It’s so strange. When I see your colored pencil art, or other people’s, I love it when it has texture. But when I do it myself, I want it super smooth. I’m trying to break out of that need for “perfection”.
i had that realisation today - with any medium I feel the need to make any art I make look "smooth" but i love seeing texture in other people's art .... i dont understand 😂
I’ve decided to try to do some scribbly drawings in my sketchbooks in order to try to break out of this mentality. Even if I end up not liking the results, I want to just do the drawings and leave them there as a reminder to stop worrying about perfection and just enjoy the process.
@@LeighEllexson and Sha'an you both are gems made out of pure sunshine and rainbows. ✨🌈Love that you both support each other and fellow artists while inspiring us blossoming art peeps! (gouache & prisma colored pencils are now my new favs to experiment with) Speaking of your butterfly phantom pains, going through that time right now and couldn't wait to watch your latest videos since they're always cozy and soothing. Thanks for everything you do! 🦋
You talking about feeling guilty about not posting things Just For Content made me realize that not only have I gone through the same thing, but I actually haven't posted anything or shared my art for probably 2 years now. I've just been in this stage of self reflection and just.... making art for the sake of making art. It's been very good for me while I try to rebuild my relationship with art making. Obviously don't be like me and go 2 years without sharing but it's absolutely something I think more people need to remember. You're an artist because you like doing it! So you should do it just for yourself just as much as you should do it for other people.
i understand your guilt but on the other hand i think its also really cool you do it for yourself and dont need external praise to continue what u love doing!
right! everyone works differently but I have been noticing so many people struggling with their three way relationship with themselves, art and social media.
Same. I have been thru the same. And I decided I wanted to make art for myself and not to get likes or please others, so I'm creating much less content than before and I only post what I like, I don't consider "trends"
I've always found it difficult to post new work all the time too. This month I've been doing Andy J Pizza's PEPtober challenge which shares process and thoughts and more of ME and only ONE new piece of work in 30 days! It's invigorating and have found a new way to share my art without so much pressure to make and show new work. 👍🏼
My job is in a different industry from yours, but I can definitely identify with the mindset that if you’re doing something, you should be “productive” or in some way capitalizing on the time you’re spending…and feeling guilty when you’re not. That mentality can hold you prisoner, and it is so liberating to challenge it. Satisfaction in utilizing your skill set for YOURSELF and no one else may not pay the bills, but there’s definitely a high value in it. Glad you gave yourself permission to play and do what you want, and thanks for sharing that process! Side comment: you’re a cool human, and I think it’s neat how you often remind people to stay hydrated! :-)
Your work is so completely the opposite of mine, it's so bright, colourful, vibrant and whimsical, that watching your videos feels like a vacation from my brain and I always feel relaxed and happy after I've tuned into your content. Love it. This was so much fun, thanks for sharing it with us!
Watching you make art is such an inspiration and just makes me want to whip out my sketchbook, enjoy myself, and not care about the final results. Can't wait for the sketchbook tour! 🥰 💕
Ok, first of all, that shirt you wore on the 4th looked absolutely gorgeous on you like 🤌🏾. And second of all, I love your color combos to a fault, they're all so beautiful and mesmerizing. How do you come up with them? Do you take inspo from colors you see around you or on other people's art or do you just go with your intuition or smth? Everytime you start a new page and I see the colors you're using I first go speechless and I feel touched and inspired, and then I'm left wondering just ho w... Keep being awesome as you are. Love ya 💖
NOOO THE OVERLY SMOOTH COLORED PENCIL ART i went thru that phase… very short lived,,, but i had classmates who would swear by that prismacolor colorless blender and just wear all the pencils down to stubs… this was also usually paired w hyperrealism so i was like im out!!!
Also, I'm seriously questioning the pronunciation of Fudenosuke now. Everyone seems to say it differently! I've been saying "Foo-den-o-soo-kee" super confidently to try and cover the fact that I have no idea.
leigh, you are one of my most favorite artists!! i love the way you document your growth when it comes to making art. i think most people are focused on "getting better" at art by making a lot of work, when i think a lot of people would benefit more from developing their artistic hand and eye. the way you describe your frustration with social media's interaction with the direction you take your work highlights this somewhat. you seem to want to push your boundaries and see how far you can take your abilities in a broader sense of what making art entails. people seem to see art as only about making good looking finished pieces but ignore how it feels when making the art itself. that act of doing can sometimes be why art is even made-- just to make it (vs having a product after). i support you on your journey to *make* art regardless if the reception is good or if it comes out looking good. this isn't to say your art hasn't been good; i've been loving your looser work lately. just know that whatever numbers you make on social media, you have so many people who enjoy your work. please keep doing your best! :o)
I started therapy recently and one of my big issues is creating for myself and not others. I won’t even start to draw because I’m afraid it won’t be good enough to post. Like, holy crap it’s hard to just do it because I enjoy it and not focusing on advertising and throwing everything I make into the void that is the Internet and social media.
