the art student curse and how to break it

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Hey guys! Back with another paint with me/sketchbook podcast style video! AND WITH MY FACE! In this specific video I talk about the art student curse, what it is, and how constantly doing studies is holding you back from actually make the art you want. I share my tips on how I'm getting out of this intermediate artist phase and also touch on how social media can pressure us to create certain types of artwork.
hoping to do more videos similar to this in the future, talking about issues in the art world, being an artist online, creativity, all that fun stuff. like and subscribe for more shay rambles hehe thank you for watching!
Sketchbook: my bf made it for me :3
Paints: Holbein Acrylic Gouache
Palette: Meeden Ceramic Palette
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✿Website: shannonnichols.artstation.com/
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Equipment
✿Camera: iPhone 13 Pro and OBSBOT Tiny 2 Webcam
✿Editing Software: Adobe Premiere Pro
Music:
Background Funky- @roramdin
Background Synthetic- @roramdin
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:50 What is the Art Student Curse?
2:48 Reframe Your Sketchbook
8:03 The Importance of Personal Projects
9:10 Mini Paintings
11:03 Incorporate your Studies in your work!
12:40 Great Artists Steal
14:03 Critique and Sharing your Art
15:23 Mentorships
16:28 Reflection and Writing
18:06 About Social Media
21:30 Make Art not content

[@sketchesofshay]

hope you all enjoyed this different style of video! shoutout to all my beginner/intermediate artists out there trying to find there way. I am right there with you, we got this

[@LazarArts]

One thing I miss is that it feels like there's no central space for artists to form communities. I remember having a small circle of art friends on DeviantArt and we would always comment on each others' work, but now it feels like I'm posting my art into the void with Twitter and Instagram instead of sharing it with other artists.

[@naila_rsx]

I agree. Most of my old artist friends aren't as active on their accounts too, it's very hard to find others that are essentially in your own bubble

[@Muted_Marcus]

Yeah. It is also discouraging when posting your art online just feels like a risk of art theft. :/

[@MagdalenaMantler]

That is very true, I always loved that on DeviantArt!

[@KamikazeDaze15]

Try joining discord servers focused around smaller art creators. Join a few and you might find a community that just clicks.

[@literallyedgy2934]

I thought tumblr still had that community aspect, but idk I’ve never actually used it

[@diaryofaclementine]

allowing myself to make bad art definitely was a life changer for me. as a concept art student i do a lot of project assignments and design briefs that need to be perfect. personal projects can become super draining next to assignments. but letting go of the idea that my personal art has to be perfect and amazing helped so much, i found the fun in art again

[@diaryofaclementine]

also: i have two seperate sketchbooks! one is the one i use for school (notes, thumbnails, project briefs and brainstorming etc) and one i have just to keep a bit of a creative routine!

[@sketchesofshay]

that's awesome! I am so happy for you

[@janeonator]

omg literally this! i'm in the same boat and I tend to shy away from personal stuff bc of how draining it is already to do my vis dev assignments lol, letting go of that perfection has def helped me too :)

[@kaitlynmorgan8097]

When I was younger and not really caring about fundamentals, i was popping out pieces left and right. Now it's so rough to start something without getting frustrated and retreating back to studies. Having adhd definitely isn't helping. Great video, you really put my problem into words

[@goatplague344]

I found having a sketchbook for purposefully bad drawings to be quite healing. No care for being accurate, no worries about bad colors, just spitting ideas out without guilt. It gives fuel to sit down to an actual project later in the future

[@starsanddinosours]

EVERYBODY WAKE UP SKETCHES OF SHAY POSTED i'm soon to be an artstudent too, thank you for this Video!!

[@sketchesofshay]

hehe I hope it helps you in your journey!!

[@starsanddinosours]

thanks!!

[@bxsous9448]

@@starsanddinosours i’m just

[@aixohanta]

Same! Cegep here I come

[@megudo]

I'm stuck into that study hell since march 2022. My goal was to make fanarts for a video game in particular, and I felt like I needed to study everything before I could make an attempt. The results ? Yeah i got better. But I can't finish anything without feeling like i'm not ready anyway so that's useless. All I do is sketches and sketches, figure drawing, and that's it. I think that studying in the void can't bring you anything good. I'm trying really hard since february 2024 to break this spiral, but it's fucking hard. I'm just kinda terrified to do anything, 0 ideas come to mind, and I feel more and more depressed. Your video came at the right time for me...

