It doesn’t have to be perfect all at once!

Today I would like to give you some short drawing tips. Without being very serious, and setting the bar very high. There are many things where we push very hard for ourselves and are "how it should be". Things we feel we have to meet. If you also do this with your creativity, your creativity will be under unnecessary stress. I would like to start with a thought exercise with you. Read the questions below and find out for yourself what answer comes to your mind. Without thinking about it for a long time, it can also be a feeling, but sometimes you quickly have an automatic thought: Why…

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7 tips to paint better

7 tips to paint better Painting can be quite complicated if you are just starting out. You may know the materials and how it works. But how do you make a good painting? What should you start practicing with? Here I have listed for a number of painting tips which I found useful when I just started painting. 1. Big Tools Use large to medium sized brushes and palette knives. I am a huge fan of palette knives, you can apply a big dollop of paint, you wipe them and they are ready for a new color. If you use a large brush or palette knife, you also ensure…

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Getting inspired and generating idea’s … how do you do that?

Maybe you do not have any problems at all with getting idea's, but it is something that often comes back in my practice as a teacher. "Miss, I have no idea what to make." Or I hear: "I'm not doing anything today because I have no inspiration." With my adolescent students at the last hour of the day, the latter usually just means: "I don't feel like it." :) There are many different ways to gain inspiration. Below is a list of different ways to get the engine up and running again. Because I think that is the most important thing, generate a spark arises that will bring you…

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Making art is not an endpoint, it is an adventurous route

Everybody can make art But not everyone realizes that quite some perseverance is needed. A work of art doesn't suddenly appear. It is hard work, even if it looks like a simple work of art, there is often a lot to do beforehand. To be creative you need a certain mindset. First of all, you have to be a bit cocky... preferably stubborn. This will activate your imagination and you can challenge the status quo and ask yourself: "Why?" And "How?". That can lead to a: "This is better / nicer / more interesting / etc.". Everyone can do this. Sometimes you just have to wake up the inner teenager. ;) If you use your imagination, you…

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How pencils are made

If you pick up pencils to draw, you usually do not think about how they were made. You have an idea, you pick up a pencil and start drawing. The final product, the drawing is most important. As an art fanatic, I sometimes realize that the tools that I use have already traveled a long way. At most pencil factories, the quality of the product is carefully considered so that I (and you) do not have to think about it but can immediately start drawing (or painting). This means that in a factory or office, people are testing whether the pencils are good in color and texture. The video below…

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7 reasons why sketching is more important then drawing

  It seems to be a contradictory claim because making a beautiful drawing is often the ultimate goal. Nevertheless, I think it is extremely important to be able to make a good sketch. Perhaps this is more important than being able to draw nicely.   Huh, isn't this a website to learn how to draw better? Yes, that's right, but I have 7 reasons why sketching is an incredibly important part of drawing. You have to be good at sketching before you can make really good drawings. Okay, first the 7 reasons, then I explain them below. It is easier to start again. Sketching creates less character stress. You…

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Drawing is important for everybody!

What came first, text or drawings? Everyone who ever saw a picture of a cavemen drawing knows the answer to this. Drawing is something we have done for a long time. And although modern man sometimes tries to deny it, it is very important to who we are. Looking We are visual creatures. We look at everything and everybody if we get the chance. With large sunglasses on a sunny day or in our digital meeting places, like Facebook, Instagram, Google Steetview, etc. We look at the world around us and have opinions about it! Right now we are bombarded with a large amount of images. Just for fun,…

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How to start: Portrait drawing for beginners

Let's start with some basic rules: The eyes are in the middle of the face. The nose is on the half of the bottom half of the face. The hairline is on the half of the upper half of the face. The lips are under the nose, just a little above the middle of the bottom quart. How do you start? Start with a vertical line on paper, then put a shorter horizontal line in the middle of this line. Now connect the ends of the lines with sketch lines, this way you draw the oval for the shape of the face. Note, put light sketch lines because these…

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Color theory, is Johannes Itten all you need to know or is there more?

Did you ever mix colors and wondered what you did wrong? Was the result dark and dirty colors? Did you think you made a mistake? You didn't! There is a secret that is not told too often you need to know about! Color theory sounds hard, and it can be complicated. But if you start at the beginning it is not so hard.   Colour theory Primary colours The primary colors are red, blue and yellow. The most used scheme is the color wheel from Itten. Primary colors can not be created. But with these colors, you can make all other colors. At least, in theory, practice is a…

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Warming-up for drawing. Three excises

Maybe you never thought about it, but for drawing it is a very good idea to warm-up before you begin. How should you begin? You can randomly scribble on a paper and then begin drawing. But I have a few more drawing tips for you. Why should you warm-up? Why do you need to do a warming-up for drawing? Of course, you do not háve to! But it is very useful when the muscles in your hand and arm completely at your disposal. Compare it with darts. If you are just starting, you are happy if you hit the dartboard at all. The more you practice you get the…

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