I think copying other artists is a GOOD THING

[@maggiimora7072]

i do this all the time in my sketchbook. it has helped me get better at drawing and finding a good color palette for when i do something that is actually mine.

[@pepostudios]

Yesss, such a good point about the color palettes! Color is one of those things that requires so much intentional study for me, so when I see artwork with colors I love, it’s always super valuable to really scrutinize it to understand why I love it.

[@ohbli_oh]

That’s a really good point about scientists studying those who went before them. I don’t think it’s possible to lose our own way of holding a brush and making marks so it’s not like copying will erase our own uniqueness or anything. All the old schools and ateliers used master studies. There’s this idea is art that people have to be totally original and that’s really not possible. Every artist took something from somewhere even subconsciously.

[@pepostudios]

Right?? It would be so silly for scientists to NOT refer to other people’s work, so why is it any different for artists?! You’re so right about the old ateliers, and I definitely agree that our uniqueness will always shine through ✨

[@andreab425]

i like your encouragement to describe what it is that appeals to you in others work. i’m an art student at a quaint lil university campus, and there’s a lot of pressure in my program to participate in critiques. and there’s several reasons for that, not all of it i love, but i think ultimately it’s major benefit could be developing a descriptive language pertaining to themes of art. and that part of your video feels like a more inspiring way of developing my vocabulary, and breaking down what i’m seeing into words

[@RevertYahya]

Master studies help me when I'm depressed. I want to do art, but can't drum up the ability to work on my own, so I use studies to help me at least keep up with or learn new mechanics. Master studies are powerful. Thank you for doing an entire video in support of them. Helpful note: if I post a picture of a master study anywhere, even in a private message, the first thing I say is "master study of X" and either tag them or provide a link to their original work.

[@jngarrettart]

This was well articulated, and you have a very good mindset and framework here for getting the most out of master studies. I’m saying this as a high school art teacher who went through a more “classical” type of art atelier program. I think master studies can be such an important part of our development as artists. It’s a great way to learn from someone you might not necessarily get to take a class from, and it can open up new insights into how artists we admire apply the fundamentals and into how we might want to practice in our own work. YES to learning from lots of different people too! When I was growing up, we used to write out sections of literature from dictation in school and then study them more closely. Similar to what you described here for art, it wasn’t about copying something to call it our own - it was about hands on learning from the ways these authors used the tools of writing in the English language to ultimately strengthen our own skills in the language. Much in the same way, we can build new skills and learn more of the tools of the artistic language through hands on analysis of how someone else uses shapes, color, value, line, gesture, texture, etc. in art by trying to mimic what they did and applying what we learn to our own artistic expressions.

[@pepostudios]

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful comment! I love the idea that doing master studies is kind of like taking a class from an artist, because even if they aren’t there to explain their process to you, they still manage to communicate so much through the artwork itself. I’m really excited to keep incorporating these into my art practice!

[@jngarrettart]

@@pepostudiosMy pleasure! And totally, it’s amazing how much can be said and understood in the visual “language,” especially when we take the time to build our literacy. Have so much fun diving into this form of study!

[@remsiclee]

i've been struggling with painting backgrounds so much!! this seems like such a good way to figure that out, i'll have to try it! thanks!

[@pepostudios]

Yes, give it a shot for sure!! It’s such a great way to learn. Also hehe thank you! They are my constant shadows 😆🥰

[@llf1669]

Love this video x and how adorable your companions are! ❤ I try to avoid master studies out of fear of not developing my own style! Watching and listening to you makes complete sense x I’m of to collate some pieces to use for some ms practice xx thank you x

[@cacaportela]

i just found your channel and ever since havent stopped watching your videos! thank you for sharing :)

[@mimisart]

I couldn't agree more that you should totally copy other artists work, for your own practice and learning and art journey. I actually touched on that briefly in a video I posted about lies/myths that artists believe in. If it weren't for recreating other artists pieces, I would not have discovered certain subjects I now love to paint, or probably wouldn't have tried a different brush or technique for certain parts of my paintings. Just DON'T sell any of it or take the credit for it. I'm all for honouring other artists!!!