I definitely remember making a colored pencil drawing of a Monet painting in high school for my french class. It was on printer paper and covered the whole thing. My french teacher loved it and put it up on the wall. I was v proud lol
I can't tell you HOW MUCH I relate to your discussion of feeling guilty for creating stuff that I don't plan on monetizing. UGH! That type of loose drawing/painting is so essential to growth and mental health and such, but it is so hard once you have the pressure of an online audience! It's wonderful to hear you talk about it though, it's such a specific feeling that's hard to put into words sometimes. It's nice to have people to relate to!
Ahh this is so inspiring!! I love the totally free approach you have towards your sketchbook, I gotta try to be more relaxed and open to experimentation and not try to make everything perfect!! (Though everything you made in this video was truly perfect hehe)
Awesommmmmme, and well done! Go get yourself a nice freshly baked cookie. You earned it! Also, can I just say who the heck can even hit a thumbs down on this? I see all thumbs up except for two bummer thumbers. Y'all are FOOLS. Whatevs. And I'm feeling the whole "how do I just go have fun and make art for ME and not just the internet?" It's a real struggle I'm working through along with everybody else. The guilt is real and very weird!
I totally get what you're saying and I have the same problem (about creating things purely for the internet). I am really bad with deadlines, and I'm super random, so I kind of just want to do what my brain wants to do! I used to be a professional illustrator but I paused/stopped it now so that I can also do other creative projects. Also that don't need mass production for my webshop, so I can take more time and actually enjoy it! Lovely video xxx
What you said about making art for yourself vs for the content is what I talk about a loooot on my channel. It's something I SUPER DUPER relate to! I think the rise of Instagram aestheticism can get a little much at times soo...yeah this wasn't really an answer so much as just a #relatable comment😂
Feeling guilty about not doing art for content is the exact reason why I cut back on creating content for RU-vid and Instagram. I'm currently posting much less than a year ago. I didn't wanna feel pressurized or to make art to get likes. Art is therapy and I don't want it to leave me stressed out.
Your Ghibly landscape has to be one of my favorite paintings of yours. Also, what will you name your starter? Tradition says you are supposed to name it! 😂
I am so happy to be rewatching older videos as this sense of not letting go art that is a failure is very current. Or even starting in my case these days. I love rewatching your videos ❤
tombow brush pens for lining are honestly amazing, if you like variety in your lines that you can't get with normal fineliners, this is amazing and the ink is black, not like dark blue or purple. it's good and it's so fun to work with so if it seems like something you like, they aren't super expensive I swear
Ahh Leigh I like that you just do what feels right for you. I change my style so often and feel guilty about it, but now I feel more empowered to just give a shit and do what I like! Thanks for that and that videooooo and you, so bye !
Leigh: "It was the eyes that really were a disaster" Me, looking up from my embroidery: "Oh, God" Those original eyes were...ummm...expressive 😆 😳 Sometimes you just can't win and that's okay lol
Homegirl I FEEL! I'm not even a bigger artist online and I still feel insecure about everything I make because I wonder if it's "post-worthy." I purposefully work on an idea or two every once in a while that I KNOW I'm not going to post, just because I want to practice and explore and quiet that nagging voice.
yep, is me! Coloured pencil blending gal! All the way! Also, yes, I can instantly feel how I felt when I look at pages in my sketchbook! So weird but true! Such a lovely video, thoroughly enjoyed it and wanna go finish my own sketchbook now🙃 Great inspiration, you are😍 xoxo Caro
Everything here was so honest so genuine so hard to find and so beautiful That i kne nothing other than subscribing to this channel Bcz I'd want more of this energy in my feed as much as possible ❤
I'm completely new here, I've never watched any of your videos before this so I had no previous expectations about what your art 'should' or usually looks like. So I think it's really interesting how you talked about breaking away from your usual artist self and experimenting and allowing yourself to be loose. I l LOVE how loose and playful the art in this video is, and there's just something about it that makes me super happy. I've also now (after finishing this video) checked out your other work, and love that too. But this specific vdeo and the art in it just draws me in, maybe because of that looseness and play. I think that's definitely communicated in the actual art work.
