Art Advice that Changed My Life

[@angrymikko]

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[@winterArtist]

Ya know, I just went over this German idea in art history class called Faktura- it’s the idea that artists should focus on using a medium’s strengths in their purest forms to create even better work (water color’s layering, photography’s light/shadow interplay, digital painting’s way of retouching and layering etc) when you talked about ink, it really made me think of this. We create with a different mindset in different mediums because it helps us better create whatever we’re working on

[@jonaseggen2230]

In Rudolph Steiner school we were not allowed to make lines as there are no lines around things in reality...There is however a distinct citchy unrealistic style that is very common in those circles

[@ede2362]

The "you draw like a girl" comment is so misogynist and disgusting, cant believe a teacher said this

[@VSastrocompasss]

Painting is so much nicer the editing or review concept test.

[@awhitney3063]

I had an amazing fine arts teacher tell us always "In the real world, there ARE NO LINES. Any line in the real world is just an object being hit with shadow." Really changed how I thought about how lines are used in value work; you don't need a line or an edge, just the form to exist and for light or dark to be hitting it.

[@nycsim-r8t]

We could use that same argument about color as it doesn't exist either. It's a mental perception of a very, very narrow segment of the electromagnetic spectrum which we call light.

[@albagimenezro]

I think there is nothing more discouraging for art students than art teacher that says they are not artists, they are art students. I believe we are all artists or art students. We have a better or worse ability at it. But there is no point in which we, as artists, are not learning new things about art! There is also no point in which we have “mastered” art because we are always learning!

[@Firons]

I always thought that lines are more important than anything and the more I restricted myself to drawing line first, the more I find myself giving up on art. I was happiest when I freely painted and probably improved the most. Thank you for this video.

[@lindasartcorner]

Thank you for sharing this. I’m also struggling with line art. I’m always happier to block in the shapes and add lines and details after but I’ve always felt that I’m doing it wrong. I start all my paintings without a sketch. As a hobbyists it feels good to know that there are “real” artists that work that way too 😄. I’m working through your domestika course and it became so obvious that I prefer blocking shapes in over line art. I’m loving the course btw. I think every single module provided huge lightbulb moment for me

[@angrymikko]

Glad you are finding it helpful 🐻 That painting took 40(!) hours to do so remember that patience is a big part of the process even though it’s not one of the lessons in that course .

[@lindasartcorner]

@@angrymikko oh my! I think I’ll focus on small painting for now. I have a small child and I’m happy I get a couple of hours to paint a week 😅

[@angrymikko]

A great way to improve is to SLOWLY increase the complexity of paintings. Getting used to not finishing them in one sitting takes time. It’s great to enjoy a long process when you know you can steer it to the finish line but getting to that point too early will feel frustrating as it might look hopeless. It’s like swimming in open water. Stick close to the shore in the beginning and only increase the distance when you don’t have to worry about drowning anymore 🐻

[@lindasartcorner]

@@angrymikko that is good advice. Thank you 😊

[@biss141]

In der Kunst kannst du alles tun. Egal wie. Es gibt Techniken, das heißt aber nicht, dass du gezwungen bist nur diese zu nutzen. Wenn du Kunst machst, bist du ein Künstler. Genauso echt wie andere Künstler :)

[@cyobirdy]

Its so interesting to realise a lot of us visualise art in different ways as you said. Some seeing it in lines and some in values etc, realising which of those works for u can really let urself go loose and make art easier for yourself. You pointing this out really made me feel a bit more at ease with the way I approach art

[@shiny2575]

Ive always struggled SO MUCH with sketches while some people's sketches could pass as lineart, i didnt realize that could be a reason why. Thank you so much

[@DrStrangechilde]

'Drawing is easy! Just break everything down into geometric shapes!' Everyone who has ever looked up how to draw has seen this advice. I hate this-- if I do this in my mind, everything looks broken and dead. I cannot see the world this way and take any joy in it. Thank you for giving me permission to believe that this is okay and I am not a failure at seeing the world. Thank you for giving us all a framework within which to explore different ways of visualising.

[@angrymikko]

I can squint all day but people don’t look like cylinders to me either 😅

[@evildinobot]

Agreed

[@ravioli_826]

They tell you geometric shapes but the truth is look at things as 3d forms

[@snipingway]

Omg, drawing volumes instead of lines/shading instead of drawing outlines--I do this too! It's so nice to hear that's just a thing. I took 3D classes before I took drawing classes, and learned digital painting before I learned drawing and I have the same exact thing. My illustration teacher literally just told me on my last assignment submitted that I really nail the shading techniques but struggle with other parts. I also move onto rendering before getting the proportions down (because I have fun with rendering), lol! I recently started learning proportions better by drawing eyes/etc like I'd sculpt them in a 3D program rather than drawing outlines.

[@jennaevans903]

In my animation studies, I was taught to admire lines that convey the most possible with the least number of lines. I don't remember who taught me this, or precisely when, but it was in the culture I was surrounded by. Every department seemed to have its own culture about what makes an artist effective. I think it's really important to express experiences like yours, and I'm grateful for the reminder. But also, I think your initial drawing for this painting shows priorities that I aspire to.

[@sinclaire5479]

I went through a college level "art" class and ended up quitting drawing for like five years, their "structure" killed my inspiration that bad. Now years later I own my own business have sold several paintings and now am creating a coloring book for tween to teenage kids and young adults because i want to. Art is expression of concepts and self

[@lego_minifig]

2:34 that is fascinating. As a Graphic Design student I was told the opposite. I was told to call myself a graphic designer and not hide behind the mask of a student. I was in those courses spending thousands because I was committed to the craft. Designers are constantly learning, we just happened to be in the early stages.

[@angrymikko]

I think that’s one way to look at it. I think if you are doing something creative, you are an artist. If you want to KEEP doing creative things, it is imperative to identify as an artist. We want to behave in a way congruent with our identity, so if that involves making art, there is way less mental friction to start and do the actual work.

