Do you make art simply for the joy of it? Or are you honing your skills to put them to use in professional work? For me, the two are very much intertwined. I’m the type of person that likes to learn things, and once I fall in love with them, I like to push them in my life as far as they can go. I like to put my joy to work because I so greatly value finding joy IN my work. But I often miss doing things SIMPLY for the joy of doing them, and I find myself trying to maximize every second of my time and effort.
So today, I just wanted to say (in case you are like me and you really need to hear it) that it is 100% OK to spend your time on something you love with absolutely no productivity or financial goal in mind. The joy you receive from doing it is worth the time spent. It all boils down to valuing yourself and providing yourself with the self-care of doing joyful things. I hope you have been finding joy in making art daily!
This time of year, my simply-for-joy time comes in the form of making Halloween costumes for my family. We always go pretty big with themed family costumes, but this year I’ve been feeling so burnt-out, overworked, and just plain exhausted, with a near-endless work to-do list. So I wasn’t feeling great about taking on the task of costume-making. But this week I started sewing, and it felt SO good to work on something that was just pure fun for me. Fingers crossed I get all the costumes done in time for Halloween! Wish me luck!
Week 43: Mythical Creatures
In October we have been venturing into the world of fantasy, magic, and legends and this week is all about mythical creatures! Because this subject matter comes from myths and stories, there is no “set in stone” way they need to look. It’s all up for interpretation! Play with colors, features, and more. My advice is to start with a simple form for the body and add details as you go.
Mon: pegasus
Tue: fairy
Wed: phoenix
Thu: medusa
Fri: bigfoot or yeti
Sat: man-eating plant
Sun: make-your-own creature
This piece was drawn using my Magic Paper textured canvases for Procreate.
You can access each week’s prompts, with links to reference photos, at makingarteveryday.com
You might be wanting to draw some furry creatures this week, so let me introduce you to my Skillshare class all about drawing fur! Have you ever wanted to draw a furry animal but quickly gave up when you thought about drawing ALL THOSE HAIRS? I don’t blame you. But I’m here to help you see that drawing fur does not have to be difficult or time-consuming. In this class, I’ll show you how using specialized brushes can speed up the process of drawing fur immensely. In just a few minutes, you’ll be able to create a furry illustration that looks like it took you forever.
If you are new to Skillshare, you can get two weeks FREE on me.
Download my FREE Fur & Fluff brushes and learn how to use them in this Skillshare class! I used those techniques to draw the silly space creatures below. What will you create?
I’m running a Bardot Brush sale to get you ready for all the amazing creativeness you are going to accomplish. Nothing inspires an artist like new supplies.
(its a .Procreate file, so you can keep track of your progress right in Procreate!)
You’ll find instructions about how to use the Tracker at the link above. I even made you a star stamp brush for you to use! It’s my Procreate version of a gold star sticker.
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!
I’m the owner of Bardot Brush, one of the leading brush makers for Procreate. If you’d like to support me, please check out my premium brush sets that inspire creativity at bardotbrush.com.