to make a living from your art, but hobbies are also an important part of our lives.
Keeping a daily sketchbook is a great way to develop your creativity. Your drawings don't have to be complex - quick sketches of simple subjects can be useful and enjoyable.
If you are interested in drawing figures, including any type of people, clothed or otherwise, then you really need to study human anatomy and the principles of figure drawing and proportion. Guesswork always shows, but a good reference makes your drawings look convincing and accurate.
These guys really knew how to draw. By studying and copying their techniques, you can develop your own skills. Choose an artist you admire, and try creating copies of a few pieces. You might only do a small section, noting underlying sketches or outline, development of form, and overlaid marks and hatching.
Whether your art is personal or professional, there's no point in telling people in vague terms about what you do. Show them! There are many ways you can share your art. Take some photographs and keep a mini-album in your purse or satchel. Scan and print some works. Save them to a disk you can hand out. Make a business card. Put your drawing on a T-Shirt.
Don't lose those important ideas. Write them down! When you are moved by a poem, a line of a song, or create one of your own - even if its just a bit of a line - record it. Art isn't just about pictures. Words and ideas can feed into your artwork.
Drawing from Life means drawing from real, solid, objects and people. Nothing beats drawing from life to develop a good sense of three-dimensional form in your work. It can be frustrating at first, but persevere.
