– Neil Gaiman
I’ve always admired people that could make art. All kinds of art – from the photo-realistic sketches that you’ve got to get your nose right up to in order to make out the pencil lines, to the care-free slap-happy creations you see dolphins and dogs make on the internet. Now, I might never be a world famous artist, or a reach the confidence levels of a chimp with a paint brush and a can-do attitude – but I’m hoping, at some point, I can land somewhere in between.
In late 2021, high on the delight of sketching a fancy pope in a cowboy hat and bejewelled necklace (for no good reason) – I decided that I would challenge myself to a year of making art every day.
What would happen? I didn’t have a great track record of sticking with New Year resolutions, and based on the drawings I’d done to date, I’d more than likely be haunted by my creations. Stop looking at me, Pope!
But I set a goal, bought some cheap art supplies – and never looked back.
… *coughs* … well … ok, I looked back plenty of times – often right into the cold dead eyes of a too-tall bear/mouse or brown pelican – but I haven’t yet stopped arting and I don’t intend to.
Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have painted and sketched my way to 2023. Full disclosure – the ‘hardships’ were my own laziness that I had to battle, and the constant ‘oh-geez-it’s-nine-pm-and-I-haven’t-started-yet’ art terrors that hit me every other day. Coming up with new things to draw taxes my imagination too – which probably explains the half eaten biscuit I drew on Day 16, and ‘Meeth the Circus Lizard’ on Day 102, to name but a few.
I’ve gone through some distinct phases in my first year of BEING AN ARTIST. Woo hoo! Did you know you can just call yourself that? Well you can, and no-one even asks to see your art licence! And if they do, you can just make one with crayons.
I started my adventures with watercolour, dived into gouache, flicked a brush pen around, fell in love with continuous-line drawing, dabbled in charcoal, and played with coloured pencil – and I’m still playing in the sandpit with all of them.
My go-to subject when looking for things to draw is definitely an animal/human hybrid. Not in a gross way, just where it’s wearing people clothes, or has a human body and an animal head, or is doing a person job like a lifeguard. Creating characters is a hoot! I have a million ideas for storylines, the overwhelming amount consisting of a plucky animal going on a journey, solving a crime, or teaching someone a life lesson that they haven’t yet learned themselves. Writes itself, if you put the animal in a fancy hat.
I’ve stumbled across so many creative, wonderful and talented people. Every one of them on their own art-adventures. People who are scoring goals, making mistakes, and putting their own mark on the world. So inspiring, and each showing that staying true to your own path, will allow for amazing results. I have no idea who any of them are personally, but love them all virtually and wish them speed on their journeys.
Some of my favourite creators that spring immediately to mind include:
Now, as I go through my backlog of weird drawings, I do feel dangerously close to going on a rant about how much clothing a fictional character should be wearing – looking at you Winston Poo or Humphrey B Bear (instantly aged myself). But I won’t, because … alright I will … if your character is wearing a t-shirt then it should also be wearing some kind of short. There, I said it.
I also break this rule quite a bit in my own art, which spurs this rant again in my brain. It’s a whole thing.
Today is my 475th day of making art every day – and I hope for at least 475 days more.
Have I showcased my best work here? No. My worst work? No. Have I gone into this blog post with little plan, but a lot of heart? Yes. Will I end the blog for no reason on a picture of Rowan Atkinson and an image I call “Grey Glen and Sugarbeak Ray”? Of course I will.