[@ZarBluestar]

“You see the world in terms of volumes instead of shapes” I just had to dissociate for a minute after hearing that. It struck me so deeply Through my entire art journey so far, the shading process was always something that came naturally. My sketches would not be that great, but when I’d use my pencil to shade those same sketches in grayscale, it would really come to life. Even before I had an understanding of the fundamentals (anatomy, perspective, light/color theory) I still had a pretty solid grasp of values and hue shifting shifting/color relativity. Even as a beginner who didn’t actually “know” why I did it, I still understood “it looks good”. But my linework could only ever look good when I sketched/inked in a manga style, since you could better sketch the “volume” (until you do shaded sketches) Im only a hobbyist, and trying to get back in digitally after YEARS of not touching a pencil. This resonates with me at such a deep level (which is funny because I can’t seem to grasp painting techniques yet, but I still understand layering volumes and blending the values/hues in 3D better than their 2D representations). I haven’t even finished the video, but that struck me so deeply I just had to comment now. Thank you

[@BarbaraClayArtisticsoulwithin]

Thank you so much. I am legally blind and I have been an artist all my life. I just started to lose my eyesight just a few years ago. Of course I was deeply depressed but my family kept encouraging me to keep doing art. At first I tried to do art like I was taught to do art but it wasn't working at all for me anymore. Just recently I thought I can't play by the same rules of art as I used to. I need to do something different. For some crazy reason I started gravitating towards cubism. The way my eyesight is I can see shapes and colors but everything I see is flat. I have no depth perception. Just a few months ago I started painting and the only thing I focused on was shapes and color harmony. I absolutely loved it😂 I even sold a few of my paintings. Your video was confirmation that I should stick to what works for me. Lol who knew I would be a cubist artist? Thanks for making this video. It was extremely helpful ❤

[@nicreven]

It's so magical just seeing the painting happen Like, it just slowly grows into the final thing, despite being a blob of nothing to start with It's so cool Thank you for making this video. While I don't think I'm someone who sees the world in volumes (though I'll definitely be testing that in future), it's still just refreshing. I think a lot of the discussions around art, online and otherwise, focus on one specific method and one specific style as if that's the only way you can draw (as in make art in general). I catch myself not doing things because it's "not the right way" or "cheating" or something despite the fact that I know I consciously don't believe that. We should really embrace the idea of like, "whatever gets the job done" or "whatever floats your boat", I think.

[@angrymikko]

My next piece has already gone through 3 different techniques both digital and traditional and it’s going to have 2 more just because that’s what that piece needs. Also includes line art because it’s just faster for that one piece. As a concept artist I learned to just get to get to the finish line as fast as possible. Often I needed to convert my entire style for the project in question so I learned plenty of shortcuts that I still use every day.

[@brombrombromley]

i came to this revelation too and i go back and forth between methodologies of drawing depending on what's needed now and i feel like my art has greatly improved as a result

[@angrymikko]

This way of working extends beyond lines and block-ins. In my work I’ve faced many art style challenges trying to fit my design to the needs of the project and I’ve learned to notice friction that’s either medium specific or due to my lack pf skill. Skill problems need more time to work on that’s possible within a project and I work on those after my work is done. However medium specific friction can be immediately solved in most cases by switching my approach and that results in a better product for my client and less stress on my part as all of my work is design not the actual painting that I’m handing them over at the end of my part.

[@Xenotork]

When i look at objects my brain can discern both sillouhette and outline. If i un-focus my eyes i can emphasize the volumes of the object and if i focus on the subject i can emphasize the edges and outlines. It's kinda wierd, but then again we are all unique and have our strengths and weaknesses. I mainly draw with lines, but that only strengthens how clearly i can visualize things in my mind when i draw. Seeing volumes really helps simplify and experiment with lighting and color. While drawing contours and lineart helps sylize and simplify my work so that i can push or pull things in whichever direction i want to go, style wise. I'll definitely be going in and painting more line-less works in the same fasion as i am with my line drawings to see how that further pushes my work. And i can't get enough of it all.

[@CupcakeCottage]

Love this. Made me see a totally different perspective on how every artist sees things differently.

[@Dookie6891]

I've come to a similar revelation with my creative blocks, which are usually stifled by realization. The goal is the vision. The medium and our enormously pretentious relationship with lines, forms, values etc literally have no meaning at all. If you can't arrive at the vision among the muck of romantic desires to "be" an artist, you're not really accomplishing anything. The artist, while deceptively industrious is most valuable in the creative process of realization. You want to "be" the conduit - the tool itself that makes. See the thing, realize it, create it, and observe it. That's all there is. The path there will never be anything other than an abstract tool to arrive at the thing.

[@amirrezahh86]

This is very interesting, because my experience is kind of reversed 😅 i do line art and drawings much better than i do paintings or like you said seeing things in volumes, for YEARSSSS..! I was against myself and forced myself to create artworks with huge stains and brush strokes (grass is always greener on the other side i guess) problem for me is I lose the structure of the piece as quickly as there’s no visible line,thank god I finally came in peace with how I’m comfortable doing art and accepted myself

[@evildinobot]

I know right! In my case, I can draw well, but suck at painting. One issue is I just can’t paint patiently or methodically. Trying to stabilise my own way of painting. (Digital painting is what I mean. I’m that bad at actual oil chalk and water color)

[@amirrezahh86]

@@evildinobot well in modern era that we’re living in my opinion digital tools are as good as traditional tools or maybe we are more of a designer than artist(think of it this way 😉)

[@TheOnePandemonium]

I’m a fellow line arter too! Glad to see some of us in the comments 🥺

[@SavMortem]

It's so good to hear this. I have practiced and gotten better at drawing but I've found breaking things down while painting digitally feels like a more natural process and makes more sense in my mind than lines. Once I started painting I didn't go back to drawing the same way other than to sketch things in my environment to practice how I observe things. I still want to level up my drawing but this helps me realize I might need to approach it a little differently and that's okay ☺️ I used to feel like I was doing something wrong when my sketches were really simple and flat compared to when I render. I still have a lot to learn but it will probably make learning easier if I lean into what feels right. Thank you for this new outlook! I really appreciate it ❤️

[@angrymikko]

There are many ways to draw so breaking that down in a future video in some exercise might be a good idea. Sometimes just changing the tool can be eye opening too. Like a charcoal so thick that it’s hard to make lines with or a marker that is good for layering. The good thing with experimenting is that you can free yourself from the idea of being good and just focus on if the method clicks well with you or not.

