Self Taught Artist

As self-taught artists, seeking inspiration becomes a valuable tool for our artistic growth. Today, we'll explore various sources of artistic inspiration, the benefits of engaging with different art forms and artist communities, and I'll recommend some artist resources that can spark your creativity and provide support along the way. Let's get inspired! Artists - Please take a minute t...

Establishing a consistent creative routine is key to maintaining your artistic momentum. Today, we'll discuss practical tips for developing a routine, the value of small achievable goals, and strategies for incorporating art into a busy schedule. Let's get started! Artists - Please take a minute to rate the podcast 5 stars wherever you are listening! It helps me to keep the podcast going a...

Today, we'll delve into a crucial aspect of returning to art after a long break: managing expectations. Returning to art after a hiatus can present challenges and frustrations. It's important to acknowledge these obstacles and equip ourselves with strategies to navigate them. By setting realistic expectations, embracing the process, and overcoming perfectionism and self-doubt, we can embar...

As artists, it's crucial for us to pause and reflect on our motivations for pursuing art. What initially sparked your creative journey? What inspired you to pick up a paintbrush, a camera, or a pen? I share several reflection prompts and exercises to help you connect with your artistic motivations on today's episode of the Self Taught Artist Podcast. Now, let's explore the benefits of...

Today we're kicking off The Artistic Comeback - a multi week series on how to come back to art after a break. It's common for life's demands and responsibilities to sometimes get in the way of our art, causing our artistic passions to be pushed aside for some time. The good news is that many successful artists have experienced similar breaks and come back stronger than ever before. Tod...

WELCOME TO SEASON 3 OF THE SELF TAUGHT ARTIST PODCAST! We're kicking off Season 3 with a follow up episode to a very popular episode from Season 2 (Episode #44) all about using household items to get interesting effects in your artwork. One of my secrets to getting interesting mixed media artwork is to not use my paintbrushes all the time. Using objects from around the house in unexpected ways...

Gifts are a tradition this time of year for many families. Perhaps you're being asked by family members what you want for Christmas this year and you're trying to make your wish list. Or, you're just looking for an excuse to buy yourself a fun new art supply to try. I love talking all about art supplies, so today I'm talking about gift ideas for artists and art supplies I love (or that I am wantin...

Artists, today I'm sharing three ways for you to infuse some gratitude into your art making process. Gratitude is good for your brain, good for your body, and good for your art. Since it's November and I have gratitude on my brain, we're talking about how infusing gratitude into your artistic process can result in better art. Artists - Please take a minute to rate the podcast 5 stars wherever you...

Social media is still the best way to grow your audience as an artist. Instagram Reels and TikTok videos have grown massively this year. If you’ve been resisting trying Reels, I’d encourage you to try it. No dancing is required, or even showing your face if you don’t want to. On today's episode, I'm sharing some ideas for simple Reels artists can make without much effort. All of these Reels ideas...

At last I have found the color mixing recipe for the perfect green! I’m sharing it in today’s episode. I have struggled with mixing greens for a while. For some reason I have difficulty mixing the right green, and green straight out of the tube doesn’t give the depth I need to make my greenery and nature paintings realistic enough. Do you have a favorite paint mixture recipe to share? Or, do you h...

Artists, 'tis the season for selling art and gifting art. Often that means you have to ship art! It's the perfect time to revisit my favorite art shipping supplies, shipping methods, and of course, how to save money shipping artwork.  I mention www.pirateship.com on the episode since it's my favorite way to save money and time when shipping anything. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laure...

Right now I'm feeling creatively burned out and like I’ve lost a little bit of my creative mojo. This week on the Self Taught Artist podcast, we're talking about the signs of Artist Burnout and what to do about it! I share six tips for how to beat burn-out as an artist.  It's natural for your creativity to ebb and flow; it is a normal part of any creative journey! More Podcast Info : https://...

This week I’m rewinding the clock and imagining starting over again as an artist. I explore the question: what would I do differently if I were starting from scratch today as an artist?  Here are my Top 5:  I'd buy premium paint sooner.  I'd buy fewer paint colors.  I'd let go of Perfectionism.  I wouldn't rush into selling my art.  I'd share my art with friends and f...

