One Change That Will Revolutionize Your Artwork & Career

[@M--A--Z]

I love the way you leave the music playing after your talk. It gives me space to think about what I just heard.

[@AdamDuffArt]

Exactly why I do that - both for you and as an homage to the artist who created the song

[@Check_5_]

Personally can’t get behind it bc it gives me youth pastor vibes

[@rhnirsilva652]

when adam said "my back hurts" i felt that

[@AshT8524]

We felt that

[@angelstieben902]

It's amazing how your videos help me when I'm totally out of focus and lost, when I don't know whether to continue or not, thanks

[@mismonsta]

Same

[@justinberry6411]

Always continue. Sometimes your journey may have put stops, but continue on the road

[@seffye2195]

i feel ya

[@vince-1337]

"The secret of a good illustration is to make the viewer feel 2 emotions in the same time, no more, no less." Norman Rockwell Thanx Adam.

[@hugomachadoart]

It cannot be overstated how much these videos improve my mental and emotional health, as well as inspiration and drive in general. I think I speak for everyone when I say we are all extremely grateful for your content and what you have to say, Adam. PS: Very awesome to see you listen to VaatiVydia as well :D

[@nikami9269]

how do you upload JUST the thing I need to hear all the time? thanks for doing these man

[@Envy28213]

First! But seriously, Adam, I can't thank you enough for all your work. I love your talks. They keep me going especially in times like these. ❤️

[@haichamuller]

This made me cry... i always felt inadequate because of those tangent i am use to take... and for some reason it felt good to hear "thats how the creative mind works"

[@kami-._kazi]

I'm not generally an artist but this somehow clicked with everything I'm going through

[@MrDuckyart]

That's the beauty of these videos, so much of this can be applied outside of art. :D

[@nathanramos8420]

Adam your art talks are so relatable it blows me away, it really feels like therapy for artists.

[@kennynyc15153]

:) Im drawing just listening to you , bought my first artist board xpen 22r :) ty

[@okami69kurai]

Sir... your words brought me down to tears... thank you!

[@dwilliams21]

One thing that helps me is a method I learned from Bob and Brad (physical therapists who post on KZbin), the 1-3-5 index card method. On an index card, you write the 1 thing you want to get done or focus on that day. Then list 3 things you'd really really like to do. And then 5 things it'd be nice to do, but aren't super urgent. I did that for a while daily on index cards, but when that got too cluttery, I got a planner and corralled them into the fun little boxes. Amazing what you can accomplish when you decide what you really want to do. Prioritize, man!

[@redandblack641]

Believe it or not, old video games from the 8 and 16 bit era, specifically the Sega genesis/megadrive and NES, are great examples of limitations forcing creativity with art. The hard limit of only having 64 colors at any time on the Genesis led to some gorgeous games that still look really good today, and compared to the SNES, show that palette choice matters FAR more than the total number of colors after a certain point. The NES had games like Batman and the later Megaman games that make great use of blocks of light and shadow that imply more form and detail than the NES could handle. I actually get more inspiration form that era of gaming than most modern games when it comes to things like color choice and overall composition, though modern games did help me understand reflected light, ambient occlusion and different materials.

[@AdamDuffArt]

Oh I know that TOO well! One of the most impressive and inspiring artistic cultures is pixel art. It blows me away how artists can make deep and impactful statements with the most minimalist mediums.

[@extremewq]

"You're trying to tell 10 stories on the same image" I can never forget when you told me something similar and I was like "oh shit, ur right" and as you were pointing the problems on my illustration everything started coming together xD I can never thank you enough for how much I've learned from you!

[@KITTARiOS]

I couldn't thank you enough! Many of yours videos bring the tears out of my eyes. The things that you've said, every words, I don't know why but it got me very hard. Normally I don't comment on any videos on internet but for what you've done, you don't only help me with my Art but with my Mind as well. It helps me very much go get me grown not only the growth for my Art-journey but for me as a human being as well. Thank you Adam, love your content. 😇😇😇

[@darkeranewvegas2038]

Another similar aspect is cooking. I do a lot of cooking and one thing many well known cooks will say is less is more. Too many ingredients and you start being unable to taste any of them. They all just get lost. Thanks again for your inspiration and wonderful talks. I was able to get a few pieces of homework done for the mentorship I just started with Anthony Jones while listening.