[@SavMortem]

@@angrymikko That's a lovely idea! Just found some old charcoal sticks the other day while spring cleaning! They were my wife's but they never used them and said I can have them. Haven't used them but the idea of getting to try them and seeing if laying down values works better for me has me pumped to learn to use them 😁 hadn't thought of that, thank you for the idea!

[@lucasn_art]

I definitely don't relate but it was SO interesting to know that some people view the world differently!

[@angrymikko]

I’ve taught concept art for so many years now that it’s not just binary between these two elements. With students throughout the years you start noticing how everyone has a different way they see and understand things. When someone doesn’t understand an idea it usually helps to have different ways of explaining it. Through practice, images or metaphors. Just explaining the same thing twice rarely if ever works.

[@JordanHunter333]

Gosh, Mikko...I just happened upon your channel while watching a few drawing videos. Exploring art for the first time, and have some pencils, microns, and watercolor. I found your process and commentary mesmerizing---your story about art school, your teachers' observations and your inner struggle; the revelation you experienced about how you see. This gripping and moving narrative all while watching your digital painting take form, something I've never seen done before and that felt like a complete mystery. It was all just captivating and your art is stunning. As utterly new as I am to it all, while I listened I felt I was connecting with something stirring and ancient, and don't even know if that makes sense. You are a gifted storyteller, and your compassion and empathy for the process of art, for those doing art, feels rare and beautiful. I can't wait to learn more about your work and teaching. Thank you. 🙏

[@trueXMotionFitness]

Woooow. You know, I so wish that I could see things more easily from that perspective. I feel like my pieces often lack the depth & dimension that I want them to because I struggle with consistency in my shadows & lighting. I also do exactly what you said you did in the beginning & catch myself focusing too much on the details. I really appreciated this video.

[@angrymikko]

Details are always easy to do, especially when zooming in. It's possible to create a bubble where everything looks fine and is effortless to control. With line art, it is inherently a bit harder to stay in the big shapes because a line covers only a tiny portion of the canvas. I respect everyone who has that type of restraint. Using huge brushes in the beginning almost automatically keeps me zoomed out, so I don't need to battle that urge as much.

[@nicreven]

@@angrymikko that is such an incredible way of thinking about it oh my gosh

[@Corruptedkiwi]

What a great way to enjoy my work break, listening to Mikko’s soothing voice

[@CelilasArt]

"this painting is like a mojito" !!! that's a keeper 😍 what a lovely thing to say. thank you so much for sharing your insights and your art journey with us! i can switch between a lineart heavy and a painterly style, and i often get lost in the details when working on lineart... to the point where i'm fed up with the piece before the painting/colouring part really started -_- so now i try to keep it simple, or just paint without any lineart at all. it's so freeing 😅💕

[@angrymikko]

I always felt like in my own workflow the details in a drawing always seemed deceptive as they seem to nearly disappear after the colours are introduced. Same for colour blocking. The light always seems more important to the mood than the decisions on what each local colours are. That’s why I never got a sense that I’m planning a finished piece when so many of the main elements of composition were still unknown. This doesn’t apply to artists who leave a contrast gap between colours and lines but for me it is a huge issue since I rarely leave my lines in anyway. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@PlusSe7en]

This is so wonderful and amazing. I am also. Natural painter and I struggle to do technical line-art, but I have spent years working on lineart exclusively because I was told “resting on painting makes you lazy” 🤦‍♀️ I want to start painting again

[@DigiLena]

Thank you for sharing this. I always felt like I was better at art when I could just skip to using color and fill in the space. Line art when I do it looks like a child did it. I did not know and possibly would have never known without this video that it’s a normal thing. So thank you!🙏

[@thephoenixfire3429]

" Draw like a girl" , imagine someone saying this to criticize your painting. Why does everyone put down women to give examples of failure? This is next level offensive!!

[@Reunettue]

fr, like how the fuck do you even "draw like a girl" besides just bein a girl that draws???

[@AtomicSlugg]

i feel like that comes from sports, basically locker-room talk it's incredibly sexist and makes no sense in art

[@mrpickles-hb6zx]

This isn't "next level offensive" it's normal level, plus wasn't it a woman saying this to him?💀

[@thephoenixfire3429]

@@mrpickles-hb6zx So what? A woman saying it makes it less sexist? Make it make sense!

[@ct3000]

I think its funny since shes not only sexist but she also called herself bad :P I think she should've lost her job tbh

[@Nikodraws149]

I love this story. Because it's almost exactly the same the same reason my style of art developed the way it did. I am very heavily invested in line art. I love dynamic linework so much. But when I started art school I forced myself to do more painterly style work because I thought "If I don't do actual paintings I'm not a real artists. no one will think I'm good at art if I do linework." and I hated it so much but I did for class anyway. When one of my teachers (my favorite teacher I took all of her classes whenever I could) in a character design class asked me if I have considered doing cell shading and focusing on linework instead of the full renders I was doing forcing myself to do. Which, I guess in a way was what let me give myself permission to enjoy the work I was doing for class. After that everything dramatically improved for me and I stopped feeling like I was doing "inferior art" or whatever my problem was back then.

[@aquare9ia]

I want to say thank you for taking time to share this revelation with all of us. I had been told by a less perceptive teacher that I should stick with lines no matter what because I was strong at drawing them. After taking time to liberate myself and paint instead, I found my understanding of 3D, lighting, and form improved dramatically. Your journey reminds me that there's no one perfect way and there's no perfect teachers, but we have to be perceptive towards what will help us improve.

[@JR_Zart]

U drawing backrounds so easily actually gives me confidence, i was always scared of drawing backgrounds, thank you. 🙏

[@daisiesonme1]

Gosh this is so stunning and beautiful. I just spend the last 16min of my life completely mesmerized with your painting process. It was incredible watching you paint. Thank you for sharing!

