DISCOUNTS? FREEBIES? NOT ON MY WATCH.

If you would like to know why I do not do art for free, click on the heading...

CRITICISM AND WHY IT IS SO VERY IMPORTANT

One of the most important, yet nerve-wracking, parts of developing your art skills is having someone else critique your work. Having someone go over your work with a critical eye makes you feel awkward, bad, a failure and vulnerable - not things most people like feeling. Normal criticism, ie: "this drawing sucks" is not useful …

WHEN YOUR ONLY WEAPON IS A PENCIL

By Sethuraman SMarch 3, 2022 War is here, as it always has been and always will be. Thousands are dying and if it doesn't stop soon, thousands more will die. The young, the old, the armed and unarmed alike, none of that matters to the blood thirsty generals who are happy to burn people alive …

OUTLINE VS VOLUME, HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR DRAWING SKILLS QUICKLY

Have you ever tried to draw something realistically, only for it to come out flat? Even when you try to shade it, it still looks 2 dimensional. Well, you are probably falling into the trap of drawing the outline and not the volume. Let me explain. When we look at things, humans tend to see …

I CAN NOT MULTITASK (AND NEITHER CAN YOU)

二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず。(nito wo oumono wa itto wo mo ezu.)“Those who chase two hares won’t even catch one.”Japanese Proverb A long time ago, I figured out that whatever you do, you get better at. So, if you watch a lot of TV, you will get very good at watching TV. Or, for example, if you budget your …

RESISTANCE, FEAR AND BREAKING THROUGH IT

Resistance: /rɪˈzɪst(ə)ns/noun1. The refusal to accept or comply with something, "they displayed a narrow-minded resistance to change"2. The ability not to be affected by something, especially adversely, "some of us have a lower resistance to cold than others" Resistance can be a force for good or bad. It is good to resist unjust laws, corrupt …

MARA AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF ARTISTIC MASTERY

Currently I am working on a piece about the Buddhist demon Mara. Even if you have never heard of his name, I am sure you have met him on occasion. His name can mean death or destruction and he represents those tumultuous passions that capture us and delude us and ultimately keep us from enlightenment …

COMPETITION AND THE MIDDLE WAY

I have never been a competitive person. To be completely honest, I never understood why others were competitive either. What is it that motivates a person to dedicate their lives to competing in and winning competitions? Why does someone become an Olympic athlete when they could have a much easier life doing literally anything else? …