[@tomremeny]

You and your channel make me feel that I’m not just “weird”, but I’m a creative and an artist at my core. And it makes me feel that I belong to a beautiful community and am slowly becoming at peace with who I am and what I’m here to do! I can’t thankyou enough! Wishing you nothing but the best Thankyou Adam and this community you have brought together!

[@sabreburst]

Adam, you have made me appreciate life and art like never before. I had listened to your videos on and off, but lately something has clicked, and I finally feel strong. In front of my teachers who belittle me, in front of the flaws and inexperience I have, in front of me as a judge. I wish more people get to meet you or people like you.

[@rexdounut7069]

Thank u so much for mention Loish in ur video! Watching her art reminds me why i started drawing in the first place,.. i almost forgot it...

[@Sketchartbymarc1]

Another timely bit of perspective recalibrating insight. Much appreciated!

[@kipcombat1195]

when i'm working i always put your talk videos to let me myself focus in my work and became more inspired, thanks a lot for your words.

[@tender0828]

Thank you for the wonderful talk! I listen to your stuff to keep me company while I work (I prefer working when my family is sleeping). I'm gonna go back to the piece I've been stuck on for 4 months counting and finish it today.

[@missseaweed2462]

Didn't expect to hear "I started a joke" here, which is something I first heard in Fennah's animation of his character Winifred. The idea of simplification with art is true. I think my issue is trying to draw something in my head and seeing it come out wrong trying to figure out perspective, colors, whatever it is. But when I randomly blop down a few colors and shapes and go nyoom, things work out on their own. My analogy for this is like trying to fall asleep. If you force yourself to try and relax, you tend to just stay awake; however, if you just let your body do its thing, you conk out real fast.

[@quiescentdreaming]

"When I randomly blop down a few colors and shapes and go nyoom, things work out on their own" I'm not sure how much you realize the genius in your statement, but this is absolutely brilliant. Sometimes we forget that art is a process. But when we seem to have already got everything figured out in our head before we even physically start, I've found those pieces tend to be the most demotivating ones to finish. There's not much room to enjoy the spontaneity of the creative process; and it's incredibly hard to mentally & physically manage all those aspects when we take our idea to paper. Thank you for *simplifying* one of the biggest issues I've been dealing with artistically into a single, easy-to-remember sentence :)

[@angelmakima]

I’m almost crying, because whenever I feel alone or looking for comfort, I come back to your channel and I fell at Home...I feel like I’m in the place and feel safe and my heart calms hearing you talk with the calm music in the back, thank you for the content you make!

[@johnoswald9143]

Every video is a masterclass in how reference can be used to inform images from imagination. I Love this dude.

[@commandresswhiplash98]

Hi Adam! You're my inspiration, and I love your videos. You're one of the very few hidden gems on this planet and it would be impossible to find another man like you who is so kind and compassionate with his words. Even miles away, I feel understood and acknowledged because of you. thank you so much for sharing your stories and perspectives with us, and I request you to never stop doing what you're doing. Much love.

[@saryenn]

I've been struggling to learn to draw and improve my art for a little over a year now and I get disheartened quite often (as I'm sure must be the case with a lot of people trying to learn). In the half a year since I've come across your channel, I've discovered there's just something in your manner of speaking and the ideas that you impart that just helps me realign and focus. Adam, if you somehow stumble upon this message, thank you, from all my heart. Your words are something of a beacon in vast unknown sea where I'm struggling to find direction. All the best!

[@skitiren]

As an artist, I often feel like there's always projects to do and they just keep piling on. So it was nice to hear you talk about having too many things being overwhelming, and to stop for a while and tackle them step by step. It's a great way to relax and start to deal with them. Thank you for the great talk!

[@dreanki]

I'm a traditional painter that's trying out digital finally lol. you are spot on with everything! Limited pallets don't feel limited, because you're picking colors that have the most range for the least amount of colors. And in doing that you get so familiar with your colors that you get a kind of mini mastery of them. For example, I use only lead white, raw umber, ivory black, cadmium yellow and red medium, Prussian blue and cobalt blue. With this I can paint everything except the "unmixables" like neon colors etc.

