Defining your style is important in being an original artist and a great way to do that is by using different mediums
the Example above is mixed medium on wood, Creating art on wood might be tricky at first as it can have a very rough texture to it as well as very dry. Wood absorbs paint very quickly and takes more to soak it in Your brush strokes need to be reviewed and experimental to do what you want but the end result will most likely be different then anything You've done on paper or canvas!
Speaking of canvas the above work is on canvas do you see the drips coming out of the middle mountain? that's something great to do on canvas you can also use the texture of it to benefit your brush strokes and get to do tiny details that might be hard to do on a rougher textured wood.
computers add a whole new level to art and while I'm against people selling their work as digital prints only I think for some things the computer does work best for example the above comic I first drew with a pencil and inked with Zig ink pens then I scanned it and colored it in on the computer
for this one I actually drew it first on the computer and to give it a more "realistic" feel I took an existing photo and put a layer on top of it to redraw it that makes life much easier then having to draw from reference or trace on paper the final version did have some extra shading , but the image above is the unfinished one
taking your art into 3D form isn't always easy , nor does it work for all styles I've been fortunate enough to have over 100 of my characters turned into toys of plastic and plush form the above character I would first draw out in a full rotational design so that I know what to do to take it to a full 3D level
you can see here how I took one of my characters and did a full rotational drawing sometimes you might want to do an above and below show but I don't feel it's necessary if you're comfortable enough with your style and design
onto other mediums , I will work on just about anything , the above image is on a torn school notebook page with pen, and colored pencil as well as some graphite
Masonite is one of my favorite materials to work with it's texture is very smooth , unlike canvas or wood I do some of my best work on Masonite and love the cold feel of a brand new piece
here you see an example of sculpting a figure and painting it with resins resins are one of the best to use for sculptures , it's the same stuff people use to paint their little gaming figures they buy or some model kits
you can see here the end result of some other toys I've done plush is a very marketable way to get your art out there it's material is cheap and it's friendly to just about anyone
I also love working onto of things This is an old Disney cheesy poster I found at a thrift store I knew there was a better painting hidden inside of it , so I just brought that out to the surface and made it more interesting!
One series I'm known for is what I have done with antique photographs I took them to such a dark level , it inspired other artist such as Mia Makila from another country to copy the idea Usually I get upset when another gets so inspired they steal , but she did a good job so I asked her to do some collaborations with me in the end she still did the work and didn't give me credit for inspiration , but that's something one must get used to in the Art World it's full of that sort of thing and you just got to be the best you can , so that others respect and appreciate your work!
but I also love to work on old book pages , its just such a cool material and impossible to completely imitate
sometimes I get inspired and forgot to bring my sketchbook or anything it's often I can find an envelop and will just use that as my medium
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another specialty of mine is my "sugar packets" I've sold over 200 of these and got as much as $300 for a set of 9!
But my first creations sold were done on an old Dictionary I found out of a goodwill dumpster back in 1999 I didn't have much money back then and when I saw the book it made me think of my Grandfather who loved his Webster's Dictionary he would learn new words from it every day and so I loved that I was able to adapt that history of my own into the work. That is what separates and stylizes an artist putting in your own personal energy and emotions rather then copying what you saw someone else do sure inspiration can be useful but in the end if you can apply yourself and dig deep inside you will end up being a true original that can make a difference in the culture we will see!
and so here's one of the end results of putting yourself out there and allowing EVERYONE to enjoy your art I hope that you liked this post if you did , please share with your friends on your social medium of choice as well as Clicking on the sponsor Ads that help me out more then you would think!
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