[@pepostudios]

I’ll have to check out your video! But I totally agree with you - we can learn sooo much from making these copies! It’s been such a powerful tool to incorporate into my art practice.

[@DianaNorman]

Master studies are so much fun. I try them straight, and then in different media, and then in different subject matter and then different colors. Try the cats as dogs or birds in oil pastels. Taking notes is essential as well as thorough attribution. If the artist is contemporary, I suggest reaching out and letting them know. They are quite likely to send a quick note back.

[@pepostudios]

These are all great tips! I especially like your idea to play with different media. That’s such a fun idea, and definitely something I want to play with!

[@JulianaRumple]

cool different way of thinking about studying art, loved it!!!!

[@ruthbaxter5918]

Loved this video, you are absolutely are not alone and this is how I have been feeling. Thank you for giving me permission to play and understand my art more ☺️ xx

[@pepostudios]

YES to play!! It’s so important, and I think it’s so easy for us to fall into these creative ruts where we’re overthinking everything so much that it doesn’t feel fun or creative anymore. It’s always comforting to know that I’m not alone in having these feelings, and I’m sending you all the best!! 🫶🏼

[@ewildercreates]

This is such a great take! I definitely feel like master studies is something I need to lean into. I get so intimidated by the blank page and feeling so much pressure to come up with something unique and memorable. It would be nice to be able to set aside that part of my brain and just focus on the creating aspect of it to improve my skills and have fun.

[@pepostudios]

You are so not alone!! I am right there with you on all of this m!! I fully recommend giving master studies a try. I think you’d really enjoy them! It takes so much pressure off of you to come up with something amazing, and it allows you to really just focus on skills and techniques and whatever you want to focus on, really.

[@janissharkey7174]

You made good points, and I think you’ve convinced me to try some “copying” for learning’s sake.

[@pepostudios]

It’s really such a valuable thing to do. I totally recommend it!! Best of luck with your master studies 🙌🏼

[@NaomiCalderon-j7j]

The flowers with the blue back round are so so pretty. Thank you for sharing!

[@pepostudios]

Isn’t that one so beautiful?? I love Jayne Branchflower’s artwork so much. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull it off, but I’m pretty happy with how my study turned out, and I learned a lot!

[@NaomiCalderon-j7j]

@@pepostudios

[@ArtByKarenEHaley]

"Master studies" help you master what you study, simple as that ❤❤❤ Lots of younger artists get hung up on this and I think it depends on misconceptions from other people and what they say to younger artists. I did practice pieces like this a lot and my class mates would say "you didn't come up with that!" So I started writing "practice" on the pages I did those on haha. I wish I could put it this way when I was a high schooler but I wasn't this clever. if you're in band class, you aren't coming up with your own music to practice on. You learn from examples made by professionals, from those who came before you. Great work on yours, love how they look! I love both pieces that you chose to studt

[@pepostudios]

I love your comparison to band practice! That’s so true! Not only is there no shame in doing master studies, but they’re also something that should be celebrated as an amazing way to learn from those who have walked this road ahead of us. Thanks for sharing your perspective!

[@daisyhaneisha]

Very inspiring! Also love your curls ❤

[@pepostudios]

Ahh thank you so much!! Learning how to take care of my curls has been one of my favorite side projects 😆

[@philippashone1153]

This is great advice, I had never heard of master studies or even thought of it. Definitely going to have a go at this, thank you so much ❤

[@pepostudios]

I really do recommend them! I hope you have a wonderful time with your master studies!

[@anonofish576]

Oh sweet Kitty, my Jack also only has one eye. Give lots of kisses!