[@sketchesofshay]

Thank you so much for sharing your own experience, I think a lot of us can relate to never feeling ready to start a project. You just have to keep on trying, keep on exploring the ideas that you care about, and enjoy the journey! I don't think we'll ever arrive to a point where we have figured everything out, so it's okay to jump in and just learn as you go

[@chinyoka2387]

That's exactly where I'm at too, you described it perfectly

[@megudo]

@@chinyoka2387 Honestly I wish you the best because it sucks so much. It's really the worst when it comes to art...

[@Greanbean4816]

One tip that I got (from a book called “bird by bird” about writing) was just to use all of your best ideas now. And I’m expanding the idea to say do that even if your best idea right now feels lame to you. For me, seeing projects to completion sparks more inspiration which is counterintuitive to my tendency to hoard all of my ideas for when I’m “qualified” to see them through. And even if I’m just going through with something I think is stupid, by the end of it I often have an idea that expands on it and makes it less stupid. If you truly have zero ideas (not even stupid ones), using random generators can be a place to start. The point being, letting yourself believe that ideas are a scarce resource puts a huge damper on creativity (at least for me). Idk if this stuff actually applies to your situation, but it was helpful for me so hopefully it’ll be useful to someone else.

[@megudo]

@@Greanbean4816 Thank you, it's actually really good advice. Appreciate it !

[@hannahdeards9652]

I feel ATTACKED! D:< No, but seriously, I have been studying for so long that I think I lost sight of why I became an artist in the first place. I really lost my artistic flame. The answer is to create stuff that is meaningful to me and aligns with my career goals, DUH!

[@SoyBasedArt]

Omg, this video came at the perfect time, I really needed that now. For days, I've been wanting to start drawing again and don't know the best way to begin. That's why I thought about studies, but I'm struggling so much that it's not bringing me real joy anymore. Thanks! I should do more of what brings me joy, then I think I'll learn something where I can apply it.

[@sketchesofshay]

exactly! I think that is the best thing we can do as artists, continue to find the joy and what we create. The skills and mastery will come later, the process of finding what you love and care about is most important

[@diaryofaclementine]

as our lord and savior Hardy Fowler says: posting on social media and liking the validation is totally okay and human, but we always started drawing to begin with for ourselves

[@sketchesofshay]

YES love this!

[@pavvin]

Funnily enough I have the opposite problem, I end up just drawing and completely ignoring anything connected with studying

[@upsidedownsometimes]

I have to say that drawingwiffwaffles was a HUGE inspiration when I first started my art journey, I don't really watch them anymore, but they greatly helped me keep going.

[@sketchesofshay]

OMG I used to watch so many drawingwiffwaffles videos when I was younger. they don' really post that much anymore but their videos are still golden

[@BubbleLolli]

SAMEE

[@coreykrochmal3465]

What I've learned from my athletic life is that you'll gain more confidence through failure than you will through success. I've found a lot of parallels here between the more traditional art world and my experience with creative movement. Mainly the doing it for yourself and doing more of it and how that leads to more meaningful progress than just learning a new skill for a video or quick instagram clip.

[@olliepollie8106]

I'm an art student and the way I absolutely leapt for this video- I'm the kind of person where things like figure studies, especially fast gesture drawing has become something of a comfort zone for me. Things like semi-realistic proportions and figures that aren't pushed or stylized in any way. But I'm starting to realize they have become something of a "safe-space" for me because it always felt like I could more easily determine if it was "right" or not based on how close it was to the reference. But I'm also learning animation which means that stylization, abstraction, and exaggeration are key components and some of the things I admire most in other people's work but I haven't actually been practicing them myself. I'm realizing now that's why I haven't been enjoying my art (among other art school burnout related reasons) and why I've been struggling so much with doing projects for my classes when I've "been studying so much." I've just never executed a lot of my own work to a finished level!! TLDR; this video is exactly what I needed right now and I want to try and push myself to take up more projects to see where I want to go with my work without getting distracted by the "need" to study more. Thank you for making this ^^ you're a big inspiration

[@sketchesofshay]

so happy you found this vide helpful and insightful to your own journey, you got this !

[@Rebe8d89AH]

6:15 is massive. I started to do the same. I draw as a way to plan and prep. They're not pretty drawings or realised ideas but they are exploratory which is fit for purpose. I thought I had to be making gorgeous Calarts style ultra curated sketchbooks. I also realised that for character design, I needed to stop getting distracted by all the art out there and actually study figure drawing, gesture, anatomy. Learning how to learn is massive.