[@nat298]

I love the mention of discovering what the painting is going to be as you paint. I feel like I never start with a concrete idea but rather more of a half-idea and start adding background elements once I see how it’s turning out.

[@angrymikko]

I often find the richness of storytelling comes through that process. When I’ve spent 20 hrs in the same scene I know where I am who the characters are and what storytelling devices I can leverage to get that point across for others as well.

[@Audifan8595]

I'm a writer and I always discover the story as I write 😊 I would wager that musicians go through the same

[@angrymikko]

That makes sense, writing is a lot like painting and vice versa. 🎨🖋️

[@pamelaberry6875]

This is exactly how I draw/paint! I can see the mass. Omg thank you for this video. I always thought I wasn't a real artist because I took so long to draw outlines and break everything down and the. It would look bad. But I can look at an object in front of me and draw it if I focus on the shadows and object itself as a whole and it would look good! This was such an eye opening video! Many thanks!

[@willloverkfjh]

Thank you so much omg i never understood why i hated my paintings so much I always start by drawing line first and shading later i focused too much on details but now i will just draw volumes and continue with how i want the world to be .

[@zebnemma]

As someone who loves to do line art (and used to make my own comic projects for fun) I learned a while ago about how to paint more freely. I used to be a perfectionist when I did art. Learning to focus on shapes, values and shadows instead of being hyper focused on individual lines(or even down to pixels) helped me overcome my perfectionism. It's pretty usefull to know how to paint in this way too even if you are someone who does line art. It was like unlocking a new skill for me, and after that I felt more relaxed. I always start with line art anyway but when the rendering process starts it's easier to paint with values and shadows and not worry too much about the details. I feel my art has changed for the better the more I learn this new technique.

[@CalamusPressDesigns]

Thank you for this video. I've been struggling with line art / sketching, but almost in the reverse of you. I find what I "want" to do is have really bold rigid linework (like stained glass) and then very loose impressioned silhouettes underneath them that dont exactly match them. And as much as I admire and enjoy airy watercolours, what I end up creating is more a digital mod podge with a build up of textures. Neither seems very "art-y", but I enjoy the process much more. Thank you for the encouragement to follow the processes you enjoy, and to create art that is individual. I hope to one day make things as beautiful as yours. 😊

[@nickieisyoppie]

I had a sorta similar awakening in myself when I realized that I liked doing semi messy "clean lines" using a pencil or paint brush over using sharp pen brushes. That kind of line art has its place of course, but I feel for me it doesn't fit with my visions anymore. I think having slightly messy or non perfect lines gives what you're drawing so much character. That's me though, this was a great video, inspires me a lot!

[@cookiesyruplover]

This video is a blessing. Amazing work! Thank you for sharing your experience. Also as everyone agrees, that mean teacher sucks for putting you down. Your love for the process is amazing and I'm so happy to know you discovered how you see the world and how best you can communicate that into your art. Have a lovely day!

[@angrymikko]

Thank you 🐻

[@AbelArt]

Beautiful painting Miko, and a wonderful message! I am the opposite, I work in lines and see things in lines but always thought it would be better for me to paint as I love the idea of painting, but I'm just not built that way. But never say never right!

[@angrymikko]

Just the same way there are ways for painters to draw there are just as many ways for craftsmen/women to paint. It's all about starting from the language that’s closest to your comfort zone and SLOWLY adding techniques from that other field. The problem with KZbin in these sort of assignments is that one has to ever sell the results with stunning thumbnails but honestly the progress might look slow and unimpressive at first. Most learning processes in art do take time but if you find the goal worthwhile that shouldn't scare you from moving forward.

[@Fokkusu]

I'm learning by myself since 2 years on my free time, and I am also the kind of artist that paints and dont like drawing, I am also not very good at lineart, so the moment I discovered that I could try lineless, that I could paint shapes then refine them, that I could use loose drawings and not needing to actually refine them because those drawings are just the base of the painting, all of those obvious things, it also changed my entire art life, its so much fun now, I really resonate with this video even if I am still kinda early in my journey and didnt go to art school or anything.

[@PlantHoardingAdventures]

You're such a great teacher, thank you for sharing this it really helped me because I've been feeling like a real SUCKulent lately, like i'm not getting anywhere with my digital art, it's not easy like normal art, which i'm mostly into watercolor, paint and pastel, but I'm so focused on all of the tools and steps its making me feel real sucky when my works look like this is my first time ever! but i'm going to try this point of view, it certainly makes more sense to my brain! thank you🙏

[@angrymikko]

My pleasure. Being consistent at art is getting good at facing those inner doubts over and over. Every painting is just a pile of random scribbles before it starts looking like something. Art is unique from skills like playing an instrument or dancing in that the beginning shows no signs of promise nor skill. Even when you do have the fundamentals even when you have the skill you still need to convince yourself that you can do this every time. Being ready to face that challenge and overcoming it with every piece is part of being an artist. Art is for the brave.

[@deadwolf4496]

So, i wrote this long ass monologue on why i thing most KZbinrs artadvice are somewhat useless, but then my adhd brain lost the thought halfway through, so yeah… What i mean is, thanks for the advice. This resonated far more with me than most other „Tutorials“, „Tipps“ or „Advice“ Videos i‘ve seen in a long time. So yeah, thx and have a good day.

[@devilichus]

This video resonates with me this way, I am a character concept artist and I love whenever I see a traditional like painterly illustrative character concepts but still detailed with intricate lines etc. I was shape carving while doing concepts but they had lack of line art and intricate forms so I came across with Ariel Perez's channel in the timelapse there were both shape carving and loose line dancing on digital canvas so I understood that it was a legit technique he was on the fly exploring both lines and shapes too like me without being too planned or intricately delving into clean line art so That's where I felt I was legit. And I found my workflow now. (finally after 5 years of creating concepts with eclectic non unified styles) So everything is legit when you practice and learn fundamentals then your approach and style is not mandatory to be one thing since your art will be good at the end of the day already, you do your way.

