Creative Practice: More Than a Decade of Faces
June 09, 2022
Art is a practice. Like most artists, I have been through many different learning phases. For instance, I wanted to master faces. I did a ton of figure and portrait drawing over many years -- both trying to master how to render a face/body as well as find my style within portraiture. And don't let the 2010 start fool you. That's just how far back my digital photography goes. There were faces before 2010. Here's a small sampling of faces through the years:
This is 2010:
This is 2011:
This is 2012:
This is 2013:
This is 2014:
This is 2015:
This is 2016:
This is 2017:
This is 2018:
This is 2019:
This is 2020:
This is 2021:
And this is a piece from 2022 that I haven't yet shared on the blog:
It's actually a piece I created for Design Boot Camp: Steal Like an Artist.
Over the past decade plus, I have drawn, painted, sewn, carved, collaged, printed, and embroidered faces. I have worked realistically and completely unrealistically. I have worked to find the right balance -- for me -- between technical proficiency and personal expression. Beyond the mechanics of drawing a face, I have worked on color, composition, personal style, and more!
The emphasis is on worked.
Like I said at the beginning of this post, art is a practice. If you want to get better or "find your style" or like more of the stuff you make, there is only one path: practice. I would add that it's not simply blind practice, but developing a creative practice.
What is a creative practice?
In the most basic terms: It's a personalized framework that you create to ensure that you stay focused and keep progressing towards your goals.
If you're interested in developing your creative practice with me, here are some options for you:
- Design Boot Camp is open for registration. Take a deep dive into understanding how art works.
- I offer private and group coaching.
- Heads up: I'm currently working on a class for 2023 that centers around a cornerstone of my creative practice: the studio notebook.
People often ask me how I produce so much work, even with a little one. Having a strong creative practice is an enormous part of that.
Thanks for stopping by!