The Artist Curse – When others LOVE your art, but you DON’T | Liron Yanconsky’s Podcast – Episode 30

Today we’ll talk about the artist curse, what it is and how to possibly deal with it.

How I learned about the artist curse

I initially came across this phrase in a video by Mark at Draw Mix Paint channel. Mark is a fantastic oil painter I highly recommend you check out. ESPECIALLY if you do watercolor.

In any case, he described this concept in several of his videos.

The artist curse is when you don’t enjoy your art the same way others do. You don’t see it the same as others see it. You sometimes don’t understand why others like it.

Why I’ve been thinking about the artist curse

Lately I’ve been experiencing more and more of this.

I think I’m a bit of an oddball. I am able to enjoy some of my art, and see the beauty in it. But only to some extent, and only some of the time.

Because I was so lucky to build a following of amazing people on YouTube and Instagram, I receive lots of feedback.

Even ME, as someone who enjoys their art, is constantly blown away by the feedback.

This also happens when I paint outside. Passerby’s comments are many times positive, while I feel lie “I have no idea what I’m doing” haha.

Why the artist curse occurs

I believe there are several reasons for why we (for the most part) simply can’t enjoy our art in the same way others can.

Process – We slowly see our painting come together. During the process, it’s easy to lose track of the vision. It’s easy not to be able to see how this mess in front of us is supposed to turn into a beautiful piece of art.

Others come by and see it for the first time with fresh eyes. They quite literally see it better.

Lack of objectivity – Because we are the artist, the creator, it’s hard being objective about our work, and seeing it for what it is.

This also connects to…

Familiarity – Not being able to “smell ourselves”. It’s hard for us to recognize our own style, strengths and tendencies. We are simply too close to the picture.

Many have commented about how they loved my style, and how it’s really distinctive. But – to this day I don’t really see it. All I can do is create as best as I can. But on the other hand – it does appear to have its own style.

The funny irony

Mark pointed this out, and it made me laugh as I was able to relate.

Usually, the artists who have the most doubts and shyness around their skills, are the ones who make among the most beautiful kind of art.

I would assume this isn’t 100% true, but from what I personally experienced so far it’s darn close to that.

On the other hand, artists who seem to have this blind confidence, also tend to have some series weaknesses in their style, technique or skills.

Living with the curse

There are several solutions to alleviate the artist curse. I suspect that due to the nature of objectivity, it never completely goes away. But you can definitely ease the symptoms.

1. Use second hand impression. Share your are with others in a manner that allows them to be objective. Instagram is great for that.

This way you’ll slowly learn what others respond to. You still won’t be able to necessarily enjoy your art as much as others, but you’ll definitely learn more about how it’s accepted by others.

2. Find OBJECTIVE criteria. Judge your art based on objective criteria and signs. Here are some good examples from the visual art world – “Is my drawing accurate? Is this angle correct? Is this the right value? Does the color express what I wanted it to?”

There you have it! Well, that last one may be a little more subjective haha. But you get the point.

And if you come from a different artistic background – try and find your objective criteria!

3. If you are very shy and unconfident about your art – I would suggest learning to become better at ACCEPTING compliments and taking them at face value (gee, looks like someone DOES like your artwork!).

4. If you feel like you have nothing more to learn, and your work is fabulous, I’d suggest asking for some opinions by others and seeing if they match your beliefs. If they do – mad props!

5. Finally – have fun! Art isn’t perfect. We all express what we want, in the ways we can. Above all I want you to enjoy what you produce (:

And with that being said, time to move into the artist corner!

Artist Corner

Today I talked about John Constable, a renowned British oil painter who lived from 1776 to 1837.

He was a landscape painter who worked in the traditional oil style. Among his best works is “Wivenhoe Park”. This is also the first painting of his that I came across.

John wasn’t financially successful. He gained more popularity after he passed away. His work was embraced in France even more than in the UK.

He mostly painted scenes from the Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home. It is now known as “Constable Country”.

You can read more about him on Wikipedia: John Constable
And also check out “Wievenhoe Park”

As a side-note, I also recommended Alvaro Castagnet – as an artist who does seem to enjoy his own art like others, with lot’s of confident. Check out his work here: Alvaro Castagnet.

And Here’s where you can find me (:

You can support me on Patreon

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

And this is it. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and I’ll talk to you again real soon!

– Liron

Did you Mess up Your Painting?? How to Fix a Watercolor

Hi there, I hope you are doing great! Today we’ll talk about how to fix your painting when you messed something up (:

Here’s the full video, scroll down to read more.

Many Painting Mistakes Can be Fixed

People (myself included) make the assumption that in watercolor nothing is reversible. This is false.

Many, if not all mistakes can be corrected.

Only some types of mistakes can’t be corrected. These usually involve dropping dark paint in large quantities in an area that’s supposed to be light.

However, paint can be lifted. Brushwork can be improved. Things can be darkened and so on.

The Ugly Stage of a Painting

This is something worth mentioning. Most paintings, no matter the medium (oils, acrylics or watercolor) tend to go through an ugly / incomplete stage.

It may lead you to believe you are messing up, when in fact you are just early in the process.

I’d encourage you to NEVER give up on a painting. The it’s far likelier you’ll give up too soon than too late. So give it a chance!

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed the video and vibed with the message.