[@baldermash]

Great and insightful commentary and a pleasurable progress video. Thanks for sharing!

[@火実真珠]

A complete eye-opener 🤯. Thank you for sharing this! I am on the opposite side of the spectrum, when i do lines they just fly, but when it comes to painting... it's not that it is bad it ends up looking plausable, but i don't enjoy the process at all, and there is a nagging feeling i already "finished" the piece because the lines tell everything i wanted to communicate so for me painting in general just feels like an extra chore to make it look nicer for the viewers. I wish i could break through this and find a way to enjoy painting, because i love the colors and the mood, i just have no idea how to integrate with my line approach 😔 When i try to combine the two... well they look too much together, both the lines and the rendering competing to rule the image. But funnily enough when i leave the sketch in as it is and underpaint not even strictly following the lines it becomes enjoyable, and it turns out as a hyprid mess haha.

[@whiskitty]

Wow, I totally needed to hear that part about accountability, I simply ran away from things that were easy for me to do and feel I've been lost ever since

[@nicreven]

MIKKO I HAVE AN UPDATE I RECENTLY STOPPED DOING LINE ART AND I'M HAVING FUN WITH ART FOR THE FIRST TIME I make stuff so quickly now, too!! I'm just GOING and I'm HAVING FUN and I'm making REALLY COOL SHIT!! And I need to stress that like, I'm noticing more and more that I'm pretty sure I'm just like you Though I did realise a bit before then that I had a hard time drawing because my anxiety made it really difficult for me to do things But with lineless art I can just push and pull and think in general shapes and volumes and it is *incredible* I've thought about this video a few times since then so I wanted to leave a comment and get it off my mind Happy painting!

[@rumple503]

I don't see thinks like you, i see the lines. But watching your painting process was so fascinating. I'm even more excited about the your domestika course that i bought a good while ago but haven't had the opportunity to start yet.

[@cheerychinchilla]

Great advice! Thank you so much. My key takeaway: "all those drawing exercises, I didn't like them" and that you gritted through. But later you came to understand that it was "telling" you an important thing about your way of working. What suited you better. Nice revelation. Love your vids ❤

[@angrymikko]

Vision is mysterious because it’s not just a physical way to sense the world. So much of what we see is tied to the way our brains interpret that information. And that method is very different to all of us. This also applies to colour. The greatest superpower feeling with art is when you start seeing colours that you previously didn’t notice. Our mind tries to simplify reality with easy symbols. But we are capable of so much more than that if given enough time to see past those simplifications.

[@galatunia]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! The fact you thought those gorgeous paintings you showed weren't helping you is a crime. I'm just beginning my own art journey and I do wonder if this applies to me too. Because I'm just now starting purely with some pencil sketches, but I do look at painting styles and they're always inspiring. I'm looking forward to getting a tablet one day and trying that.

[@Savanyy]

Once accepted that I could draw whatever I was most interested in my art improved. When I thought that I had to master anatomy or landscapes or whatever first, I stopped drawing. Drawing things that were boring to me was worse than not drawing at all, so I didn’t. Maybe I don’t improve as quickly if I was constantly doing anatomy or studies, but I have a lot more fun, and that’s the most important part to me.

[@TheFailedArtist]

It’s amazing how much unintentional damage a teacher can inadvertently cause with a simple comment in a young artists life. Adding shame on top of everything else that a budding art student needs to grapple with. Good on you for continuing to work the way you were comfortable with and for lining up with the RIGHT teacher in the end.

[@ashleyleddy194]

This is fascinating to me. Line art stresses me out, so I’m going to try the painting approach. Many thanks!

[@stormycatmink]

I've been struggling a long time to draw.. I used to doodle all the time, but I was always good at visualizing objects.. I just sucked at drawing them. Over the last year, I suddenly snapped out of it somehow, starting to draw things better by trying not to think about it.. but one method that always worked well was when I just painted the silhouette shape, not the lines, and I was good at it. I started to realize when I was doing gesture, if I painted the sort of.. mass of the shape, it worked out better. Watching this, it just occurred to me that I'm probably the same way. As much as I always wanted to do cartoons, it was always easier to do the volume first, then draw an outline around it. At this point, I've put so much time on trying to learn line drawing (my notebooks are still only pages of shading and hatching), it's hard to focus on volumes now, but this will help me focus that way.

[@dawson3776]

I learned that over time, same outcome. I don't see the outlines, I paint by volume, using the shadow to carve things out.

[@bumblebeam6291]

Aw this is so sweet. I feel similar, i focus on contrast to sculpt the forms out of the backgrounds, in animating too, i see myself outline the volumes

[@jamescandyland]

Thank you for this video! This is awesome! I’ve been working on learning digital art and this has helped me to see it through new eyes in a different way!

[@ryouskye]

Thank you for this video

[@angrymikko]

Who says good art needs to be skilful at all? Art that feels “true” can be done in so many ways that it is just better to find a way that communicates your viewpoint in the most powerful way. Nobody is going to show up in your workroom and give you a permission to do your own thing. That needs to come from within.

[@J.N.C.]

I relate to this so much. What a realization! This was very helpful. Thank you!

[@dreamingacacia]

Since I'm mostly self-taught, it's hard for me to improve. Thank to this video, now I see which direction I should go. I think I'm similar type as you, the painter type. Around me people are start with lines. I tried to replicate their practices and years went by without much progress. So I stopped drawing for years, only sketched some character designs or make simple assets for my game project. I'm actually an impressive artist, I'm just lacking some pieces before it's taking shape.

[@angrymikko]

There’s nothing wrong with being self-taught. I can, however, understand why that route can feel frustrating sometimes if you’re going through a long period where you’re not seeing progress. Art classes are often designed on stacking information to make it easier for the students to absorb information in a logical order. Everyone can do those exercises even without art school, but they’re not all fun assignments. The colour theory video linked at the end is one of those useful assignments, but I don’t think many would push themselves to do that on their own. Being self-taught requires a lot of discipline, but it’s completely normal to feel like the progress is slow. Many people in art schools think that way, too; it’s just that they’re surrounded by people in the same situation, so it’s easier to deal with that resistance. Stay strong and try to connect with others on that same path. You’d be surprised how many are making progress but still have moments where they doubt their abilities and need support to continue their journey. 🐻

[@dreamingacacia]

@@angrymikko Maybe one day I'd get back and connect with people once more. Right now I'd rather focus on myself and establish my foundation, so I won't lost myself anymore when I'm at a crossroad.