[@nauseousdog]

your insights as a graduate and as a self-employed artist are so valuable! there’s lots to draw from this comprehensive analysis about persevering in your craft beyond your education. i’m feeling inspired to appreciate where i’m at in fulfilling my artistic potential - lots of the journey still left to trek, and that’s something to be excited about. thank you for sharing your thoughts, as always! ⭐️💖

[@sketchesofshay]

thank you so much my love! happy you enjoyed the video and you're right, there is no rush! it's all about the journey and I'm happy we're in it together

[@stitchgor3]

I think the issue I have with my art is, I want to improve, yet I don’t enjoy improving. I enjoy my process currently but don’t like the look, but I don’t know how id study to make myself better AND enjoy it

[@koi9996]

I love how cozy your videos make me feel.Like all the art struggles someone may be going through,and how social media can sometimes be for the better or worse really gets me prepared and wanted to start posting myself. (:

[@sketchesofshay]

glad my videos can bring you some comfort! posting your art is not easy, so I hoped my tips will help you a little :)

[@kirbymybeloved]

im currently following an art course as a design student and this video is really helping me realize that its okay to make 'bad' art. i've been wanting to make artwork around a certain theme but i had no idea how to start. thank you for your videos

[@eshadrawz]

I was hoping you'd make a video on this, in one of your past videos you touched on how you noticed yourself drifting away from enjoying art calmly to feeling like you have to multitask and be productive by learning constantly the past year. (you said you were watching more video essays and stuff instead of music) I think it's something very few people talk about. Nowadays, there's so much hype on tutorials and "do this, not that" and how to get better, and while we are always evolving and seeking to improve our skills as an artist, it can be frustrating to get stuck in this loop. Recently I've had this goal with my sketchbook to "just do it". I don't NEED to have learnt something and only then apply it. If i have an idea, i should be able to just do it. And of course study it when i have time, but why let a perfectly good idea go to waste now because you think it's above your skill level? Thanks Shay! you've really helped me out with this whole thing! I'm super grateful for your videos

[@sketchesofshay]

i think that is such a GREAT mindset with art, esha. so happy you have this idea while working on your art, so happy my video helped you out

[@Mika-mc8xz]

Dang....you put into exact words my struggles. I also feel stunted right now trying to bridge practicing and illustrating. Your language analogy is what sold me. The best way to learn a language is immersion. Meaning, taking what you learned and going out in the world and using it. It's even encouraged to speak even tho you'll likely mess up. That's how you learn. Art....is the exact same way. We can't grow as illustrators unless we immerse ourselves by doing the dang illustrations! Excellent video and thank you!

[@tigerezz_]

I got my own sketchbook a few weeks ago and i use it to do better art, but mostly to sketch down thoughts and feelings. Also really enjoyed to watch this video! 😍😍

[@sketchesofshay]

that's awesome! and thank you so much for watching

[@pango_teaaa9632]

I swear every time I check to see if you posted you do and it’s always such a treat!!!!

[@sketchesofshay]

heheh thank you for checking back on the channel! I really appreciate your viewership

[@0_lexi]

Aahh ty for this video!!! This year is gonna be my first in an art school and I really needed this. Its always such a joy for me when u post! 💞

[@Doootjeee]

Love this video! I keep getting stuck in the study loop every couple of months and then I forget that I will ALSO grow, if maybe a bit slower, if I make the things I want to make! Thanks for helping me remember this ❤️

[@sketchesofshay]

so happy I could help a lil bit in your journey ! thank you so much for watching

[@jeffm3283]

Good advice. Just earned my associate's of the fine arts. I've definitely grown as a person because I decided to truly dive into studying art

[@streetcarpp]

these videos are so helpful, and they always inspire me !!

[@princelujan]

Love your videos! As someone who wants to start a webtoon, I need to listen to this advice and actually start drawing comics because all I do is draw characters or study poses but never draw them interacting with the environment 😅

[@sketchesofshay]

i feel you !! I tend to procrastinate on a lot of projects and I never feel like I am ready to start them, but then you eventually realize that you'll never feel ready and you should just jump in!

[@princelujan]

@@sketchesofshay You are right! Need to be braver this year and just start💪

[@lola9148]

the past couple of years ive fallen into the student curse but mostly because i dont feel motivated to finish anything anymore? my goal isnt to be a professional who has art jobs but mostly to just be good enough that i feel great about my hobby, and i love doing fanart. theres no shortage of muses, but the fan space im in right now doesnt really make me want to post, and there isnt a feeling of Sharing since theres nobody there i look up to. it used to be really fun in other corners i used to be in but now im just so cynical i dont really feel a lot of weght behind the short compliments. i make something for my close friends who arent artists every now and then but i havent had the big excitement to make a full Painting in a long time. its really awkward to be in this spot. this is a really sweet video! so i hope it helps a lot of people :)

[@mumiaparalitica]

I’m currently watching this at midnight and seeing your process and hear you speak about the act of making art in general gave me a surge of energy, I almost jumped out of bed to paint! I might experiment with filming my process or even joining more art communities (yours included, whenever that’s ready)! Thanks for making this.

