How I went from ZERO art education to FULL-TIME sketcher

[@DannyGregory]

What a great story! I’m So glad I could play a minor role in it.

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Danny, a major role I would say, thank you so much for everything and everything you continue to do for the sketching community...I'm not really sure what other way my life would have twisted and turned ahd I not discovered you, your work, your books....thank you!

[@gothicwriter9897]

Great story. As a retired engineer and Physics and Maths teacher among other jobs I couldn't even spell art. So I bought your book and I am about to try and draw a cup... Thanks for all your help and inspiration.

[@SteviePaints]

If you’re an engineer, you’ll do really well. 😉

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thats so exciting! Thank you for buying my book and I hope it really helps! Please keep going and just enjoy it. Draw anything and everything. Its such a great hobby to have. And if you need any help just shout! :)

[@ColdPrairieStudio]

From one introvert to another, this is inspiring. Thanks for sharing!

[@pattyhabegger3073]

Thank you so much for sharing your art journey. I'm a retired Elementary teacher with no art training and you have inspired me to keep trying to make art. I'm still a little shy about sketching on location even though I have had nothing but good experiences in the past. People are curious and usually appreciate the fact that you are sketching and don't really seem to care what your art looks like. They almost always say something positive. So, I try to give it a go real soon!

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you Patty! I can see you are soaking up as much as you can from lots of sketchbook artists and that's totally the way to go...learn from everyone, keep sketching, and having fun. As you heard in the video it took me a long while to come out of the "sketching closet"!! It's so true that whether I think my sketches are good or bad, members of the public only have nice things to say and usually are in awe that someone is sketching, and sometimes even inspired to have a go themselves!

[@alisonhaselgrove5211]

Great video Taria. Its been lovely to follow your progress over the past few years and the fact that you haven't been trained in art has always been an inspiration to me. It's made me feel like I can improve with practice and am not wasting my time because I'm coming to sketching later in life! Thanks for all your hard work, encouraging videos and your lovely book which I thoroughly enjoyed. Keep on inspiring us to have the courage to put pencil to paper please !!

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you so much for your kind words Alison, I really appreciate it! And all of your support, including getting my book! I hope its given you lots of value. And I am happy you have found your way to sketching, at whatever time in life :)

[@ThalieRier]

What an inspiring story Taria! I have no art education myself, but thanks to your experience, your sound advice, your books, your blog, I'm learning so much. You're one of my favorite urban sketchers. I'm always impressed by the beauty and originality of your drawings. Continue to inspire us as you do so well. Thank you Taria. Nathalie from Montreal, Canada.

[@pragativasisht4432]

Great story. I have also been inspired by Danny's books and videos. I felt like I was good enough to try

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you! Yes, I think many thousands of people have a similar story about being inspired by Danny - he paved the way for alot of us to conquer our fear of trying to draw I think!

[@TT-fn1xb]

You are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@carolpenn1155]

Thanks for sharing your story Taria. You have certainly found your niche and you are very good at it too. You have certainly inspired me as a newbie to the world of art. Onwards and upwards yeeeaaahhh!

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Yay! Thank you Carol! So happy to hear that!

[@robboldt1235]

Such an inspiring story! Thank you for sharing.

[@peppamlowe]

The fact that you haven’t had formal art training is what drew me to you. In my brain, people who have had formal training have years of training that I’m hoping to know in just a few months with daily practice, that I will never know all there is to know to produce a reasonable piece of art! It’s people like you who help people like me to realise that I CAN draw and paint. So thank you😊

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Absolutely - you can draw and paint! I completely understand art school for people who want to work in the fine arts, or as a professional artist or designer in some way but for those of us who create art a hobby or as a way of unwinding its definitely unnecessary. Just keep going, keep having fun anf you just get better and better with time :) or maybe you just care less and less about what others think....or both! ☺️ And thank you for watching!

[@gayane_igityan]

Thanks for sharing. I love your channel so much!! You have inspired me to not be afraid and start sketching. I took a sketchbook with me to Berlin, i didn't end up sketching a lot, but it was a start :). I am now trying to find more time to do it, even if from photographs i've taken from locations. ❤

[@ChantelleArts]

it's so relaxing creating art outside and I love that you're encouraging more people to try it ❤❤

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you so much Chantelle and thanks for your continued support 😀

[@LisaZoe86]

This is such an inspiring story! Thank you for sharing!!❤

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you for watching Lisa! I'm glad you found it inspiring as that was absolutely the purpose. I felt a bit anxious making this video so receiving a comment such as yours made it worth it :D

[@freyaboodesigns6239]

Just discovered your channel. So inspirational. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you so much 😊

[@ajamesdraws]

What a story! So cool!

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you for watching :)

[@UptonPK]

I’ve just bought your book (The Beginner's Guide to Urban Sketching). Really hoping it will kick start my sketching life. I buy all the gear but never actually use it. I don’t know what is holding me back. Maybe the fear of not being very good.

[@LisaZoe86]

How to be brave despite that fear? Accept that everyone starts small and that failure is part of learning and just decide to make an awful sketch! You can do an awful sketch, right? And then you look for just one tiny thing that you like and try and do more of that in your next (awful) sketch. :-) And thus your journey begins.