[@bryanpolitte]

I’m very much like you in terms of how I draw. I draw a lot with my eraser when using dry medium like graphite or charcoal. I find the volume first by doing sketches using lines to define the volumetric shapes and build value slowly by blending and erasing out form.

[@Lendgorndir]

Just had this realisation today... I am specifically studying illustration, failed animation before that (the teachers managed to make me regress in drawing style, and besides that I had my body sabotaging me) First year I got a lot better really fast and really liked using ink. All the tasks I did well in I used ink. But there is a little disabilty hanging over my head. My hands tremble, an essential tremor. Ussually people get diagnosed when they are 40 and I got diagnosed at 19... I have medication for it but I was afraid to be too dependant on it and asking a new prescription is not always convienient. I became afraid of using ink because especially brushes go unsteady very easily and it's hard to work arround a big line that's just messy, especially if you tend to draw very detailed and anatomically correct. Mistakes can't be written off as a stylisation. I started doing digitally a lot because it has tools that can correct my hand tremor and I'm okay at it but still a long way from the amount feeling I have with ink. Also, okay isn't good enough in art school as a lot of other art students probably know extremely well- I was very scared to use ink because I don't know how bad my tremors are gonna be as I grow older, they are already worse. Every art student has probably heard that you need to develop your own style (and then gets told their own style is shit...) and I thought I didn't really have one, floating between materials and being okay at most of them (except oil pastels, those can stop existing and it would make my life easier cause there is no reason for teachers to ask using it that much). I recently got a higher dose of the medication because the trembling has already gotten worse over 4 years later and I did a little ink doodle and realised that I did have a style, using ink and comic like shadows and lines has always been my favoured way. So now I'm trying to meet my deadline tomorrow doing the whole task completely different in only a short amount of time. Nobody will probably read this but I guess I had to vent it out.

[@SugarTouch]

It's interesting that you were limited only by drawing from the very beginning :) I've started to sculpt with plasticine and polymer clay along with my drawing hobby. And this dual vision approach you're talking about it's pretty obviously "right in the face" when your sculpting progresses _much_faster_ than your drawing :)))) I just found in few weeks that I'm trying to "sculpt the volume by shadows" out of paper while drawing while thinking of sculpture in my head :) So I initially knew I think and see in volumes. That's why impressionists are still my favourite breed of artists :))) They're sort of sculpting by light instead of etching on plate if you know what I mean. And I was always impressed by these "manga"/comics artists with their unforgivingly stiff contrast edgy lines. I also hate white paper and afraid of fineliners for the same reason :) It's shouting on me so loud, :)

[@east_coastt]

What does drawing like a girl even mean?! What an awful thing for the teacher to say in so many ways

[@angrymikko]

Obviously I can only assume what she meant but I always thought she was trying to say I hold the pencil too light and that my lines are too loose. 🤷🏻‍♂️ I don’t think it had anything to do with the subjects in my art. If you told me now that my art looks girly I’d be like “yes?”. I’m aware of the gender roles people put on the kind of art I do and that doesn’t bother me. I used to have a lot of internalised homophobia about it but luckily I got over it so I can make the art I want to make. Loving your own art is really important to finding your own style and I hope everyone can get there. No matter what others might say about your paintings. Because at the end of the day it’s about finding your own audience and the people that gravitate towards the way you see things. That doesn’t come for free though. It takes courage to be yourself. In life and in art. 🐻

[@east_coastt]

@@angrymikko I also wonder how the women in your class felt if they overheard that. But I’m sorry that she said that to you. Interestingly, I have a similar style of art to you and I’m a trans man, so I’ve really had to ignore the idea of what makes art ‘masculine’ as I felt insecure about it in a similar way to you. You helped a lot with that actually, so thanks

[@angrymikko]

I used to waste so much energy thinking about the gender thing when I was working in video games. Now I’m glad to say that I spend that time into making my characters and worlds more interesting and in turn I’m definitely a happier artist because of it.

[@east_coastt]

@@angrymikko that’s great to hear! It really shows in your work - it is full of joy. Thanks for sharing with us

[@Charles_Bro-son]

​@@angrymikko Making loose and flowing lines is even a very good thing. If you then dial in the precision, which just comes over time, you're golden! What a terrible advise from someone who's supposed to help you and should know better.

[@theArtSPiration]

I think this was life change for me I have been so focused on doing what exactly said I always like doing things mid way and add new things but while teaching myself from internet I find a lot of things as foundation and get stuck in those and dod not enjoying doing it anymore and stop after buy I think now i have tot try it like you said it might be how I like to do do thorough volumes

[@kasiakactus8761]

Enjoyed hearing your story, lovely video, very helpful! Thank you so much for making this

[@senihani6634]

Thank you! I always am confused why it was hard for me to follow art fundamentals. Now I can see more, even if just a little bit. of my own skills in art through you. ❤

[@hughstuart2535]

oh...... my........ wow thank you for this, truly needed this video

[@thehackingdom2868]

The paintings too darn good 😫🤤

[@MattPiersonArt]

Great Stuff. It was enjoyable seeing all those masses and forms slowly build up into a stellar image.

[@AsprinsBook]

My mom used to always say that I think 3-dimensionally and it didn't make any sense until now. Thank you!