[@azuretigers5562]

I'm taking notes on how to set ourselves in an artistic mood ! I also confirm that fatigue, drama, too much food, distractions, having a verbal argument with somebody can really mess up your inspiration flow. Stress and anxiety can also slow down creativity / or speed it up ; all depending on the situation.

[@nindhyaazzahra8509]

Please correct my English if I'm wrong but I'm not only listening to your talk when I was drawing, last night I was having a panic attack and I couldn't stop crying till 2 am until I finally decided to listen to one of your videos to sleep. I'm not really in a good place, while I've seen good improvement in my art, my current situation is making me overwhelmed especially how hard it is finding a job in the middle of the pandemic as a fresh-grad. I felt so thankful for finding this channel and I find your talk is very relaxing yet so thoughtful. I probably really do spend 30 minutes probably writing this comment, honestly, I feel lost of words because I don't know how to explain properly but It feels like finding some answers in each video, answers I really want to ask but don't know how to ask. Thank you so much.

[@-vice-3824]

I had this mindset as something that's in my blood artwise so I never so it as a problem, let alone applying this principle to life but in the end it bit back, I got overwhelmed with options, distractions and as such lost control over my day letting the problems to pile up. I regret not taking a moment to catch a breath and just think about things happening around me, what irritates me, what stresses me out, what can I do to solve accumulated problems so now I'm at the edge of snapping. I wanna say thank you, Adam, for reminding me about this this idea of just sitting down to eliminate stresses caused by not important things, to cut off distractions and get to process what I can do to make my routine less pressuring, you saved me in me

[@adrienmartinez9440]

Sometimes pursuing an art career feels pretty hard, each of your videos feel like little resting areas along the way. Can't thank you enough for these inspiring videos :)

[@BigDomski]

I get seduced by Kim Jung Gi's streams on youtube 😭 watching him work "just like that" is incredible. People just don't seem to get how MUCH he drew in his life. Sometimes I get into this state of mind where I get to draw freely without judging myself, using what I know so far but also my memory/imagination. It's when I feel the happiest while drawing. It feels very similar to how illustrators use their references - there's always a multiple of them, and their work looks barely similar to the references. I just wish I could draw like this all the time...

[@AdamDuffArt]

He's such a perfect example for this weeks talk - his talent can be very overwhelming to fellow artists.

[@Clotenno1]

I missed watching your Videos so much.. it touches me almost every time. Thank you

[@cbl3628]

Thank you sooooo much, Adam. You have no idea how much you helped me today.

[@Anna-qwerty]

Yes, it's reassuring, thanks for telling us!

[@blyez2165]

You feel like those wholesome characters on movies that seem to have it figure it out, understand the stress and concerns of us who are starting, and try to guide us as kindly as possible, saying it's ok. I really appreciate your videos, man =)

[@masonoreilly7512]

I keep trying to listen to this in the background while I work on my art but that painting is just so mesmerizing...

[@renegadefade7501]

Ok, I have been listening to and watching your videos for the past year. I paint traditionally with oils, and lately with gouache. Today you pointed out something that I took for granted and really didn't think about. My palette is generally limited by choice most of the time. I attended the oldest art school in the US and that training was very traditional. When you talked about simplification I did not realize how those ideas are crucial in a lot of my favorite artists' work. I guess I overthink and took that for granted. Thanks for today's video.

[@crimsonknith]

Thank you for this. I have been told by my boss that I go off in tangents, though I see the relationship with all the tangents I go off on. I never thought it was because of my Artistic side.

[@weescamp]

Thank you as always for the sage advice. Your art talks are always a huge inspiration and much needed (metaphorical) kick in the pants.

[@chromari7278]

Man, I always love these art talks so much. It feels so comfy whenever I listen to these, thank you as always Adam!

[@mikkellaane723]

I ended pushing myself into watercolor largely to tackle a loy of these issues, having that color limitation, and having to kinda know the basis of the image before starting to paint forced me into thinking through the image beforehand. Also not being able to paint over mistakes helped push me to be more confident in the strokes

[@DueEa9]

I just realized this about myself, I get so distracted I start working on one thing and my brain tells me “oooh hey! Well what about this!” And I end up getting little sketch’s done. Just yesterday I made myself write a list of things I want to get done and focus on just two per week. It’s only been a day but I’ve gotten more done than usual. :D

[@MatthewRobinsArt]

Thank you Adam. Your videos often help when I'm having a moment of self doubt or being to hard on myself and overworking myself. I absolutely appreciate you and your work.