[@user-ko5ul7yi1x]

Based on experience, you can't just keep studying forever. There must be a balance between doing studies and personal work. Personal work is where your general personal exam happens and all you've been studying/reading about so far will be put to the test. Daunting as it is, you have to saddle up and face the fear of failing or having flaws on your personal work. If you do fail or make mistakes, at least you know where you stand so you can do better on the next personal project. There's really no way around it, let it happen so you can make studies about the mistakes and then do better on the next project.

[@Weevilest]

Haven’t commented in a while but just wanted to let you know i really appreciate the videos you make and they have gotten me through alot 😊😊 im an art student currently and have 3 portfolios to finish by next year, and my future really relies on me getting good grades and scholarships, and thats super stressful but your videos inspire me so much to keep going.

[@cherrnichka8254]

i like your videos so much!!! it helps me to get more confident in my relationship with the art i create

[@fishthehuman05]

This was everything I needed to hear rn, tysm for sharing your insight 💙💙💙

[@twizzlindoodz]

I feel like you always hit me with what i need to hear, so thank you! Also LOVE that painting- the colors are just gorgeous, and I'm so pumped for your next video!! :D

[@sketchesofshay]

thank you so much, and I'm so happy my videos help you in your own journey! can't wait to share next week's video, I am having a ton of fun editing it right now hehe

[@reneenoriega4524]

Yay! Time to binge some Sketches of Shay videos 🥳🎉

[@unorthodoxbox]

I did this last year but rather than starting small to break the art study curse I leaned very hard into a major project. To put the long story short in 2022 at the end of the year I was feeling down, I was progressing as an artist technically but beyond that there wasn't really much else. So after dealing with some personal stuff I leaned hard into a personal project for about 10 months, I made playing cards based on Omori. By the end I was exhausted but it prove to me that all that technical skill was worth it but it doesn't have to be all there is.

[@sketchesofshay]

thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm thinking about doing a similar thing after all of my smaller projects end. I really am itching to tackle something bigger, any words of advice? 10 months is a long time, how did you sustain motivation to continue to work?

[@user-mw9uk3ht4n]

i needed that advice. thank you so much for making this video! helped me a lot.

[@SunArts918]

I love you, your content, your energy and thanks for posting

[@Jason-gs6hd]

my eyes OPENED when I heard vampire hunter cowboy cuz I've been working on one for my portfolio too! I love this genera so much I need to see them 😭

[@grrrmie]

Love this. In regards to posting on social media, one of the artists I look up to and you mention Marc Brunet, has a take I rlly like: dont post everything you draw, keep some things for urself. I can see how this might be a hard thing to do with being rewarded with posting more, needing content to post, etc. But at the same time it circles back to why we all do this in the first place, because we love art and it makes us happy. I feel by keeping some art just for urself, itll help ground you to why we are all on this art journey.

[@twokindsofovenfries32]

my animation degree has torn my confidence and sanity. I hate drawing and I really don't feel like I have gotten better. To take breaks from my final assignment, I just decided to make animations for fun, and I actually really really liked it and was happy with what i have made

[@reyl6152]

Stumbled on this video completely by chance and this was exactly what I needed to hear. Ive been holding myself back from starting the comic projects Ive wanted to do for ages now, but tried making little diary comics only to feel frustrated with feeling like I wasnt making "professional" looking enough art. Thanks so much, keep doing your best everyone!!

[@TheArtisticWitch]

I love your videos sm. They always inspire me to do smth new. Also the vibes are just ✨✨✨. I hope to be an art student in the future, so thanks for this!!

[@sketchesofshay]

I am so happy you like them! best wishes in your own journey

[@speckledblender5495]

I love how you express like some problems artist go through and then give a solution that could help fix the problem. I feel like this is something that not many could explain and give an actual good solution but you nailed it. My friend struggles with loving her art she'll look at my art and say that it's way better and that her art sucks and I just wanna gentle smack her with her sketch book. I know that many artist go through not liking their which is sad to see because most of those people art extremely talented. On a less sad note. Something that I've notice that helps me not get like artblock or burn out is once or twice a week taking a break from any art project and sitting and writing down art ideas or even just taking a walk to get inspired. This was a very helpful video. I do very much like how pretty your hair is its super fluffy and I think it's adorable. Can't wait for your next video. Have a great day.❤

[@sketchesofshay]

so happy you found this video insightful ember!! and thank you for sharing your experience, writing is such a super power for artists that not everyone talks about !

