A little late getting started blogging for 2018 but, as they say, better late than never. I wanted to really get into the habit of this and as it seems that I have at last, after 7 years of self-employment, learned how to manage myself and keep organized, I think I can now squeeze in a regular art blogging routine that does not overwhelm.
So let me begin by sharing with you my plans for 2018, because sharing is how I create accountability and commitment to my goals and projects.
My Artist Goals:
Last year was pretty much about committing to my art. Even though I had been taking digital painting commissions on and off for years before, I never really committed to my craft until recently. Mostly, I just saw myself as a hobby artist, if as an artist at all.
But 2017 was about gaining confidence and being able to say with conviction that, yes, I am an artist. To be honest, I didn’t really believe it until I started allowing more people to see my work. Selling my work – and I mean tangible paintings done in traditional media, not just digital ones – also helped a lot.
This year, I am committed to improving as an artist and finding and defining my style. I’m committed to being more productive, and getting more into the business of art as well.
Lastly, I also want to come out of my shell a bit more and start sharing about myself, to help people connect with me and my artwork. Sometimes it isn’t enough to let a painting speak for itself, I’ve discovered.
In line with my goals of learning, productivity, art business and personal sharing, here are some projects I’m hoping to be able to work on for 2018:
My Art Projects:
30-day challenges
I have at least 3 planned for the year, one kicking off in March, and will be completed in pencils and ink in my recently purchased Strathmore toned gray sketchbook. Very excited to start on this! I’ve wanted to explore toned paper for quite some time now, and will probably start with some horse sketches before trying other subjects.
Another will be about me “putting myself out there” as I intend to share, through drawings and paintings, the things I like, my favorites, my inspirations, etc., etc.
And then of course there’s inktober, which I am always excited to do. Although for this year I will probably aim for only 15 out of the 30 because I like it when I have more time to work on stuff to completion.
Depending on how it goes, I may do more 30-day challenges within the year, but let’s take it one challenge at a time.
Creating Collections
Because I want my art to become a full-fledged business I have to produce stuff that I can sell, either as originals or in print. So I’ve listed down just a few of the themes I’m interested to work on, including (but not limited to) a Horse Collection, a Big Cat Collection, a Bear Collection, and a Fantasy Character Collection. Why these themes? It’s because I recently purchased several online courses taught by Aaron Blaise which have to do with animal drawing and human figure drawing. Working on these collections allows me to study and review the course content and produce art at the same time.
Learning A New Medium (or New Media)
I’ve been itching to try painting with acrylics and/or gouache and one of my learning projects for the year will be just that. In particular, I’ll be doing some floral paintings since flowers are such a forgiving subject matter.
Crafting Projects
Sometime towards the end of the year, I want to get into some craft projects, partly for learning and exploration and partly so I can give away something I made for when Christmas comes. Not exactly sure what I’ll be crafting yet but I do look forward to making something.
Also, as I work on my art, I’m hoping to put up some reviews of materials that I use, take you through the process of some of my artwork, provide tips and tricks and just keep sharing some of my personal thoughts, not all of which will be art-related. Maybe, at some point, I might even have the courage (and proper equipment) to go from blog to vlog, but I’m not quite there yet.
And that’s pretty much it for some of the things I have in mind this 2018 if time and circumstances allow. Although, I hope you will permit flexibility and some deviations, as no doubt life will occasionally get in the way, and I am allowed to change my mind after all.
I hope you continue to join me on this journey as your support is always that extra something that I need for encouragement.