One thing I like to do when I feel like drawing is to practice drawing people while watching “talking head” art videos on YouTube. I can’t remember who this Youtuber is now, but I liked her clothes so I started in with my polychromos colored pencils in my art journal. While her mouth looks a bit odd here, at the time I thought it actually caught the sense of it. Mouths are hard to draw—especially when showing teeth.

I think her blouse is about the same color—but then I went rogue with the colors of her hair and the background.

I used to watch more art videos YouTube, but I’m finding that there are fewer and fewer videos with useful—or interesting—content. At least for me. While there was a time as a beginner that I needed to learn basic skills, now I want insight into creative process and ideas to jumpstart my own practice—and human connection through the screen. All of that is much harder to find.

Occasionally I will find that special human/artist with great content. So I keep looking when I have a bit of spare time, panning through lots of sediment to find the gold.

And while I’m panning, I practice drawing. That way there’s no wasted time.

Except for those stupid ads.

*As for this Youtuber, I really don’t even remember her name, so I can say this anonymously and honestly: she was putting herself up there as an up and coming creative entrepreneur, and I give her lots of credit. With more effort, I bet she will succeed. However, she was a bit inexperienced (and very young) and her advice wasn’t new to me. But drawing her was fun.

**Here are a few YouTubers I continue to follow:

James Burke - Joyful ad prolific art journaler and whimsical illustrator. I don’t share his passion for Disney or documenting life, but I love his layers of line and color and hand drawn image—and I especially enjoy his videos when he shares what’s in his heart. I took his Whimsical Illustration online class and I loved it!

Struthless — “weekly videos about creativity”—and more and more about mental/emotional wellness. Campbell is a lovely person and I enjoy his work on YouTube—and his first illustrated book, Your LIfe is a Houseboat, is really good. Both the writing and the drawing.

Jenniebellie — Jenniebellie was one of my first YouTube teachers almost 10 years ago—and she’s recently back to her channel. I don’t know how much art she has to teach me now, but she’s just a joy to watch (and listen to—oh, that English accent!)

Creationsceecee - a creative watercolor artist with beautiful videos that are easy on the eye and the ear.

Sketchbook Skool — Danny Gregory is delightful and his work is always useful. I learn so much about art from him. His book, Creative License, was one of the first books that taught me drawing. I love his podcast and his Friday e-newsletters too.

JelArts — a sketchbook artist with lots of skill to share. And I like her voice and manner. She’s real.

Jess Karp — another sketchbook artist with so much skill to share, and whose voice and manner. She and JelArts should be friends. Maybe they are?

If you have any favorite art YouTubers, I’d love to know about them!