Finding Inspiration As A Beginner Artist

So you’ve decided that you want to be an artist, you’ve started learning to draw and you’re following tutorials. Great! But now that you’re in the swing of things and practising your art skills, how do you know what to draw?

Well, my friend, sounds like you need some inspiration.

Exciting and elusive, inspiration will strike sometimes when you’re looking for it and sometimes when you’re not.

Here are a few tips I have for finding inspiration when you’re starting out as a beginner artist:

A simple inspiration of a leaf turned into an illustration

Pay attention

Start training your brain to pay attention to interesting things that you see in your day, and focus on holding onto them rather than passing them by. They can be tiny little details or grand vistas - it really doesn’t matter as long as you soak it all in.

So take a walk around the block and look at the colours of your neighbourhood. Really pay attention to what you see and hear, and make an effort to notice the things that you normally wouldn’t. Go to a place you haven’t been before to kickstart your brain into seeing new details. 

When you see an interesting leaf or building, think about how you could convert the shape or colour of it into a drawing. If someone tells a funny story think about how you could sum up that story in an image. After eating something delicious, consider what kind of character would also love that food, what would they look like and what would their expression be?

Take the ordinary and twist and turn it until it morphs into an idea that you want to put on paper.

Give yourself time

Once you’ve seen something interesting, give yourself the time to simmer the idea in your head. If you’re busy in that moment, come back to it later but first write it down or take a photo so that you don’t lose it forever.

Let your mind wander and morph your source of inspiration into an idea. If you’ve been inspired by a stunning colour, think about what you could apply that colour to - maybe it would make a great beetle shell or it’s just screaming to become a beautiful sunset. Now you’ve got the beginnings of a character or scene and you can go from there.

If you’re in the mood for experimenting then you can simply take that inspiration straight to your sketchbook and start working with it. Often, once you’ve put pencil to paper the ideas will start flowing because your own exploration will inspire more ideas.

Listen to your dreams

I started making an effort last year to write down as much as I could remember of my dreams as soon as I woke up in the morning and I now have a long list of very obscure story snippets on my phone. This is great because not only are they hilarious and absurd to look back over, they also offer a quick source of inspiration for when I’ve not got any other ideas.

Most of them are so silly that I would never be able to conjure them up in the daytime, and I love that my brain has time at night to play with ideas without any logic messing them up, and that I can quickly catch some of those ideas in the morning before the fog of reality kicks in.

Admire other artists

You’ve likely already seen artists that you really like that inspired you to get started with your own art in the first place. Follow artists that you enjoy and if they offer any tutorials, take advantage of being able to learn their process.

It’s important not to copy other artists, but recognising what it is that you like about their work can help inform your own art style and inspire you to experiment with the elements that you liked. 

I recommend finding a diverse range of artists that inspire you to create without making you feel intimidated. As much as it can be inspiring to see really incredible work, it can also make your own art journey feel a bit overwhelming and be demotivating for beginners - so just be mindful and focus on how other art is making you feel!

Once you’re tuned in to looking for inspiration and holding on to it, you’ll start finding it in the most unexpected of places! Get in touch and let me know where you get your inspiration from.

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