[@alekseyabramov9259]

Psychological assistance at it best. Thank you, Adam! Limitation is salvation

[@dsarrazin]

Very good video. In addition to everything that you said, I found another thing that works for me sometimes: when there are too many things, and it is stressing it out (usually I have too many things that I need to do), I simply make a list of all of them. Just putting them down relieves the stress of having to remember all of them and risking forgetting some. Little things like that can sometimes make a big difference...

[@johnnypearson30]

I came to this realization about a limited palate the other day when I used 3 tubes of paint and white (4 altogether duh) and now youre saying it on your video...awesome 🎨

[@dallleekah4035]

I'm only seven minutes in, but I feel like you touched upon a subject that I had never quite understood myself. I grew up with a very imaginative mind, I have always created and been that weird child that doesn't "get" the real world because I was always too focused on making up things in my head. And I realise now that this is something that has followed me for my whole life. I remember, back in highschool, all my teachers used to tell me off in the reports and essays I handed them because I always "strayed from the main subject" and I never managed to remedy that. No matter how many hours I spent on looking at the methodology, no matter how many times I was told off for it, I never could stay in just one specific state of mind while writing an essay. But now I get it. I grew up in a household where talking almost always meant being reprimanded, so I didn't express myself through speech, but I did it through writing. Teenager me going off on tangents all the time and not being able to stick to one peculiar subject was because so many thoughts were running through my mind all the time, thoughts I couldn't express to the people I was supposed to trust the most... In a way, all those off-topic essays I wrote were my way of being creative at the time, before I taught myself how to draw. This was very eye-opening. Thank you, Adam. On to the next 27 minutes of the video now!

[@RaphaelAvant]

It's very easy to get distracted with so many things and be over whelmed. Its a lot more comfortable when you have less and just focus on one thing. I try to remind myself when ever I have an art project or any task. Thank you Adam for this weeks talk, also thank you for the link to a podcast it sound very interesting.

[@Misterbumm]

Your Channel really is a safe sanctuary mate

[@Faith-nr5rq]

I love your channel so much you give really great advice and not just for art but for life in general. Its helped me a lot lately so thank you

[@mobatea]

I honestly have done some of my best works while or after watching your videos. Thank you for helping me unlock my potential

[@josephprins1258]

Man you have an amazing workflow that feels so natural. Also relaxing to listen to. Subscribed.

[@gozinta82]

Ive been working on a gambit painting for two weeks. Thanks for this talk. Ive recently deleted my facebook account and got rid of a few toxic relationships.

[@ericmarkowitsch589]

The music in this is super fitting and nice!

[@anik4921]

I personally know from my life experience reality is harsh for some people and it hurts. Saying that you just have to admit it and move forward with whatever limited options you have. Realizing that is a big part. Gordon Ramsey once said " The deeper the burn, the thicker the skin.The thicker the skin ,the higher it goes." Thank you Adam for all the help I dont feel alone.

[@gian.4388]

One day I tried drawing some poses on CSP and every single one of them was terrible, stiff and wrong even with reference The day after, I went to a completely unrelated course i was having and during a break I grabbed my phone and opened Flipaclip (extremely basic 2D animation app) to doodle some stuff while waiting 10 minutes later I had already drawn 5 extremely dynamic poses from very different and quite complex camera angles entirely from my imagination I then kept on drawing even after the break (wasn't really interested in the course and I ended up dropping it soon after) letting my imagination go wild and I only stopped once I realised I had drawn what I later called the, uh, "Wazowskicopter" ...yeah, maybe Clip Studio Paint is for the better, it prevents me from releasing the extremely cursed ideas lurking in the dark corners of my mind into the real world

[@ΑριάδνηΤζουνάκου]

I gotta say I love seeing you draw something different to your usual subjects, especially when the result is so appealing. Lovely video as always, hit especially close to home today when I find myself lost with a creature design I am working on. I hope to start anew with it together having your advice in mind. As always, thank you Adam. p.s. You gotta record a song for your audience at some point.