I loved watching this video, and recently subscribed to your channel. I've been craving to find artists who communicate all the nitty gritty real life stuff about being an artist and just making art in general. I've started to consciously call my books "sketchbook" and "art book" because I often times forget to just play in art rather than do fully completed projects. Both are good, but both are very different forms of mindset and creation.
Hi, Leigh. I don't know if I'm wrong but I thought the idea was to start from the last page to the middle once you have reach the middle of the sketchbook (first page to middle, last page to middle) so it feels like you're starting a new one, but I don't know if I get it wrong. I thought that was a good idea so I'm doing it. Also, English is not my mother language so if this reads weird it is because of that.
I love watching your vlogs. They are very calming and fun to watch and they make me want to doodle with some traditional mediums. Also, your hair reminds me of the characters in Tokyo Revengers.
I'm working way up to something like this where I just feel free to experiment without the amorphous "pressure." For me, I'm starting with re-decorating/organizing my apartment. Getting comfortable with trying a new look, getting inspired etc.
i never really 'get' the sketchbook as standalone art piece thing. i get working out ideas, media, colours, experimentation...but the 'pages have to look good when you flip thru' thing...what's that all about? who is even going to see them when they're all filed away? and what if you do a great page but then can't translate it to a painting etc? it seems like a lot of work for...unless you scan some pages to sell? hmm...
I definitely did artwork with pencil crayons and it was mind blowing. I was not the greatest and even thinking about it makes my hand hurt. Thats probably why I didn’t continue doing work solely using pencil crayons, but they are good with finer details when mixing with water colours!
i love watching you draw birds and recognizing the reference photo you used because i used the exact same one (this has happened 3 times in the 2 videos of urs i've watched tonight). constant bird sketchers unite!
I’ve found that creating work that’s for just me has been very empowering. I’ve done probably at least six 100 day projects plus a 366 last year. I guess that’s a little extreme but it really broke me from the whole producing to be seen thing. But that’s not the reason I did them-I was trying to grow myself as an artist but then I found that making daily art like was so good for my mental health. I just feel better when I sketch/draw/paint for my own pleasure. 💝 Thank you for all the effort you put into your videos and for sharing your thoughts and art with us.
Wow the colored pencil statement. It did take me back, though my high school days were awful I would look at artist and my friends and feel really defensive or perceive my friends as pretentious if they only wanted to use Prisma colored pencils. In actuality I was really insecure about my art. I had no reason to be I was good at what I did, top of my class even but I was very hard on myself and projected that on others. Not good memories but it took me back.
The blended colored pencil thing is a THING? I absolutely went through that phase in high school! I did a realistic picture of some giraffes that I thought was just the epitome of Art and the best thing I ever did or would ever do. amazing.
High School was where I was allowed to go to the University and start my course work there so I was crying my way through those classes. I was a geeky theater kid so I knew something was up when this hot guy wanted to me to teach him how to draw hands...hmm....
9:52 I definitely had the pencils phase too, moslty I guess because they were the only thing i could afford. And mind that, they were crappy cheap pencils that didn't blend for anything but i somehow made them work. I still look at those pieces and find a lot of them still to my liking. It is on a side a bit depressing because i feel like i was better at that time than now
First of loving the hair and the glasses 🥰🥰. Totally agree with what your saying about creating art for you and not what is going to be nice for others. I love your choice of color and not out lining with black. Something I need to work on. Yass I was like that with the color pencils. Worked hours on one piece for that blended look 😂😂
As someone who gets really anxious around business talk as of late, I really appreciate this full-on art creation video! Would love to see more of this kind of content! Thanks for sharing :-)
thank you so much for this video it was really nice to watch AND all of the topic concerning art and expectation that you are discussiing in it are so inspiring and relieving actually , this is absolutely what I needed to watch and hear ! ♥
YOU HAVE A LIL BIRB?!! oh my god he is so cute, he, she, i love themmmm! i just started following, and that was such a cute surprise i literally gasped 😂
On the last pages of my sketchbook I will often collage a simple landscape- this helps with the 2 different types of paper and often the 2 different colours of paper if my cover is black or brown. I can use magazines, tear up old watercolour paintings I don’t like, reuse packing papers or envelopes... then draw over it if I want. The super blended coloured pencils remind me of a girl I taught my first year teaching high school AP art. She would “sharpen” her coloured pencil onto a sheet of paper and then use the tiny dust from the sharpening’s with her finger and blend it onto the paper. It was beautiful work, but quite a process. ❤️ watching your videos Leigh. Thanks for your inspiration!
