Week 12 // Making Art Everyday // Year Two • Bardot Brush

Week Twelve

We’re entering our third week of Alphabet + Illustration month. It’s possible at this point you no longer like the theme you chose for your ABC book. When is it time to push through? When it is time to pivot? The answer always lies in the “why.” Is it because you don’t think you know how to keep going (i.e. not feeling confident in yourself)? Does it feel too hard? Are you bored? Do you feel something pulling you in another direction?

AHHH PUSH IT. Push it real good!

Some of the most interesting work comes from something we didn’t like doing. This is something I wholeheartedly believe. Creative magic happens when you push through that “low” when everything feels hard. There is a huge amount of gratification that comes from finishing something you set you to do.

BUT…

…what if you have another idea that makes you really happy and excited to make art? THIS IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, PEOPLE. The reason Making Art Everyday exists it to get you into a creative workflow. To help you begin when faced with a blank canvas. To get you to try something new. All of this work is to get you to a point where, when you feel inspired to make something of your own, you’ll feel brave, confident, and skilled enough to do it.

So if you have an idea you’re itching to try, DO IT and don’t give a damn if you’re not doing what the rest of us are doing.

What to Do

Keep pushing through to finish your Alphabet. BUT feel free to switch up your theme if there is another direction you want to pursue!

March Prompts

Alphabet + Illustration

If you are just joining in with MAE, you can see the instructions for Alphabet + Illustration month in the Week 10 email.

This week I thought I’d inspire you with some awesome ABC books we love in my house.

Big Words for Little Geniuses // A book full of really cool words for kiddos to learn, plus adorable, graphic illustrations by Hsinping Pan.

ABC Mindful Me // I love the illustrations in this book about mindfulness for kids. My son and I made our own collection of “feeling rocks” from this book!

Eating the Alphabet // More gorgeous illustrations in this ABC book showcasing a few fruits or veggies for each letter.

Take Away the A // A super unique concept: how a word becomes a whole other word when one letter is removed. The illustrations find unique ways to combine the two words!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom // A classic, but I love it! A more untraditional ABC book that turns all the letters into characters. Fun and colorful!

Pandas Love Pickles // I don’t have this one (yet!), but I love the combination of a food and an animal that both start with the letter.

Just a reminder, if you want to, you can work toward printing all your artwork from this month as your very own ABC book! I’m partnering with Mixbook to get you a 40% discount off your first 6×6 or 8.5×8.5″ custom printed book. I’ll be sharing more about the process of ordering your book next week.

If you’d like to work toward the goal of printing your own book, be sure to draw all your artwork this month on a canvas that is at least 3000×3000 pixels, square.

Week 12 | March 16-22

Alphabet Part 3

Mon: N
Tue: O
Wed: P
Thu: Q
Fri: R
Sat: S
Sun: T

For my theme, I decided to do “things my kids like” and I’ll print it into a book to give them when I finish!

You can access each week’s prompts at makingarteveryday.com

Making Art Everyday // Bardot Brush

We’ve got a Facebook group just for participants of Making Art Everyday and all things Bardot Brush! Come join our group of supportive artists of all skill levels, share your work, ask questions, and be a part of the community!