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

this was so lovely, i really liked the face cam-talking right to the audience style!! the painting looks so cool. i love the helmet and bull septum ring. 24:18 this is so sick istg

[@sketchesofshay]

so happy you liked it critique ! it was fun changing things up this time around hehe, and YEAH knightsona video coming out this week!!

[@popbitzblast3649]

I went through my old middle school sketchbooks a few days ago (I actually did it with the intention of throwing them out) and I ended up surprisingly upset. Even though I definitely improved with studies/fundamentals, everything in my middle school sketchbooks was more fun to look at than any of my current finished pieces 😭 This video came at a great time. I’ve been doing barely anything but studies these past few years and it’s effected my art more than I thought

[@starbutter2730]

Wantes to say ty, i really appreciate this as a beginner and all. This is super inspiring and really fires me up to push myself on my art journey, ty for doing this for us❤❤

[@MarigoldMeredith]

I enjoy every video you put out there, regardless of subject or style, but an extra thanks for this one, because you’ve articulated several topics that are top of mind for where I’ve been, and have increased my understanding of my own feelings about them. Thanks so much

[@sketchesofshay]

so happy you found this video helpful! I wish you the best in your own journey

[@lluminescenttl]

YEA im loving the theme of this video. i completely agree its important to indulge in things you enjoy, and dont overwhelm yourself with CONSTANTLY needing to improve and do studies. Also, totally looking forward to the discord server!

[@sketchesofshay]

heheh so happy you liked it lance! it's a tough aspect of learning, trying to bridge it into real-world applicable projects to achieve true mastery. AND YEH server is coming soon !

[@W8LLOW]

SHAAAAY!!!!! Ty sm for this! I’m getting my sketchbook so I can listen to ur advice and paint with u! :D

[@sketchesofshay]

YAY happy that you're painting alongside me :)

[@unpickel]

I dont know why but your voice and your voice make meemotional and the tiny hampter inside of me is crying and is more motivated than before!

[@randomkirakira9796]

I love your videos and artworks ❤ Lately I’ve been on a slump with my art. Your advice on doing mini projects and drawing what you love is inspiring. I'm trying to draw more of my guilty pleasures and for myself lately. Also, I've been using your Procreate brushes and they r amazing and I love them ❤❤❤ It fits so well with my art style ❤❤❤ Thank you so much and have a nice day 💕💕💕

[@sketchesofshay]

that's awesome! so happy you found my videos helpful, have a nice day as well!

[@KetchupCanvas]

This was a great video! I think something I struggle with in making more elaborate, bigger pieces is that I have a fear of messing up. With a cheap sketchbook or doodle notebook the stakes are much lower and I can be relaxed. I struggle with perfectionism and often feel like even my casual art isn't "enough" so the idea of pursuing an ambitious professional type drawing or painting is daunting. Still, it's an achievable goal I'll someday meet haha

[@Baba6782]

Damn I reallllly needed that one, the timing is divine

[@lunchlessbaghead]

Such important things to take into consideration as an artist! Whether you've career based or just doing it as a hobby, it really can be stressful trying to make art you're happy with when you're so afraid it won't turn out that you never try. No more lollygagging on a blank page, dive in and take the risk! As someone who tried out social media for an art account and found it didn't work out, these tips still hit home as a hobbyist and perfectionist who has been in "art block" for weeks that ended up being fueled by my fear to start. I stopped busting out the gesture drawing practice and finally sat down to rework the character I was so afraid to draw, even if it'll never get posted. Remember we are artists, here to create even if just for ourselves!

[@asholie]

Thank you so much for making this video, keeping “art parents” in mind seems genuinely something that may be very helpful. I have been stuck in the “kind-of-okay-artist-but-I-can’t-really-apply-the-skills-to-my-own-ideas” phase for years. Beautiful artwork in the video too, you’re awesome!

[@SoloDust]

this video came to me right when i needed it

[@quietmin9738]

I didn't finish the video yet but I really feel call out ajjaja I always make sketches when I want to draw but never make a piece and eventually feel overwhelmed with my progress, these days I was doing small drawings but painting them with colour pencils to try to get out that stage Your videos are so cool! I really love your oc! Have a great day

[@kanderdraw]

Really excellent advice. I can get stuck in my sketchbook too!