[@yn-em3bj]

That song is my favorite lullaby

[@snowdragon9577]

dang it I didn't realise you posted I didn't comment soon enough I hope you see this anyway you're such an inspiration Adam keep being you I love your work ❤️❤️❤️

[@christopherparedes8707]

Your videos really add value to my life and artwork, best wishes and luck for you, so grateful that I found your channel, thanks for your words, hard work and dedication.

[@julyol119]

I just rewatched one of your videos today, because I felt the need for some artistic hand holding :D So, perfect timing!

[@yingtingliu6549]

It really helps a lot hearing this as I am going through a lot in my life right now, thank you so much

[@MrDuckyart]

I love saving your videos to kickstart me for a longer, serious session. I've been working on this one commission for a month and a half now and it's been frustrating me no end. A lot of it.. most of it has been down to distraction and the overwhelming terror of what I'm going to do with colours when I inevitably finish lining it all. I've pushed that to the back of my head, and I've just been focussing purely on finishing the lineart, and it's helped a lot, so I kind of laughed to myself a little during this video when you mentioned distractions.

[@AdamDuffArt]

Lol , I laugh too because it’s kind of funny that we’re so hard on ourselves about getting distracted when you realize that we ALL do it

[@syrusangi8743]

Thank you again for another therapeutic art talk, Adam. Looking forward to it always

[@stratovolcano7813]

Probably one of my favourite of your videos ❤️❤️❤️

[@gumball2960]

Dammit Adam why are you so good at motivating me, honestly I'm just waiting for every week for an art talk when im running out of motivation and he just comes and save the day. Plus that intro song gave me Last of Us vibes for some reason

[@dcrbdh]

I'm an artist, but the job that pays the bills for me is I'm a therapist. We don't always understand how the environment influences us and shapes us. We feel depression and anxiety and don't understand how some times we are really just leaves on a stream. I believe that there is no such a thing as "lazy". The environment shapes us so much. Now I am not saying that there is nothing to be done about the situations that we find ourselves in. I'm saying that we need to understand the situations that we are in and be kind to ourselves.

[@AdamDuffArt]

Oh I couldn’t agree more Darryl - so much so that I already re order this weeks talk mentioning exactly that

[@zachariasstarlid5365]

Hi Adam! First, thank you for all you great content you put out! Second, this is my favorite paintings of all I've seen you do! Very poetic and pretty. Some times I feel like people that are not in to digital art has a hard time connect to it because they don't feel the strokes. But with this one I feel like it doesn't matter it transcends the barrier.

[@paulmccusker7936]

Thank you for these well thought out talks, Adam.

[@f8upd864]

Thanks, Adam.

[@danieljamiesonillustrates]

Awsome video great to hear what u have to say. I agree just taking a momment and dealing with some issues you are having makes things better. Some times very simple things we do over look like sitting in your chair properly. Great advice adam.

[@sergeykolesov7785]

Thank you for this talk. It helped me.

[@AnnaGlin]

Nathan Fowkes calls it the Simple Statement principle in his book, I think he describes it really well. I have to remind myself of that all the time.

[@AdamDuffArt]

really! I'll have to check that out for myself

[@AnnaGlin]

@@AdamDuffArt I just realised he wrote multiple books 😅 I meant the new landscaoe one, haven't read the other yet :)

[@MarushiaDark316]

As proof of concept, the piece that Adam is working on here is basically a cube with a couple triangles on top, and some squares for windows. Limited forms. :)

[@jonhopkinsart]

Hey Adam, I've recently discovered your videos and have been listening to them a lot, really great content and great listens while I paint. Thanks for all you do and the effort you put in to these 💚

[@pebblescarpetcat]

As one with a million and one projects clamouring for attention, I should... try not to do everything at once. _It only creates stress._ Yes. Sound advice, sir. Thank you

[@ivovasquez134]

Hey adam! Really appreciate your videos, such a heart warming feeling when im listen to them. It both teachs some things beyond just "art draftmen" but lessons for life, and also it cheers me up when i feel a bit down :)

[@ivanulyanov3461]

Adam is my favourite commentary track to other youtube videos.

