Stephanie Schellin

Confidence. It’s what can make or break you as an artist. I don’t mean arrogance. God knows there are enough ‘I’m-god’s-gift-to-art’ assholes out there. No, I mean believing in you and your art.

Now it’s not just thinking your badass, it’s also being sure enough in your skills to take criticism. Constructive criticism is one way you will really be able to improve as an artist. So go grab a buddy and ask them what they really think of your art. You may be surprised by what you hear. If you get one good tip out of it then it was worth it.

The other part of confidence is to know what advice you want to keep or advice you want to politely disregard. Never be rude to someone if they give you a tip you don’t agree with or a criticism that was a little harsh. Also you don’t have to take someone’s advice. You don’t want to make art that is completely void of you, and just full of what everyone else wanted. Just listen and ask yourself “Will this advice strengthen the piece and my intended message?” The answer to that question tells you what you should do.

When it comes to picking a critique buddy, try to avoid picking your spouse or significant other. I have found that you will take the critique more personally, and you will also be either too open or totally closed off to their advice. Also they may be offended if, and when, you don’t take their advice. It’s not that you shouldn’t talk to them about your work, but use them for problem solving and moral support, or in my case heavy lifting (sculptures weigh a lot!).

Hardcore critiquing, I find, works best with a friend who also makes art of some type. To be honest, I am a sculptor by trade and my best critique buddy is my friend who is a graphic designer. It works out perfectly. She is in a different field and brings in a point of view I would never think of to my work. She is 2-D and color oriented and it improves my work in unexpected ways. That’s what you want. You don’t want a monoculture of fellow artists who are all realistic portrait painters. Throw in a welder, or someone who works with watercolor, or a landscape painter.

Diversity is the key. Ask everyone you feel comfortable with to look at your art. And get them to give you an honest opinion. Don’t settle for the ‘oh I like it,’ you want something with meat. Critiquing is not the time to be a vegetarian (which I am) this is the time to demand meat!

When critiquing your work think about color, composition, general style/ technique, and medium. Is the medium working for your piece? (For basic tips on critiquing art check this page out.)

Then do the unintentional references check. No one wants to accidentally reference something and not know it.

Look for any reference to a body part (think Georgia O’Keefe) or another artist or even a religious symbol. Even if the reference doesn’t bother you it is still important to know its there.

Laugh all you want, but if you don’t want it there take it out. Cause if you don’t, someone will see it and focus on it, and wonder whether you are a closet lesbian or a secret religious nut or just some artist who has no idea what there doing or what they’re referencing. Which nobody wants…right?

It’s been a while. Life is insane and I’ve been going crazy… but enough about me.

So a few basics about keeping the creative juices flowing. A great way to add new ideas to your mental catalog is looking at art. Look at any and every artist, in all genres from cave paintings, to the Renaissance, to Impressionism, to Modernism, Post-modernism, and even graffiti art. The key is to build a mental library as I like to think of it.

I know if your in college your professors have ground this into from day one (I know mine did). But for those of you without formal training this may be a great tip. And its a good reminder for everyone else (myself included).

Now going to galleries and museums is the optimal way of doing this. I know that isn’t always the most convenient way, or may not be available to everyone. But seeing art in person is important.

So go out to the closest art museum you can find (by car, or slum it on the train). And wander through the museum. You may only make it through one room of one exhibit, but it will be worth it.

Plants and Tree Shapes Before Hills by Graham Sutherland

Okay, so you’re there, staring at this god awful post-industrial painting of a field (I apologize if you like this period of painting, its just so bad) and you’re thinking “What the f*** am I looking at? My blind grandmother with bronchitis could cough up something better looking than this.” Well here is what you should do.

Take a step back, literally. Then take a closer look. Try to be objective, yet critical. You want to absorb what you see. Find something you like and don’t like in the piece. You may overall hate the damn thing, or you may love it. Either way it should not stop you from appreciating its strengths and weaknesses. Remember somebody bothered to buy it, but someone else passed it up. 

This is a perfect time to whip out your sketch book. Draw the entire piece of work or just bits and pieces of it. Also make notes. Does the piece have good line quality or brushstrokes? Is the composition working? Is the color palette unique? For sculpture: whats the medium? patina?

Sketching is oh-so-important, as are the brochures to the exhibit. You never know when you’ll want the reference. Remember you want a collection of ideas to pick and choose from to improve your own work, whether it be subject matter or technique. Brochures are also a great way to remember artist names, since it will have images to jog your memory.

To sum up here are the key things to remember while looking at other people’s art:

-absorb what you see

-be critical

-just because the artist is a ‘master’ or famous doesn’t make it good

-sketch, the good and the bad (you never know when you’ll need it)

-you’re tastes in art will change (so revisit artists every once in a while)

-keep the brochures (I have a file stuffed full of them, to my bf’s dismay)

Well that’s all for now folks artists!

I just set up my deviantART page as Steph-the-Sculptor, which is my admin name here. You can buy prints or just check out what I have up. Soon everything there will be posted here as well in the portfolio.

So check out my deviantART page

So late last night I put up a few of my little drawings that I have been working on. They look pretty good. I think eventually I will re-scan them and adjust the colors, cause they’re a little off from the originals right now.

I’m just so excited that I finally got them up! yay!

So I graduated from Boston University nearly two years ago and the biggest problem I have is making art without a studio, and finding the motivation to make art on my own. It’s especially hard since I switched fields and am still in school. But I try and keep up with it.

The main trick I have found is to always find time for small projects. Everything I draw is art. So I still keep a skecthbook, which is key. Also I do little projects that can be finished in a day.

Some ideas and examples are: postcards that you can paint with watercolor or draw on with pen and ink. Also a sketchbook that fits in your purse or backpack. I know my professors always ragged us about how larger sketchbooks are better for drawing in, since you have more space and its easier to make any sketches in it larger. But they aren’t around anymore to also make sure your sketching, at least not for me . So if you’re anything like me, you’re on the metro or in a cafe and a great idea pops in your head, the most frustrating thing is not having anything to jot it down on. With the little sketchbook problem solved.

Okay I think I’m done sounding like a sales person for little sketchbooks.

Point is to keep drawing, and hopefully making awesome art from the drawings.

This is not my only issue now that I’ve graduated. I’m sure more rants are to come. But I’m trying to make my trials and tribulations productive for myself and anyone else I can help… I hope this helps.

This blog will be dedicated to my art, and the giant debt I have gained in order to improve it in a four-year university.

I will be posting my art, art reviews, and hopefully give you all a place to put up art as well. I want this to be a place to express your artistic side, even if it’s not your career, or ‘calling’.

Everyone has an inner Michelangelo, let’s yours out and we’ll see where we go!