[@FenyaFaraday]

Incidentally, I started working on a full painting yesterday after finding myself in the "art student curse" for the last couple months. Great video!

[@sketchesofshay]

YAY that's awesome! so happy for you!

[@reinaluna4569]

Im currently an art student, and im definitely stuck in a constant sketching stage 😭 Its nice to hear someone talk about struggling with this, and i really do desire to make more finished work. Im only used to really finishing things for a grade that finishing personal work doesn't have a point. There's no grade, so why should i finish it? Definitely gotta work on my mindset 🥲

[@moustachedgink]

Thanks for the video a lot!! It's so helpful!!😢

[@sketchesofshay]

so happy you found it helpful!

[@kashe7285]

i really needed to hear this😭 at this point i just hide in my studies and retreat back to them anytime i feel intimidated by bigger projects and it is REALLY holding me back. and I'm unhappy and unfulfilled and I'm sitting here wondering why when the answer is right there!

[@sketchesofshay]

i felt the same way a lot of the time. you got this! and remember, start small and build your way up to the bigger projects! this will help to build your confidence and your process

[@mokilatte]

I am finishing art school this year and honestly the only using your sketchbooks for studies is so real, I dont even have the energy to work on my own projects most of the time cause im swamped with work from my classes and sketching for fun and my projects always take a backseat. It is something I am trying to improve this year, to actually start my own projects and do finished work for myself but yeah art school can wreck the relationaship you have with art.

[@sketchesofshay]

this is so true. art school has killed so much creative spirit in myself and my friends, making art for a grade changes a lot of how you view your own art

[@mokilatte]

@@sketchesofshay definetly and for me it also came to a point of feeling like a lot of my pieces were lies, since I had to do a fine arts degree (kind of only thing you can do in my country) it became a game of trying to justify the pieces in ways that I felt would get me the best grade and that was a horrible sensation. Art school can be amazing but you need to have such a balance between personal and school art which is not easy to achieve

[@darling_astra]

I've been binging all the vids of this channel for a few days so thank you, I was about to run out of content 😭

[@sketchesofshay]

hehe thank you for watching my videos !

[@KelseyRodriguez]

LOVING your illustrated thumbnails lately!! Had to say that before I even watched the video lol

[@sketchesofshay]

thank you so much Kelsey! after a whole year, I finally figured out that I can have fun (and have another excuse to draw) and just illustrate my thumbnails lol so happy you like them!

[@riverjacobs2023]

Thank you for being honest about your artwork and process. I have considered becoming a content creator (specifically with art) myself, but I think your experiences have highlighted my fears I had internally about where I would do it. I wanted to do it to partially to make money, but mostly because I want to document my process and put myself out there to potentially inspire other people. I have not had luck in the past on places like Instagram or Tumblr. I quickly become overwhelmed and upset that my art process is chocked down to the final piece, and the methods of getting there are not shown. I think it would be nice to have a more slow or longer video approach, that is more down to Earth and less serious. Basically: I appreciate you sharing this insight. I think this is going to point me in the right direction.

[@gabrielawarhurst4641]

I absolutely love your style I think it is so cool and you did great job on your painting. I totally agree with what your saying it makes so much sense. Your are doing a great job

[@AlexVirol]

21:10 - you remind of myself) Mostly I had like HUUUGE expectations of myself and how I am supposed to show my artwork to other people + this year I thought about going to university and chosing art as my career path (so ye - more pressure 🙃) But I think this means that you should be more kind to yourself and that you lack self-love (even that you hate yourself) Art is basically a mirror, which shows who we are + the way you look at your art shows what type of person are you. So yes you should appreciate and love yourself (easier said than done, but still don't give up) 😤💖

[@sketchesofshay]

thank you for the encouragement

[@dianamiftakhova5047]

I really liked your comparison of drawing and learning a new language.

[@elmnop]

youre definitely one of my art parents ❤️

[@drawingfandome]

I was so nervous going into this video you’d be basically saying learning the basics isn’t important bc I see so many videos that basically say “doing studies or drawing often isn’t the only way to improve you don’t have to do that, or you should mainly value creativity and having fun.” And well I think it’s good to tell artists to prioritize mental health across the board, and drawing what they want if their just a hobby artist, it also needs to be said to improve your technical skill you do have to do studies and learn fundamentals. But I agree 100% with you that to be a good artist you have to have both tools in your tool belt the ability to have done enough studies to know how to draw technically well if you want, and the ability to break all rules and be as creative and free as you want. Also side note but…I sooo want your little cottagecore hello kitty plushie I see in the background 🥺😫

[@ChantelleArts]

This is fantastic, I loved this ☺☺☺

[@sketchesofshay]

so happy you liked it chantelle!