[@KittyGinaMeow]

Beautiful ❤❤❤

[@gingersims3780]

Loved watching you paint! And what an insightful take on learning from others. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@pepostudios]

Thank you!! 🫶🏼🥰🫶🏼

[@acesarato]

Loved watching you paint with those wonderful assistants! 😊

[@pepostudios]

They probably deserve a raise, huh? 😂🫶🏼

[@GingahSnapsArt]

Great studies! And best wishes on the move

[@pepostudios]

Thank you so much!! 🫶🏼

[@annelouise4639]

Your master studies turned out beautifully. And your cat is gorgeous! I've found that it's less challenging for me to copy children's book illustrations just for fun -and if I have artist'sblock.. Like Jill Barklem's Brambly Hedge, Edith Holden's Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, various Wind in the Willows illustrators, etc. 😊

[@pepostudios]

Thank you!! I love the idea of using children’s books as inspiration for master studies. Maybe I’ll try that out because I’ve always been very intimidated by character design, so that would be a great way to ease myself into it.

[@EWebs2010]

You always deserve a like. I have a science background too. It was funny (because like me) you have a difficult time painting animals bold and unnatural colors.😂

[@pepostudios]

🥹🫶🏼 you’re too kind!! Also, lol, our analytical science brains can sometimes be a little overpowered, huh? 😂

[@ChantelleArts]

This is so much fun, thank you for sharing ☺☺

[@pepostudios]

🫶🏼🥰🙌🏼

[@AndeeSaraDesigns]

Kitty looked less than pleased about waving🤣🤣🤣

[@pepostudios]

Lolol she puts up with so much of my shenanigans 😆

[@stephaniehill-manuel]

I like copying over other people's art so that I can just color them in. Drawing is stressful to me but it's all for fun

[@pepostudios]

Totally! It can be so nice to not have to make all of the creative decisions in a piece!

[@jenicazeta4881]

I love your videos❤ you’re a wonderful teacher!

[@pepostudios]

Thank you so much, that’s so kind of you to say!! 🥰

[@pepostudios]

Hellooooo everyone! What are your thoughts on making master copies? Is it something you incorporate into your regular art practice?

[@MilkoMilkovicz]

But is tracing okay?

[@pepostudios]

I personally wouldn’t recommend it. To me, the whole point of doing master studies is to learn from another artist. When you trace somebody else’s work, I think that you are removing a lot of the opportunities to actually learn. I think that it’s a lot more valuable to try to recreate a piece of artwork by “eyeballing” it because you’re developing your art muscles a lot more than if you were to simply trace. And, of course, all of the same rules I described in this video still apply - you should never try to sell any master studies or make them out as your own. I’m sure there are exceptions to this rule, but those are my thoughts.

[@LSPtheFrecklefaceArtist11]

It not really coping because it will be slightly different. I try to but it looks off.

[@pepostudios]

I feel like it’s still copying even if it’s not an exact replica of the original, but that doesn’t make it a bad thing! For me, the most important thing when doing a master study isn’t to copy the original exactly, but instead to be intentional about learning from the techniques the original artist used. So, it’s okay if it ends up looking a bit different!

[@LSPtheFrecklefaceArtist11]

@@pepostudios exactly

[@maryboyer1782]

Loved to see you paint! Thanks for sharing.

[@pepostudios]

Thanks for being here! 🫶🏼

[@hmarie269]

Thank you for putting this perspective out in the world. There's an artist in my area that happens to have a very similar style to me, and I adore her work, but it caused me to stop creating what I want to create because she is doing it, and doing it so well, and is quite well known locally. So I felt like people would think I was just copying her, where the truth is I just have a similar style! I have been stuck in a rut trying to recreate the wheel, and you just got me out of that, so thank you so much 😊

[@pepostudios]

I’m so glad to hear that this helped get you out of a creative rut!! And, honestly, I’m sure there are so many little things that make your work unique. If you ask me, the most important thing isn’t that your style is the most unique thing in the world, but rather that it brings you joy! And, honestly, I’d venture to say that pretty much every artist in the world could find other artists who have super similar styles to themselves, and that’s okay!