"It’s like you almost can’t help but get hurt- hey, are you listening to me?"

Do you have any tips for beginning artists?

This is cheesy but practice lots!• Use various references, realistic, simplistic…cartoon characters, real people, anything! Just practice!

Be patient with yourself. • Give yourself time to grow as an artist and always understand that you may not be as good as others and that’s ok! Also understand that if you are better than others, don’t rub it in. Always remind yourself that if you don’t like how something looks you can change it! If you think that a certain style looks bad, then stop working on it and focus on a style you enjoy more!

Nothing feels better than knowing that you’re growing as both an artist and as a person. The best artists are always the best people (unless you’re Anish Kapoor). Always be kind, courteous, and courageous as an artist. Never be afraid to try new things and never be afraid to say no. If you don’t like something that’s mainstream, that’s your preference and no one else’s! Don’t let anyone tell you your art sucks because they think someone else’s is better, and never compare your capabilities to another artist.

I’ve been drawing since I was 7, but when I was 13 I started focusing on really becoming an artist. From 7-12 it was just fun scribbles and doodles until sometime when I was 13, I realized how much progression I’d made and set out to make it a future career, maybe even just a fun hobby. I saw potential in myself and I want every aspiring artist to see the same! In a moment I’m gonna redraw something from when I was younger and I’m going to show it off online. I’m going to show other drawings I’ve redone or ones that look similar. I practice every day and have been for years, and not all of them have been these huge art projects. Most were just sketches and doodles and those helped me grow more, just like anything else I’d done.

And that brings me to another quick point before I end this, always try to doodle in spare time! Work on shapes, sizes, and realism. Always think about what style you’re trying to achieve and how you plan on doing that. Here’s a list I mentally go through wen doodling like this:• Is the shape unique? + Yes: I’m developing a new style or I’m adding variation to an existing one. + No: I’m keeping with my original style. Perhaps I like it that way, or maybe I need to consider change!

• Is the size unique?+ Yes: I’m adding variation to all of my styles. Now things will look more developed and complex amongst every style that I use, if I can apply it!+ No: I’m keeping it simple for the sake of my sanity. That, or the variation is too big for me to tackle, I’ll work on it another time.

• Is it realistic?+ Yes: Cool! Now I can work on improving my realism and try to do more serious projects that take longer but are still just as fun. + No: Cool! I’m working on something easily animated and can even try to accomplish something bigger than just realistic drawings, such as animation, comics, and video games!

Always be positive with your art, and if you’re ever criticized, either take it constructively or ignore it!