[@CirceBee14]

Art class in high school, basically destroyed my love of art. There was very little freedom, and I hated it. So many times I thought about quitting. It’s still taking a lot to bring back the love of art (I graduated in 2021), and this has helped a lot. I want more artist friends, I’ve never had that many. Any Discord servers would be appreciated ❤️

[@fuzzydragons]

I try to make art I want to make (unlesss its something for a customer, and even then more than likely its something I have an interest in), I just happen to sometimes document it. Partly for other people, but mostly for me so I have something to remember when my brain decides to scramble messages 😝 (MS cognitive issues)

[@ChimeraLotietheBunny]

This is hitting deep

[@abberistired]

this video is just 100% calling me out lol I have no idea what I want out of art or why I draw at all so I think I'll try figuring that out this year :') lately I've been designing warrior cat ocs (lol) and that's been a lot of fun! and I'm wondering if maybe character design or concept art is more my speed vs like making fully finished illustrations dfdfh

[@chinyoka2387]

I've been stuck in this state for YEARS and just lately started realizing that that's why I feel so bad about my art and have no motivation to make anything anymore. I'm slowly trying to get out of it now. I thought that I can't make full art pieces until I have mastered all the fundamentals because then people will always only see flaws in my art.

[@OwLisDoodles]

i have different sketchbooks, one that is basically for the first point to start an artwork, one that is for actually finished pieces (but they kind of mix up with little in betweens) AND my sketchbook-calendar, where I got a Leuchtturm weekly calendar and give myself weekly prompts. I also do illustration for work, so luckily I always have finished and polished projects. But I lack art for myself currently and I really want to re-introduce those again 🥺

[@ayuvir]

Hey Shay, thank you for your video. I've a bit of a question. Much like how you described I'm knee deep in the spiral of constant practicing. I rely heavily on Stan Prokopenko's fundamentals course to have me try new things. Here's the thing, I've started doing art 3 years ago and have been doing it consistently since. I've grown immensely as an artists in both spirit and technical skill yet I wanted to draw specific illustrations and I just can't. I've a very hard time figuring out mass and form, in part because I almost always just practice gesture and portraits so I told myself this year that I'd do my own portrait illustration for the first time as people in the courses that I frequent often praise my work and, again, much like how you describe, I crash and burned. I was so overwhelmed that it was as if I couldn't draw at all, not only that but it's as if I couldn't draw in the first place, with my gestures and my portraits becoming very off since then. So I have to ask you, how do I bounce back? and how do I improve in this field? I would very much like to finish this year making my illustrations, while I don't hope for professional level stuff I expect my current other skills to sync up with what I want to do. The people in my courses all have careers outside of art and they aren't really people I can ask for advice as I usually only get the "draw what you see" answer, which we both know isn't quite how things work. The teachers too almost always only give me very broad answers to my questions like "study anatomy", which I've done a few times now. I feel very lost.

[@spicygarlicsauce]

im completing my first year as an arts student and my gosh the burn out hits. I’d already felt it around mid 2022-late 2023 when I’d just finished traditional technical art classes at a local school on a weekly basis. my drawings improved and my proportions were much better but all creativity was drained out of me. Whenever I wanted to draw for fun I pulled up a reference and slowly ful uninspired. It finally got better last summer until I got into school and (although not the most intense program.. only 2 year pre uni) drilled into us foundations and more relying on basically copy pasting reference to paper/canvas. Only acception were abstract assignments in painting and sculpture but it was so lose I felt overwhelmed and panicked until I felt defeated and submitted something I felt was mediocre. This has been pretty common for a couple of my friends and ig for people in the comments as well. Here’s to hoping student burn out improves Tldr: student burn out was so bad I couldn’t create without a reference but it got better and then worse and now art isn’t that fun anymore 🧑🏼‍🌾

[@pancakes985]

OMG LOVE THE NEW SETUP!! THE GUS IN RHE BACK LMAOO

[@sketchesofshay]

hehehe

[@calicowarlock]

i graduted from art school back in 2021, been struggling to make art for myself again. Everything has always just hyper anaylzed and overcorrected for portfolio. I'm trying to pivot to doing the webcomic I've beenw anting to do for years but keep getting cold feet because of imposter syndrome. Thanks for this video, I have to push myself over the cliff and just do it

[@ducky_urban]

I never believed in studying thank you for confirming my suspicions.