[@maxusdungeon]

I loved your painting and your amazing story. Thank you for sharing

[@zuljaras]

Awesome painting and it took 40 hours!!! That is one of my MAIN problems with my drawing ... after 3-4 hours I try to speed up and get to the "end" of the painting. I do not know why, maybe I get bored or I want to start a new one. Probably that is why when I take a second look at them after some time, they look way off :D

[@angrymikko]

THIS painting took 26 hours☝️+the colour editing was about 2hrs in Photoshop. New paintings always seem like shiny possibilities but even those end up with their own unique visual problems to solve. That’s where the real learning growth happens though so I feel obligated to encourage you to push through that phase or alternatively start paintings with a more limited scope. Trying to learn multiple things in one painting is never a great idea in my opinion. A 26 hr painting is not better than a 4hr one. It’s all about what and how you are telling your story through your art. A 20 minute sketch is sometimes a louder, more powerful way to make your point than drowning it in rendering.

[@zuljaras]

@@angrymikko Thank you for the answer ... limited pallet and only using one brush seems like a good start :) I thought that it is 40hrs from reading the comments :) My mistake!

[@angrymikko]

I was referring to the “Green Park Bistro” painting that’s in the art course I was commenting on.

[@felicianomiko5659]

This is one of the reasons I didn’t like art college. I love line art and I absolutely use it in my sketching and watercolors. But I don’t generally in my acrylic painting. Every once in awhile I’ll sketch something out before I paint it but I try to avoid it and just put the paint down and make it work. I do my acrylics in layers and do under painting. So I just decide where something is going and that is where it is going. If I really hate it, then I can always just paint over it and do it again. I can’t see why line drawing would be such a focus in learning to paint as they are wildly different mediums. I’ve seen people draw stuff on the canvas with their brush when blocking things out in oils but it’s not something I do with acrylics. Acrylics won’t blend like oils so while I do learn some interesting things watching oil KZbinrs, a lot of it I ignore because it just doesn’t apply to acrylics. In the end, it doesn’t matter how you get where you are going with art so long as you get there.

[@angrymikko]

The last sentence perfectly sums up what I think about that too so all I can say is that I agree. 🐻

[@amberzephyr]

huh, i'm not sure i see quite the same way as you, but this video is great help in reminding myself that it's ok to approach art differently i found greater success in in approaching art like a sculptor, focusing on forms and slowly working them (and as a process, just having a slower, more deliberate pace); it's probably because i had some exp with 3d game stuff, ceramics, etc. when i was young, and those probably informed how i view objects (through how they "feel" in my mind i guess? or if they "look right" proportionally?); it doesn't feel like how you describe it though, i can't really "visualize" and "replicate" forms (i don't really have a strong mind's eye), it's more like "revealing" and "correcting"; although maybe some practice with painting would help me develop that

[@Dilettanteworks]

This is something I unfortunately had to find out for myself. Not a single professor I had was able to look at my work and deduce that I saw in terms of volumes instead of line. It took a semester of drawing with conte' crayon and charcoal to realize I needed to make blobs on the paper and refine them to get the best and most accurate results.

[@angrymikko]

Better late than never. Sounds like you still had the same kind of pull towards art that kept you trying despite having frustrating experiences. Glad you didn’t give up 🐻💖

[@jasonillustration]

Thank you for this. I am exactly the same: I see with volume. I'm working on a piece at the moment that started with volume in Photoshop, then drawing with paper and pencil, but I really didn't enjoy the process of the line work on paper and the semi-permanent feel of each stroke; I prefer to build up forms gradually in Photoshop. So I'm going to take your advice and follow the path of least resistance that feels most natural for me.

[@vond5829]

So that explains the sense of dread whenever I try to do lines

[@angrymikko]

The fear of white paper can also be a reason why this happens to some. It’s kinda easier with digital or opaque paint when you can just start with a mess but with drawing it’s a bit harder to come up with ways to start from chaos. 🐻

[@renealbrechtsen9743]

@@angrymikko Fr. Whenever I do anything, I always tone down the paper so it's more grey.

[@maplesugar7409]

I sort of relate. My sketches are awful and sketching is my least favorite part of the process. This makes it hard to get started on projects, but I enjoy doing lineart and shading, even if it takes so much longer than the inital sketch. I sometimes get sad when artists show off their sketchbooks and the sketches look so good, whereas mine look bad until I do the actual lineart. Maybe this is because I draw with a mouse instead of a tablet?

[@angrymikko]

I have a tablet but I’ve always preferred drawing on paper instead of digital drawing. My next piece is also drawn on paper and the painting process is digital. A lot of people think drawing digitally is easier but it’s worth keeping an open mind to traditional options.

[@YassineCherifi]

This was really amazing thank you so much 🙏 I am stuck with drawing the outline than seeing the shapes I see things in 3D but in painting it's hard to paint good shapes when am stuck that way lol I will keep at it till it sticks... You are the best Mikko.

[@pat4005]

I think I know what you mean. I would suggest to just not draw "outlines". I see the shapes in 3D as you do, so THAT is how I draw, in volumes. Outlines are NOT volumes, but I think people here are confusing the two terms. When I draw a character, landscape, structures, animals, fantasy or reality, whatever, I more easily visualize those things and spaces that way. Like sculpting almost. I have sculpted a little in both an additive way (like using clay) and a subtractive way (like in stone). Even those two sculpting materials are very different from each other, yet when you "see" it as volumes, they are very much the same. To me, this includes drawing, even though it is 2D, I visualize in volumes. So when drawing a human or some creature, I have to have a clear vision in my mind what I want to draw, and then start with the organic center line that may be the "spine" OR it represents the center line of action the character is built around. Then I would flesh it out and loosely place those volumes (or body mass) in place. There is always some contrapposto going on, because who wants a boring figurative pose? So those "geometric shapes" that some people have brought up here in the Comments section, and they say they hate drawing that way because it is too restrictive or feels dead, have it confused. Some art instructors may suggest that because they think breaking down volumes into their flat 2D shapes are easier for art students to digest, but some students appear to misinterpret that and think they are doing ONLY that and not visualizing the whole process. Then student may focus their intent for some reason on ONLY trying to find and draw flat geometric shapes first, (and their sketch feels rigid), and miss the most important part of capturing the ORGANIC line-of action-in the character's pose, or the center mass line which beautifully sets the stage for those 3D volumes. This is true for even portraits. But on the other hand, if I am doing a project (or aspects of a piece of art) that may have 2D graphic elements, I just automatically approach the design work as "flat". I just love drawing and painting, and I think the sense of flat 2D and dimensional 3D volumes each are a natural fit for the end result that you want for a particular piece of art.

