More wonky characters

Wonky characters my sketchbook

So much of developing as an artist is discovering the kind of art we want to make—learning our preferences for mediums and subject matter. For me, I can’t say that I am anywhere close to choosing anything exclusively, and as a mixed media artist, I probably never will. The more I create, though, the more I am learning my preferences.

For instance, I understand better now is that while it’s interesting and useful to draw from life realistically—it builds drawing skills and I will continue to do it—I really love expressive, non-realistic drawing. Lately, I’ve been practicing and experimenting with different ways to create characters non-realistically, and here is another page in my sketchbook filled with wonky characters.

Also, another preference I’ve learned about myself is that I love working with watercolor more than acrylic paint. But I really miss the layering you can do with with acrylics, which is why I think I’m really enjoying my new polychromos colored pencils. Tina at Fueled by Clouds and Coffee has wonderful reviews of colored pencils and I learned from her that polychromos are oil based as opposed to Prismas which are wax-based.

I had a few of both in my art supplies, so I tested them—and sure enough, I enjoy the way the polychromos glides on a smooth page, and I love how they mix with one another. Each character above has clothes that are layered in more than one color. I love the new colors.

Preferences are certainly individual and the world of art is so rich and wonderful because we all DO have different preferences for what and how we want to express ourselves. One big part of the creative journey is to come to trust your own preferences and let them take the lead. At least it has been for me.