[@ducky_urban]

Irony aside, i think that social media tutorials, while being productive and good sources for knowledge also set up the expectation that art has to be done in a certain way. What you decide to draw and what you do with that intention is way more important in the art world. Remember there are people out there in galleries with canvas filled with only squares and stuff. If that doesn’t proof that art is what YOU make it rather than what you think it NEEDS TO be… Anyway, I agree with you that as long as you make drawing a habit you will get better at it. So thank you for the video.

[@lazy_lady14]

Yeeesss❤

[@swampat4093]

That was an amazing ad transition...

[@sketchesofshay]

hehe thank you!!

[@hollowedboi5937]

Huh. I think I always hated the phrase Nike popularized, "Just do it." because I never liked how hustle culture, academically talented programs in school pushing all nighters and not complaining, this type of mindset even if successful was draining and made me hate life. But in a different context with a different definition, 'just do it." could be referred as "stop always preparing to try the thing you want to do, and just do the thing." I guess if I fail doing the thing, then I can learn more about that part I want to get better at, but I won't know unless I try something and figure out who I am through that. Thank you. Also you right, people like Marc Brunet and Ethan Becker really shaped my idea of art and art jobs at an early age huh.

[@scholaepalatinae4988]

Other people's sketchbooks: sick looking concepts, finished art etc. My sketchbook: Just scribbles. 🙃

[@mochichimmyy]

Can you make a video showing how you bind your sketchbooks? ❤❤ ı love your videos they are my comfort videos, i taught you were using mic btw I think quality is good 😅

[@sketchesofshay]

hehe thank you so much! I am glad the audio wasn't too bad, and yes! i defintely want to make a book binding video. my lovely partner made the sketchbook in this video for me so maybe I could have him on the channel too!

[@mochichimmyy]

It would be nice 😊 thank youu

[@maqy01]

20:16 this is my favorite stroke

[@teapots_and]

idk if this is just my country, but in my art school/college, we DO actually make our own project every semester., like as a part of the term assignments, we make a short book with illustrations for example (im in the illustration departnment). and depending on the wording of the task, it can either be illustrations for an existing story, or even our own! so, we do kinda get to do our own project from our ideas, BUT it is still for school, and because we're working on it theres not much time left for any /actually our own/ projects. idk, its hard:D

[@bow865]

Damn but true my sketchbook is just filled with studies pilled on top of each other literally and very few doodles on the side I don't really do personal projects cause I feel like I'm not ready for them yet even doe I've been studying for at least 2yrs I think? now idk but I'll def try to as soon as I get a new sketchbook cause I feel like I have to learn this first to draw the things I actually want to draw and make them look good and feel as though I won't be able to because I haven't learned the rest yet

[@smokeyoak]

I have not even begun to study. Never have, never will. Glad to see my behavior justified here

[@Kittyboi.]

A problem I have(aside from being a perfectionist lol) is that I don’t even use my sketchbook or practice much, I just end up watch a bunch of tutorials and learn different techniques but every time I sit down to try and apply any of them to my process to see what works for me, I get stuck. I also already see my drawings already finished in my head as I sit down to draw and find it kinda difficult to do the different steps(sketch, lineart, color etc) so I just stare at the blank page or digital canvas. Or when I do draw finally I often end up with something completely different than what I had originally planned to draw.

[@vulpinefae]

Amazing video!! But also where did you get that cute hello kitty in a deer costume?

[@sketchesofshay]

I got it as a gift! I am not sure where they bought it, sorry ;-;

[@spacejunk2186]

This biggest issue is that when I doodle around or do sketches, I look at it and know it looks terrible, but I don't understand how to fix it. It is extremely demoralizing. No matter where I look, the learning advice always seems contradictory.

[@nanamouraart]

I can’t stop looking at gus fringe at the back 😂

[@sketchesofshay]

LOL

[@bxwieknxfe]

New upload day, still sneaking this video at work 👀

[@sketchesofshay]

you will never cease to stress me out bowie /j lol hope you enjoyed the video!

[@bxwieknxfe]

@@sketchesofshay giving you one heart palpitation at a time bestie /j heehee great work on this one!!

[@Turn-the-Page]

Great video! You just got a subscribed!

[@sketchesofshay]

omg thank you so much!

[@pinkinkNZ]

OH YEAH ANIMATION!!!

[@sketchesofshay]

love ur animations! will defintely be looking at your channel for inspo :)

[@pinkinkNZ]

@@sketchesofshay ME!?

[@pinkinkNZ]

@@artandcraftsza oh wow hello XD