[@YassineCherifi]

@@pat4005 I really appreciate everything you said and I do relate to the last paragraph sometimes it rquires 2D sometimes 3D thinking... And I will be sure to try to apply you method to mine and see how it goes, plus am just a beginner so this really really helps thank you so much 🙏

[@ThedGrill]

You are my man! I understand it so good I always dispised drawing the lineart, and at some point I started with acrylics because I learned them at my graphic design school. And I started painting foxes that jumped through the night sky and tried catching stars. And It was at exactly this moment that I realized, fuck lines. I am a painter. Who cares about drawing an exact line if you can draw the shadow as a kinda line. :D Great video like always!

[@danieljamiesonillustrates]

great chat. Yes understanding that not 1 way fits all does help a lot.

[@Liliahna]

I hate lines too so this is nice to see! How do u get better though at accuracy and such without needing to practice line art/drawing?

[@angrymikko]

Practicing shapes no matter how you do them is all about repetition. Everything I paint I’ve painted a hundred times in real life before they’re added to my visual library.

[@tifart]

Awesome video Miko! Love it!

[@Absbor]

such a pretty artwork!

[@Eryniell]

I'm on the other side of it ^^ I use primarily lines, I construct everything and trying to turn it into rendered images is really hard for me and not enjoyable (even if I like the results of a good render). I learned that I'm just more of a concept artist who uses lines to communicate an idea. It doesn't have to look great, it just matters that I can understand the meaning I'm trying to convey ^^ (I'm using it alot to as example give a better shape to sculpts I want to make). And it's fine to have different ways of approaching art ^^ we don't need everyone to have the same kind of skills and I find it silly to restrict peoples natural way of creating art, just because they think it SHOULD be sketch before full art....or similar concepts... what matters is to draw what makes you draw!(or paint) cause as long as you can find a way to motivate yourself to keep going you will get better at it ^^ but if you loose motivation due to being forced into a way of being and direction that you just can't get behind? that's a surefire way to make a person hate their art and possibly themselves... btw thanks for the video ^^ i felt so often as if i was somehow wrong for not being good at translating my lineart into paintings...and that i didn't really enjoy the process of painting with blocking in shapes and such....so seeing that it seems to be something that some people "just enjoy" or are wired to do that way, but struggling with pure lineart, helps also making me feel less bad about beeing a specific way myself.

[@skullffee8444]

The same happened to me... until I started painting on canvas and thought " why dont i try this on digital?". Took me 6 years but never too late

[@NStriderDawg]

At this point, i don't even know who or what am i at drawing, and this is saddens me, especially after i gave digital drawing 13 years of my life. Nonetheless, this video cheer me up, cause i know i'm not that good after all those years, i still can try and try new things for studying. Thank you! (and sorry for grammar mistakes, english is not my native language, and my cat trying to roll on the keyboard, which make thinking a lot harder)

[@zaqareemalcolm]

I have a weird problem, I love lineart and I love painterly art, but Im very much struggling to combine the two and I refuse to capitulate to just removing/painting over lineart or painting volumetrically without lines (even though I can, I've done it before), because as someone who started with pen drawing you might as well tell me to cut off my arm lol The thing is, Im not sure how to describe it but, when there's visible drawing/lines in the final artwork it somehow affects how it should be rendered? I'm not sure what it is and neither teachers nor books talk about it, but they tend to look better with more "flattened" out coloring (less prominent textures and details, maybe lighter shadows, render it too realistically or too much contrast and it looks "off" unless the lines are already super thin), idk if its just my subjective experience but I haven't found an explanation for it either

[@marialauramolina2262]

Watching you painting always put a smile in my heart 😊 do you have an artbook with your paintings? ✨

[@angrymikko]

I’d love to make one but honestly those are too expensive for someone like me. I do have a print shop in Inprnt though so there’s that 🖼️🐾

[@angrymikko]

And thank you for the kind words:)

[@marialauramolina2262]

Have you considered publishing your book using kickstarter or indiegogo? That could be a good option to make it possible ✨

[@east_coastt]

Great video Miko and will be helpful for a lot of people

[@ЕкатеринаНгуен-ъ4ю]

Wow the ink drawings!

[@TheChameleon2008]

Great video's Mikko and normally my ADHD brain will skip video's all over the place but now i was glued in so big thumbs up for the video and the amazing tips and art you made!

[@tsureiha]

thankyou for sharing this insight

[@JPenB]

noice. this just upgraded, my way of thinking.

[@TheGreatBubba]

Exact opposite for me. I can't picture anything without doing outlines as they guide my shapes and structures. I can't even understand how you accomplish your way lol

[@angrymikko]

My next piece is done with line art on a2. I do use them for when the piece calls for it.

[@TheGreatBubba]

@@angrymikko I think its great, If i could understand the more paintry approach I could incorporate it into my linework pieces.

[@that_one_girl_8064]

Would it be possible for you to share some of the assignment/briefs you were given?

[@angrymikko]

Many of the videos on my channel are also assignments on my art classes similar to the ones I did in school myself like: kzbin.info/www/bejne/roGTkHd-j7qeebssi=hVvyZmVO-yEuAH_l There are also plenty of assignments I do that are born out of experience teaching art and noticing some of the pain points students have. Like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4LSgGZpopyoY68si=StaPFR0Ssr1vSDJy On top of my videos here I also have a massive library on this channel’s membership where I have hours of art tutorials, assignments, and tons of exclusive live streams, colour lectures and also just chill work sessions.

[@cherrykaguraowo6447]

Life painting teachers are on another level when it comes to teaching art. And it's nice to see that bad teachers also excist in your school haha. Still I appreciate this video I may not be a volumes person but it did give another perspective and maybe i could also try practiving seeing the shadows. Lineart has been fun for me and always makes me feel like it makes my pieces pop but as of late im hoping to branch out and learn other ways to do my art and this vdeo helped encorage me to do so! So thank you for that :D.