How to Feel Your Art
Find out some useful advice and tips from Ian in our new ‘How to‘ guide.
Ian shares a few ways to use your emotions when sketching and how to express yourself when creating. There’s lot of ways that emotions can be used to choose locations, objects and colours.
Location
Progress
Often, we’ll experience special sketches that are linked to something beyond technique—they capture an experience, a moment in time that holds personal meaning. It could be the atmosphere of the location, the emotions felt while sketching, or even the interaction with the space or people around you. Maybe it’s the first time you successfully captured a challenging perspective, understood how to layer colors to evoke a certain mood, or you’ve conquered a technique you haven’t used much before.
As a result, these sketches are not only a reflection of your artistic progression but also a marker of your emotional artistic growth.
“There’s probably about 10 or 15 sketches that I have strong connections with, and they are often when something happened, when I had a lightbulb moment, something switched on and discovered things for the first time.”
Colour
When you’re creating a sketch, it’s important to acknowledge how you’re feeling in the moment, as these emotions can influence your work in profound ways. Whether you’re hot, cold, excited, or frustrated, these physical and emotional sensations are all part of your experience. Rather than seeing them as distractions, you can channel these feelings into your sketch with colour.
“Use what you’re feeling, the temperature, your energy levels, your confidence and your familiarity with the subject.”
