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Tackling art block (part I): Coloring books

In my previous blog post I wrote about a few of the reasons  why I like to create and general issues I had with art during my 20s, which basically ment long periods of art block with small bursts of creativity in between. Teachers in primary school and high school always told me I had talent but I felt that was all there was. Talent – yes, sure. Motivation? A huge no.


Soon enough I was overwhelmed with college exams and other responsibilities that made me too exausted to sit down and sketch. Instead I picked up a coloring book and started coloring its beautiful, tiny designs that helped me zone out and relax. I used to be really shy using colors – I didn't know what went together, color theory was still a mystery to me (eventually I did end up studying it) and I just wanted to relive the happiness I felt as a child whenever I got new  color pencils or a coloring book.  



A major positive influence on me (and an inspiration) was Dede Willingham (I'll post her social media links below so you can check her out, I really recommend her). I'm pretty sure she's been at the heart of the youtube coloring community since the beginning of the adult coloring phenomena (and even longer than that if I remember correctly).

Previously I didn't even realize how limited I was in my belief of what art is supposed to be. I was educated to believe you had to be like the old masters or grand architects to truly be accepted and to gain the »I'm a true artist so I can exhibit my works at the gallery« badge.  Which of course is normal and required in some echelons of society, but I never felt I would belong there due to my slightly anarchistic, chaotically-artistic personality. Plus, my obvious love for manga and stories put me in the illustration realm of things where smaller formats imply more intimate art.

 

Coloring was a great way for me to keep my hands and mind busy without the usual judgement of my creative process because it was just a coloring book. And why I was judging my creative process in the first place? Because I had (and still do) a tedious step by step illustration process to achieve the look that I want (getting over the »ugly« phase is still rough at times) and it can get difficult to let it flow naturally:


1.      Coming up with an idea and drawing a few sketches (using reference).

2.      Choosing the right sketch (search for additional reference if necessary) and redraw it to fit the chosen paper format.

3.      Copy the sketch onto quality paper using a lightbox.

4.      Do the base with watercolors.

5.      Continue with color pencils.

6.      Finish with drawing lineart.


It takes a while before I finish an illustration so back in the day when I had little time available, producing illustrations took forever. It very quickly made me very frustrated. With coloring books, somebody has already done the major part of the work for you and the only thing left for you to do is to choose the colors. Not to mention that the coloring community is a really sweet and comfortable place to be involved with.


Through coloring, I truly learned how to mix different media together, what types of paper exist and what supplies are actually out there that I don't know of. A major game changer for me was a blender pencil and using mineral spirits to blend color pencils together. Why on earth haven't I heard of a blender pencil before? That thing is absolutely amazing. Not to mention mineral spirits that I always had at home for cleaning brushes and had no idea they can be used that way as well. Yup, I really love the coloring gals out there.  


I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes, when art block strikes, you can fight it with simple things. I strongly recommend getting a coloring book from an artist you admire or a series you love (there's so much coloring books out there it's hard to choose), put on some music and just color. Another good thing is that you support the artist who drew the lineart. It's a double win.

 

Before I go, I want to let you know I redrew one of my old illustrations and made it into a coloring page. In keeping with the spirit of today's post, feel free to download it and color it! I'll be happy if you share it with me here or on Instagram. The coloring page is under section "Gallery": https://www.vanteri.com/s-projects-side-by-side



Thank you for reading and have a lovely day.


Vanteri, April 2024.

 

 

Links to Dede Willingham's social media:

-          twitter.com/inkiwell 

 

A disclaimer:

English is my second language and though I do mostly read English books, I understand that grammatical errors will inevitably be present in my texts so I apologize in advance.


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