[@UptonPK]

@@LisaZoe86 Thank you. I’m going to do it…..probably🤣

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Ah yes...I also suffer from this in other hobbies / activities too. Im banned from starting anything new. I think, as Lisa said, you do just have to accept you're going to suck for a while but then you keep getting better. You don't have to show anyone any of your drawings - just do it for you. Lisa's advice is actually really good - just think, I'm going to make a totally whacky drawing and just crack that sketchbook open and start drawing. Also having a bit of purpose helps - for example, today I am going to draw this, tomorrow I am going to draw this other thing. I really think my 7 day urban sketching at home challenge may help you with that, you can join here if you want some structure / something to aim for: birdsend.page/forms/10211/GaENgip8bz You can do this! And once you get started I'm sure you'll fall in love with sketching the world around you :)

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Excellent advice!

[@GKganesan]

Thank you for this: inspiring

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

I'm so happy to hear that, as that was my purpose in making this video. I was very anxious to make it but to hear it has been received in the way I intended really makes me happy, thank you for letting me know :)

[@LaviniaNova]

Well done, Tara! I remember discovering your channel a few years back (it was called something else). The first video I watched was the one with the two houses. I should go back and rewatch it 😊

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thanks so much Lavinia!

[@colleenmulrooney]

What an amazing journey. I have one question: would your band take you back? 😂 Well done for putting in the hours! And those car illos are lovely! Thanks for sharing your story!

[@jnmrz72]

Did you ever design your Taro deck?

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

No!! I wonder about it sometimes ...but what a big project that would be and also the old imposter syndrome of "who am I to think I could design such a thing"! 😂😂

[@coline_ebb]

​​@@tarias_sketchy_adventures I would love seeing your tarot! I was so glad to hear about it. I'm sure it would be great. Last inktober, I did the major arcanas as my project. Compared to the travel sketching I'm used to, it required quite a mind shift 😃

[@GoodLifePilgrim]

Thanks for sharing your journey. You climbed that mountain.... what's next?

[@kkswiss1902]

So inspiring! I am new to art and I really struggle with basic painting/ drawings... I even do not show my pictures to anyone as they are so bad. I believe that after a few years of practice I will be confident enough to make 78 pictures... to make a Tarot deck :) I looove tarot....and as you I started to draw because of tarot :) PS. Late Happy Birthday: )

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

That is INCREDIBLE!! YOu also started to draw because of tarot?! I'm blown away. YOu need to let me know when you make that deck! I want one :)

[@sarahanneharris11]

You are sooooo inspiring 💛 love you, your oldest sketchy friend 😉 x

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

💚💚💚💚 oldest and most definitely sketchy 😂🥰🫶

[@mattdean5384]

Inspiring! 🙌🏻

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you Matt! Thanks for watching!

[@maremacd]

Do you have a course about traveling solo as a woman in what I assume are environments that are sometimes hostile to western women? I’m so impressed and amazed that you could travel by yourself safely in many of the countries you mentioned.

[@adamgerber7824]

What happened with Evolve? Was it a good experience? Did you continue with realism?

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

I found I wasn't really into oil painting & realism....it didn't excite me in the way travel sketching does. I am just not one for concentrating for that long! Ha! I prefer the spontaneity and immediacy of ink & watercolour sketching. But I think the Evolve course is excellent and if you want to paint realistic scenes this would get you there. I couldn't believe what I could achieve following the first part of their course.

[@adamgerber7824]

@@tarias_sketchy_adventures I started it recently. The squares took me 4 hours LOLLLL

[@katsmith8263]

It all shows how low our society puts art in the school education and how wrong it is

[@ivagrabner8364]

This is so inspiring to me! I have my ups and downs with my drawing skills..Sometimes I feel like I’ve progressed, but sometimes I think about storing all my art supplies far away from me. It seems that more I learn,the less confidence I have, if that makes sense… But, looking at your great videos, I just want to sketch more and more! Thank you for sharing positivity and inspiration in this world! : ) And… Are you born on March 24th ? Did I get it right?

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear you found this inspiring as that was my intention! It's totally an up and down rollercoaster - i feel the same way sometimes....I think in any endeavour we can all feel like we take 2 steps forwards and one giant leap backwards sometimes....I guess if it way easy it would be boring right?! ;) And yes, 24 March, spot on :)

[@ivagrabner]

Oh, how nice! We are sharing our birthday date! 🥂🌷

[@beverlyhelm5287]

How on earth does one take off several months at a time to travel and sketch? I can’t imagine having enough money or time to do that.

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

I saved as much money as I could for about 1 year. I was 30 with no mortgage, no children and no partner - so I guess things just aligned. Not something I would be able to do now that's for sure. I never did the travel thing at 18 like a lot friends did, I went straight to work. I also travelled through countries with lower cost of living and I stayed in hostel dormitories with about 15 other people (ha ha)...a great way to meet new friends!

[@MarionHewitt]

Have you created the tarot card deck yet ?

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

Hey Marion - no I haven't!! I play with the idea now and again. But whew....such a big project....maybe one day!

[@iwonder-t1r]

Ooh, lost me at tarot cards

[@tarias_sketchy_adventures]

😂 😂 I knew there would be a risk...but such an integral part of the story...!