Spark your creativity with forgotten materials!
Art Prompt - A way to be more avoid wasting materials and discover new possibilities
Nothing is more difficult than finding joy in drawing and painting when you feel blocked and uninspired. I found the answer in an unexpected place. While thinking of a more interesting way to showcase materials for my paid posts, I suddenly realized that my studio is full of forgotten materials: pencils I've put aside, paints I've had for years due to being busy with other materials, and pastels I avoided because I didn't want to get my hands dirty.
Forgotten Material Challenge
I set myself a challenge, and each month, I chose one forgotten material to work with. It's quite a list now:
Posca pens (in my case light green)
Derwent XL Graphite
Scissors (to do collage)
Kraft-paper sketchbook
Ink and an ink nip pen/glass dip pen
Pastel pencils
Coliro Pearl Colors paints
Dr Ph Martins Watercolours
Holbein Cake Colors
(All videos of these experiments can be found in the "art materials" and section of this Substack)
The result was mixed - some of the art materials didn't impress me, and I think I'll swap them with other artists. However, I rediscovered some materials that I had previously overlooked!
My top favourites are the kraft-paper sketchbook (see the Youtube Sketchbook tour below) and the watercolours. The watercolours inspired me to work more freely and experiment on larger paper, resulting in refreshing new artwork. This has led me to work more on coloured paper and I now find working with lots of water and ink/watercolours a very meditative activity. AND I avoid wasting materials, AND I don't have to buy anything new. WIN-WIN-WIN 🥳
Botanical Explorations + Forgotten Material: Dr PH Martins Radiant Water Colors
Experiments! I never seem to have enough time for them, but I’ve tried my best to find pockets of time to do this small project. By the way, it took me about a month to finish these, haha. Trying out different materials and even holding your pencils differently allows for more variation in your work, and who knows, maybe you stumble upon something great.
ART PROMPT
So, take a dive into your cupboard, rummage through the bottom drawer, and dust off your old paint pots. Find things you haven’t used for a while and see what you can do with them. Just start creating; it doesn't have to be a masterpiece. Experiment with a few swatches, mix different materials, and who knows, you might discover a whole new style!
What materials do you have at home that you might rediscover?
I’m fairly new to art. I just started last year after retiring. I’ve purchased too many supplies trying to determine what I really like. I started using pencils again, graphite and colored ones and am enjoying those. Just purchased John Muir Laws’ “Nature Drawing and Journaling”. I hope that’s a good fit for me.