[@sofidittmar8917]

Loved this message, very helpful :D

[@kbased10]

Really enjoyed this, thank you.

[@vanillapudding1009]

Thank you always, adam.

[@Ariel_is_a_dreamer]

The artwork is stunning though ✨️🖤 Love that style

[@imclueless9875]

this one really hit home

[@BrendamnBoi]

This was amazing. Pulling myself into my work and teaching my brain to re-focus. This is especially hard for me a lot of the time because I have A.D.D. but the points and advice you gave in this video really helped me Adam. You are an inspiration to me, I appreciate the videos they're what help me sit down and get to work on my art. Much appreciated Adam. Keep up the awesome content, thank you.

[@mumpitz666]

Thank you for this fantastic video. I learned a lot ;)

[@SteveRB511]

Good things to think about and really enjoyed your painting. Also, maybe a future book review on "The Art of Loish"? 😁

[@sociallyresponsiblexenomor7608]

20:50, yes in fact. it sounds like "stuck in the drive thru" by Weird Al- and I feel that is an apt title for the topic too hahaha.

[@mrslow4826]

wow... it directly hit me.

[@dantewithoutthed2992]

I needed this, thank you!

[@nameless929]

This helps me a lot. Thanks

[@darasto2023]

Great timing, I'm trying to juggle way too many paintings at the same time while jumping around hundreds of youtube videos XD

[@gentlemanvic]

I am an art teacher and fantasy artist, I am really into all your voice overs. I take stuff in, that you've said and translate it to bring it towards my student. To summarize: I am so in love with your channel, I hope you wont stop anytime soon!

[@AdamDuffArt]

Aww Victus, I most certainly won’t - it means a lot to me that you hold my work in such high regard :)

[@debilita9999]

Adam: "I hope you'Re in a state where you'Ve been smacking your head with this painting for days, or weeks..." Me: Smacking my head with this "stuff" for half a year+..... "yeah, the pain... and the shining light showing me the path, thanks to Adam today". Thank you

[@josephgamelin9739]

I'm facing discouragement. My drawing tablet became obsolete today, my laptop is dying, my headphones and my mouse are dead.. I can't afford to replace any of these( most importantly, my computer and my drawing tablet). On top of that, I work at a job that's physically demanding to the point that when I get home and eat dinner, I sit in my chair and fall asleep despite trying to focus on my art. I've been dealing with this for a while now... I just wanna throw in the towel, but I'll be throwing a huge part of my soul into the void....... What do I do?????????????

[@vadimlombard6775]

Oh I can hear you. I’m maybe in no position to give advices but... just draw 15min every day after work and à little more on week-end. Don’t give up it’ll make you unhappy. Draw on paper it’s Good to go back to the essence of the art. Good luck and wish you the best.

[@CubicApocalypse128]

Just because it's obsolete doesn't mean you can't still use it. My Bamboo CTL-460 serves me well. As for the laptop, look up used ThinkPads on eBay and thank me later.

[@josephgamelin9739]

@@CubicApocalypse128 I have a Wacom bamboo capture. It works but not in the way it should though. I never thought of Think Pads. I'm gonna look them up right now. Thanks CA

[@josephgamelin9739]

@@CubicApocalypse128 I have a Wacom Bamboo. it works but not in the way it used to. I'll be checking out those Think Pads right now, too. Thank you CA

[@josephgamelin9739]

@@KuroSy I hear you there Paper is where I got to work out animation problems, and new poses and designs. Thank you for the encouragement .

[@lexio.9559]

love your videos!! they have helped me a lot :)

[@mmart829]

Funny you should mention the amount of colors in digital painting. I mainly work with watercolors and colored pencils. I have a 48 color set of Rembrandt watercolor + few extras, VanGogh tubes and some White Nights pans. I also have full 120 sets of both Polychromos and Albrech Dürer pencils and a full set of InkTense pencils. This might sound like overkill but I know all of these colors. Especially when it comes to my Polychromos. I know their tones, I know how they layer and how I can achieve a specific color for a shadow for example. I have my over-used pigments like Indigo and a granulating Cerulean Blue. I know these guys. Then those rare times I decided to color something digitally my brain goes AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaAAAAAaaaAA......