Learn to… Art!

3 Things the Sims Taught Me About Painting

Jul 28, 2011 Art General, Painting

Finish a painting, toss it into the air and get cash…

If only it were that easy!

Okay, so the Sims isn’t completely realistic when it comes to being an artist, but it actually has a few things to teach us about being a successful painter.

For those of you who are living under a rock and are thinking, “what the heck is the Sims?” here’s a quick rundown: The Sims is a game that simulates real life. You take control of a household of sims, or people, who have unique personalities, aspirations and goals. You are responsible for making sure your sims are cleaning house, cooking food, going to work, socializing, and having fun.

And here’s my dirty little secret of the day… I love playing the Sims! Yep, I’m that much of a dork.

The cool feature about the game is that your sim can be an artist. It’s more a hobby than a career, but with some practice, it can be quite lucrative. As I was playing yesterday, I began to realize that this mindless game has some valuable things to teach us about what it takes to be a successful artist.

Here are three lessons about painting learned from the Sims:

1. Don’t Quit Your Day Job

Even in the sim world, bills have to be paid. The myth of the starving artist is just a myth, and the reality is that a day job serves a very necessary purpose. It’s the day job that keeps you clothed, fed, sheltered, not to mention able to buy art supplies. The key to having a job and being an artist, in life and in the Sims, is making sure you spend time painting. Try to dedicate an hour, or even half an hour a day in the studio. It doesn’t have to be  a lot of time, but making that commitment is important.

In the Sims, as you progress as an artist, you are able to sell your paintings for more and more money. When you get to the point that you are selling paintings for more than you can make at work, then it’s time to quit. In reality, this would take much, much longer! The same rules apply, though, and when you get to the point that your art can consistently sustain whatever lifestyle you have determined necessary, then lose the day job. Until then, keep it up and don’t resent it. Without that day job you may not have a roof over your head!

2. Paint, Paint, Paint

The only way for a sim to become a better artist and increase the value of his paintings is to paint. A lot. The more the sim paints, the more quickly he will gain skills. Isn’t this true of real life?

We’ve all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect,” but do we really buy into it? I don’t think we do, but we should because it’s true. The only way to get better at something is to practice, and the more you practice the more you improve. If I spent as many hours out of a day in the studio as my sim spent painting, I’d quickly become more experienced and more skilled. It can be hard to fit everything in, especially considering number one, but give yourself permission to skip the dishes one night and do a little painting. It’s important and it’s worth it!

3. Quality will Follow Quantity

Perhaps the toughest lesson to accept.

In the Sims, artists have different types of paintings they can create: regular, brilliant, and masterpieces. The more skilled your sim, the more likely he is to paint brilliant paintings and then masterpieces. But, he will never consistently produce either. It’s totally random.

This absolutely applies to real life. People often think that quality and quantity are mutually exclusive, but the more paintings you paint, the more likely you will be to paint a really great piece. I don’t mean that you should be whipping out piece after piece regardless of the quality. It’s more that you should focus on producing as much as you can of the best work that you can, but don’t get caught up in creating a perfect piece every time. Accept that some pieces will be better than others and instead of worrying at it forever trying to fix it, move on to a new painting. You can always come back to the other piece to fix it.

There you have it, three things I learned about painting from playing the Sims. Follow these three lessons and you could be selling paintings for upwards of $5000 in just a few weeks just like my sim!

…Or not.

Tags: getting started, motivation, time management

The Funny Thing About Deadlines…

Oct 13, 2010 Art General, Painting

Some people hate deadlines. I love them. Without deadlines, I would get nothing done.

The problem I have with deadlines is that I work to them. No matter when they are.

For example: I got a portrait commission this summer. The client said to me that it wasn’t urgent, she didn’t need it any time soon, just as long as it was finished by November for her son’s birthday. I assured her that there was no way it would take that long.

Well, guess what? It’s still only half finished.

It’s a small portrait, nothing special and there is absolutely no reason for it to take that long. I have never taken so long with a portrait. Ever.

So why the delay? The deadline, of course.

I am a huge procrastinator. I’m the person who plans to submit art to an exhibition for months, and is scrambling on the last day to get things together.

In some situations, I think it’s an unconscious attempt to create a false sense of urgency. I do my best work under pressure. It certainly worked when I was in school. I would have weeks, months even, to write a paper, but I would leave it to the last minute. I’d hole up for the weekend, eating nothing but popcorn and doing nothing but sit at the computer. And it always worked!

The thing is, I am never late. Ever. No matter what the deadline, I will always keep it, even if I’m working up to the last minute.

Is it ridiculous that I’ve been working on the same commission for the past three months? Yes. Will it get done by the deadline? Yes.

What’s the moral? Who knows? There’s no lesson today, just rambling.

How do you deal with deadlines?

Tags: procrastination, time management

Do You Eat, Sleep and Breathe Art?

Oct 6, 2010 Art General, Creativity

If not, it’s okay!

I used to feel a lot of pressure to make my whole life about art. Certainly, this was the message I got in art school.

An artist should make art, read about art, write about art, attend art openings, socialize with other artists, and essentially immerse themselves in their own art and the art world in general.

Seriously?

Honestly, if I did all of these things all of the time, I would have no time for anything else!

Add to that blog about art, tweet about art, read other artist’s blogs and art forums and it gets even more ridiculous.

Being an artist doesn’t mean you have to be an artist all the time. Artists are parents, siblings, children; they are wives and husbands; they are employees and employers; they may be golfers, or runners, or campers, or travelers, or readers, or volunteers. In short, they are human!

Artists, just like anyone, need a well-rounded, balanced life. This is good for your general state of well-being, but also good for your art practice. The things that go on in your life outside of your art are the things that inform your work.

It wasn’t until my last year at art school that one of my profs openly acknowledged this, and not until recently that I was able to generalize his advice. I was planning my course schedule and considering taking my electives during the summer so that I could fully concentrate on my studio classes during the semester. He recommended that I take both at the same time, so that my experiences in non-art classes could inform my work in the studio.

I took my electives in the summer anyways, which was the best choice for me in the end, but the lesson remains the same.

No matter where you are in your art career, it’s important to have a full, satisfying life. Spend time with your friends and family, participate in your hobbies, indulge in some down time. Your art will benefit from it!

Tags: being an artist, Creativity, motivation, time management

Know When to Take a Break

Dec 27, 2009 Art General

As a perfectionist, I learned at a very young age the importance of knowing when to walk away from a project. I was in Girl Guides for a long time when I was a kid and a significant part of the program involved making crafts. While I love making and creating, and while I consider myself to be artistic, I am not a crafty person. In fact, I hate making crafts.

I love the crafts themselves and admire people who can do it well. My mom is a crafter; the things she makes are amazing! But there’s something about the finicky nature of crafts that frustrates the heck out of me!

I remember being in Brownies and getting all worked up because my project didn’t look just right. I can still remember my mom saying, “just take a break, Miranda, just take a break.”

I was reminded of this lesson, which I have applied to my entire life, during my recent portrait marathon. No matter how tight the deadline, no matter how much  work you need to do, never under-estimate the power of a short break.

Even a ten minute break helps to clear your mind and give you a fresh start. When you start feeling frustrated or overwhelmed (like you’ll never get it done), go for a quick walk, grab a snack, read a book or watch some TV. Afterwards, you will feel ready to tackle your task again.

It might sound counterproductive: take a break when you’re worried about getting something done. The thing is, when you’ve been working too long, you get to the point when you stop being productive even if you’re still working. Taking that ten minutes break will make the rest of your time more effective.

I call it having a “fresh brain.”

Whatever it is that you’re trying to do, take this lesson with you into the New Year and fit some breaks into your schedule!

Tags: art tips, time management

6 Tips for a Stress-Free Sketch Book

Dec 13, 2009 Creativity

I recently wrote a guest post for Lori Mcnee’s blog Fine Art Tips. I didn’t want you guys to miss out on it, so  here is a condensed version! You can read the entire article at Fine Art Tips for more details.

Most artists recognize the value of a sketch book: it’s a place to practice, a place to experiment, and a place to keep track of your ideas. The problem is that there is only so much time in the day! Regularly using a sketch book can be difficult. It’s something we want to do, something we feel we should be doing, and yet we don’t always have time for it. Hence the stress!

Here are six tips you can use to help make your sketch book time less stressful and more enjoyable.

1. Indulge: Buy an exciting sketch book that will inspire you, or make one of your own.

2. Get Portable: Use a mini sketch book so that you’re ready to draw anywhere.

3. Get Strategic: Place a sketch book in the places where you’re likely to have down time to remind you to use it.

4. Be Open-Minded: Let your sketch book be a receptacle for whatever idea happens to strike you that day.

5. Set Limits: Spark your creativity by setting limits on colour or medium.

6. Cheat: Recognize that the doodles you do throughout the day are also part of your creative process.

These are some of the things that work for me. What strategies do you use to make keeping a sketch book easier?

Tags: sketch books, time management