I help people learn . Each week, on Monday, I publish a video newsletter called The Pencil Progress. Sign up now to be part of this exclusive group!
The Pencil Progress
Stay inspired, and sharpen your craft with "The Pencil Progress" weekly newsletter. Consider a donation by clicking here. Thanks! Today, let's talk about something we all encounter but seldom celebrate. Mistakes. The True Value of Mistakes in Art“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” -Scott Adams This quote really resonates with me. I do make a lot of mistakes. But I never see them as a negative thing. They just are. It's information. I would also add to this quote and say, "Art is knowing which mistakes to keep and which ones to fix or correct-- and when." Mistakes in art are like real-world feedback loops. They instantly show us what's working and what needs a rethink. Now, here's where it gets interesting for us artists and learners: every mistake is a piece of 'raw ore' that contains invaluable lessons. As I've journeyed through my own art practice and teaching, I've come to see mistakes not as setbacks but as stepping stones. Each one offers a new technique or perspective that not only improves my art but also becomes a key lesson I can share with you all. Think of it like mining. At first, you're chipping away tentatively, unsure of what you'll find. But the more you mine, the better you get at recognizing the value in each 'ore' of mistake. Over time, you refine your methods, making it easier to extract those golden nuggets of wisdom. In a way, mistakes act like compound interest in art. The more you make and learn from, the richer your artistic and teaching experience becomes. So, let's embrace our mistakes; they're the stepping stones on our path to mastery. This week's video shows you the time-lapse of a 2-hour training I did this past Saturday on a nose drawing! This is a Zoom recording that I didn't have a lot of control over. So even though the video quality isn't real high, I still think it's valuable content. I hope you think so. I'm taking you through a condensed version of a two-hour workshop focused specifically on drawing a nose. When drawing people, accuracy matters. You can see how the anatomy of the nose comes to life through careful layering and shading. If you haven't spent time focusing solely on drawing individual facial features, this is a chance to see why it's crucial for improving your skills in drawing people. Give it a watch; taking the time to master facial features can elevate your portraiture skills. Between answering questions and discussing paper and pencil considerations, we didn't have enough time to complete the entire drawing. But we did get pretty close! Toward the end, we focused on modifying and correcting small areas to make the nose resemble my model more and more. Enjoy! Want to nail shadows and colors without the fuss? Get your free Grisaille Method cheat sheet! 👇 Looking Ahead Don't miss the next presentation inside Office Hours! **Members Only Office Hours with guest instructor Jesse Lane, Saturday, Oct 7th. RSVP to be able to join the live demo with Jesse. I hope to see you there. These demos are always so much fun and guarantee you'll learn something! 😁 Until next time... P.S. Get in on our Members Circle to amp up your art game with weekly lessons, first-access video podcasts, and ongoing art challenges. Plus, enjoy targeted exercises, a tight-knit community, and special perks like royalty-free photos, discounts on courses, private art mentoring, and more. It's your go-to hub for artistic growth and inspiration. Heads up! Open Enrollment for the Members Circle is just around the corner. Waitlist folks, you'll hear from me soon! 😀 If you're not part of the Members Circle waitlist, you're welcome to join by going to this link: https://sharpened-artist.ck.page/7b6ffa6e05 Are you enjoying this video newsletter? Consider leaving a tip of any size! |
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John Middick
I help people learn . Each week, on Monday, I publish a video newsletter called The Pencil Progress. Sign up now to be part of this exclusive group!
Stay inspired, and sharpen your craft with "The Pencil Progress" weekly newsletter. ✨ Looking for an easy way to render shadows and figure out your colors? Grab your free Grisaille Method Guide and master the secrets of values and shadows! 👉 Download the Grisaille Method one-page guide In this week's video, I'm discussing the Grisaille Method. The video shows an excerpt from the workshop "Baby Luke"! I show you a couple of different segments toward the middle of this drawing process. I start...
Stay inspired, and sharpen your craft with "The Pencil Progress" weekly newsletter. Kickstart your creativity with the Goals Workbook. Time to get ahead with Q4 planning! 🎉 New year, new art goals!👉 Download Goals Workbook In this week's video, I walk you through creating a line drawing of a 3/4 turn on a male model from our weekly Friday Follow-Along series! I'm starting with the Procreate app and moving on to Photoshop, and I show you how I transfer the initial line drawing to paper. One of...
Stay inspired, and sharpen your craft with "The Pencil Progress" weekly newsletter. Are you enjoying this video newsletter? Consider leaving a tip of any size! Send A Tip! This week, I'm sharing a fast time-lapse. I'm drawing a portrait of a fair-skinned model on UART 800 Grit Sanded Paper. I generally start with muted hues for broad areas, gradually moving to details and more bright, saturated colors. I used a variety of pinks, yellows, muted reds, blues, and purples to create light but warm...