Making art doesn't have to be hard, Reader. You don't always need to plan an elaborate piece, or have a theme -- or even what materials to use. Sometimes it's as easy as sitting down, picking up whatever pen you have lying around, and making a few messy marks. Just the other day, I was feeling overwhelmed and sat down in a huff at my desk in front of an open sketchbook. I grabbed the sharpie pen that was within reach and started squiggling all over the page without any thought or plan. I...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader! I'm coming at you with something new -- a newsletter, to be exact! I've wanted to do a monthly newsletter for years, but I didn't really know where to begin. It wasn't until recently that I saw Peggy's newsletter (of The Pigeon Letters fame) that I was inspired to give it a try. So here we are! I want to use this monthly newsletter to connect with you on a more human-to-human level. You can expect this to be a place where I share all the nonsense that tickles my fancy as well as...
18 days ago • 4 min read
Reader, do you ever have it where you draw one beautiful, perfect eye, but the second one always ends up weird? Or do your characters always end up looking stiff and unnatural? I used to struggle with this all. the. time. My go-to drawing workflow always started with the eyes, then the rest of the face, then the body, one limb at a time. I thought this was THE way to draw people and faces, so I clung to it for years. Flipping through my old sketchbooks, I see it everywhere -- half-done faces...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hey there, Reader 🙋♀️ As the clock ticks towards midnight, the final hours of the Early Bird sale are upon us. I have loved seeing so many of you jumping on this rare opportunity to propel your creativity to new heights. But if you've been on the fence waiting for the perfect moment to make your move, this is it. Before the moment passes, I want to share a comment from one of our many happy students. I really enjoyed this... Instructions and examples were clear and practical and the feedback...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Sometimes, while I’m typing away in my art studio or casually swapping out camera lenses, I get hit with it – the sudden realization that this is my life. I get to do this for a living; making art, chasing my passions, and teaching the most incredible community of people on the internet. What on earth led me here? There are a few different factors that influenced this weird, colorful career path, but I can point to one in particular that played a big part: lettering. Surprising, huh? It...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Do you ever sit down to paint and feel immense pressure to make this piece different? Make it mean something? Make it special somehow? I recently discovered a funny little mindset that steered my artistic growth – and hindered it in major ways. I realized that when I sat down to create, I felt like I needed to come up with everything right then and there. The concept. The colors. The composition. Every single thing had to be fresh right now if I wanted to make a nice painting. But the other...
4 months ago • 1 min read
One of the most common struggles I hear from people in this community is a lack of consistency. People have a tough time making time for their art and letting creativity be a regular part of their lives. It’s hard, when you have a life full of work, family, friends, domestic chores, and so much more, to squeeze in those habits and routines that mean so much. It’s interesting to see how art, expression, and creativity are the first to get tossed overboard when life gets hectic. And it always...
5 months ago • 1 min read
We know watercolors are wonderful. We know lettering is lovely. But did you know you could combine these two mediums to create something that's even greater than the sum of its parts? Lettering with watercolor creates such a stunning, unique effect that makes your project pop -- but how do you do it? Thankfully, It's not nearly as hard as you think! Check out this post to find all of the materials, steps, tips, and tricks needed to take on watercolor lettering for yourself ⬇️ ⬇️ Read the...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Want to know a secret, Reader? I'm constantly afraid that my art isn't good enough. Or original enough. Or dedicated enough. This fear held me back for years and halted my creative progress. Slowly but surely, I figured out how to work around this fear with small steps and tricks that helped me get out of my own way. The fear is not gone, I just don't let it control me anymore. And now I want to share some of those tricks with you, Reader, because I'm willing to bet you suffer from these...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read