Don't fall prey to common scams targeting artists! Today, I describe in detail the most common online scams for artists. Typically, it involves a commission or a large art purchase seemingly out of the blue. Scammers are tricky and use all sorts of methods to trick you. My mission today is to help artists identify the red flags and learn what to watch out for.  I mention the website: stoparts...

Did you know there are tons of household items you can use to paint? One of my secrets to getting interesting mixed media artwork is to not use my paintbrush all the time! Found objects provide added visual interest to my painting and they’re a ton of fun to experiment with. I love to use them in underlayers or to get unexpected effects in my art. Today, I’m sharing how I use household items to ma...

FREE Worksheet Download: https://www.laurenkristineart.com/43 For a long time I struggled to mix really vibrant colors. I was buying lots of different colors of paint from the art store as I didn’t know how to mix the colors I wanted. I believed that the more colors of paint I owned, the more vivid my paintings would be. Despite owning a ton of different paint colors, I still found myself mixing m...

FREE Worksheet Download: https://www.laurenkristineart.com/42 We’re back this week with our Color Mixing and Color Theory Workshop for Artists: Part 3. Today is all about color mixing and the color wheel. Color wheels are not just for beginners. They’re for anyone looking to take their understanding of color to the next level. This episode will be an explanation of the artist's color wheel to help...

Artists, behold the power of a white border around your artwork! When I work on paper in any medium, whether it’s acrylic paints, watercolors or gouache, I love to include a crisp white border around my art sometimes (using tape.) A white border around artwork acts like a mat in a picture frame. It sets off the painting, provides a bit of contrast and intentionality to the piece. I share my best t...

I believe you can find room for creativity and art if you really want to include them in your life. On today's episode of the Self Taught Artist, we're talking about how to make the most of a small art studio at home, or, what to do if you have no dedicated art space at home. Lots of great tips are coming your way on how to store your art supplies, maximize vertical space, and even use some creati...

Have you ever gone art supply shopping at the Dollar Store? I found so many great art supplies on my latest trip to the Dollar Store I knew I had to make a podcast about it. Despite passing this store 2 or 3 times a week for many years, I had completely overlooked Dollar Tree as a great source for art supplies. Today on the Self Taught Artist podcast I'm talking about what art supplies I bought at...

This week on the Self Taught Artist podcast we are continuing our Color Mixing and Color Theory Workshop. This is the continuation of a multi-week deep dive into all things color, color theory, and color mixing. Last week we talked about the three dimensions of color: hue, value, and chroma. Today we learn how to use these three dimensions of color to mix any color of paint (using three easy quest...

This week on the Self Taught Artist podcast we are starting our Color Mixing and Color Theory Workshop. This is the beginning of a multi-week deep dive into all things color, color theory, and color mixing. First, let's take a few minutes this week to talk about the three dimensions of color: hue, value, and chroma. What do these artist terms mean? How do they connect to your artwork? How can mast...

Artists - it's time to start preparing for the Holidays! This episode is for everyone, not just those who sell their art. You can use art as a wonderful gift for loved ones. Let’s talk about gifting, artsy gift ideas, what holiday items to make if you are selling your art, how to add some pizazz to your presents with artistic gift wrapping, and other art ideas for the holidays. Fellow self taught...

If you’re looking for an excuse not to paint, you’ll find it. Perhaps you know the feeling... you're tired after a long day at work and you just want to sit on the couch and turn your brain off, even though you know that painting would help you feel better than the TV would! Sometimes it takes a lot of activation energy to get us into art making mode, so we make up excuses to put it off for anothe...

Today I’m making the case for painting small. It doesn’t matter what kind of painting you like to do – acrylic painting, watercolor painting, gouache painting, or oil painting – this episode applies to all kinds of artists! For a long time, I thought “bigger is better” when it comes to art. I wrongly equated size to quality and impact. This week, I’m telling you all about my experiments with paint...