Let me know if this helped!

And I’ll talk to you again really soon.

– Liron

 

Inspiration Sources For Artists | Liron Yanconsky’s Podcast – Episode 25

In this episode we’ll talk about different inspiration catalysts and sources, and how to hone inspiration using them!

Inspiration Catalysts

I recently meditated on the idea of inspiration catalysts. These are events, places, and “things” that make us feel inspired.

After visiting Italy last week I arrived at several insights regarding these catalysts that awaken the flame of inspiration, and I’d like to present them here.

Novelty, Quirks & Subjects

Novelty – This is anything that’s new / foreign to us. I realized this while I was traveling around the beautiful Florence.

I found myself thinking – why is THIS inspiring to me, and not my hometown? What’s so attractive about this place? And I immediately answered – because it’s new and foreign to me.

Novelty can play an important role in creativity and inspiration. When something’s new to us, we see it in a purer manner. It’s a little like a baby that experiences the world for the first time.

Quirks – It’s funny how this word is the particular one I felt to best represent this idea. Quicks are anything specific you like, visually speaking.

For me, that would be strong contrasts and a multitude of colors (mainly reds, yellows and greens).

For you it’ll be different things.

Subjects – Here I’m referring to specific subjects that interest you. This is something I mentioned in one of the earliest podcast episodes, when we talked about dealing with lack of inspiration.

I mentioned how some subjects can spark inspiration for me. Those are mainly cars and buildings (and architecture in general). I love painting things with well-defined, geometric shapes.

It All Connected In Florence

While preparing for this episode I realized how all three of these connected for me in Florence.

I had novelty (a new place I’ve never visited before). I had the interesting contrasts and light conditions (especially in Florence’s narrow streets, that create interesting light angles). I also had my favorite subject – architecture (and European at that!).

This can probably explain why my sketches from the were so inspired. I felt this especially in the first day visiting. I immediately sat down to sketch, and loved every minute of it. This particular first sketch happens to be my favorite from this trip.

And that’s all I wanted to share today. I hope you enjoyed this! (:

Artist Corner

Today we talked about Nita Engle. Nita is an American watercolor painter. Her work is amazing in my opinion.

She combines realism with atmosphere. She is probably one of the only artists I’ve seen that can do that so well.

She allows the water and paint do what they want, and really exploits it to create realistic effects.

I highly recommend her book: How to Make a Watercolor Paint Itself

If you want to see a review I did of this book, you can see it right here.

And I’d also recommend watching this video of hers.

Here’s where you can find me (:

You can support me on Patreon

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

 

Challenges in Watercolor Painting | Liron Yanconsky’s Podcast – Episode 24

Hi there, in today’s episode of the podcast I want to share with you some challenges I’m experiencing in watercolor.

A 2 Week Plateau

For the past two weeks or so I felt like things were’t connecting the way I wanted in my paintings.

I didn’t feel like my results were up to par, and I also felt extremely out of control with the medium.

I actually have a few ideas as to the reason for this.

Advancing to a Higher Level

Usually when I hit that kind of plateau, it means I’m about to advance to a higher level.

This is something I consistently noticed over the past few years.

It’s almost as if there is something crucial I need to learn in order to progress. I maxed out on all of my current skills, and it’s time to move on.

Going Autopilot & Using Gimmicks

Aside from that, I have an inkling of an idea as to what I need to improve.

I got to this after examining the areas where I have this issue, and the areas where I don’t.

I’m only experiencing this when painting large scenes, mainly cityscapes. I’m not experiencing this when working on portraits or pen sketches.

My main conclusion is this – In some areas I tend to go into autopilot when painting. And I don’t mean the good kind of autopilot (flow, in the zone, smooth-sailing).

I’m talking about doing things without truly observing the scene. Painting things as I THINK THEY APPEAR, rather than how they truly appear.

A Side Note About the Artist Curse

As a side note, I want to mention a concept I learned from Mark (Draw Mix Paint YouTube channel, THIS video).

He says we as artists can never enjoy our art like other viewers do. That’s because we see it slowly built up, and so it’s hard to be objective.

I’d also add to that, that we have a specific, “ideal” vision we may compare the result to. The viewer has no idea and doesn’t care. All they see is the art (:

The Solution

For the next few weeks, I’ll try disconnecting from external influences and other artists.

What I want to do is always focus on the subject at hand. To truly observe it and carefully study it.

To think, analyze, sketch, prepare and so on.

Sharing the Journey

I’m really happy to share these insights with you as I learn them.

I hope this will inspire others in the future. I really want to show how this is a challenging journey on the one hand, but how it shows promise on the other.

With enough practice and perseverance, you can master the medium.

Artist Corner

Today I talk about Dan Burt, an American watercolor painter.

Dan has a very unique style of painting, in which he applies many, MANY colors. He actually prepares multiple pools of paint, and slowly uses them all for painting.

He paints mainly in Texas, Mexico, Italy and Spain.

You can learn more about him here.

And here’s where you can find me (:

You can support me on Patreon

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

Filming Art Videos Outside | Liron Yanconsky’s Podcast – Episode 23

Hi there!

In this episode I want to talk to you about filming art videos outside, and the challenges that accompany that.

I Love Painting and Sketching Outside

I really love creating outside. Seeing the scene in front of you, hearing the sounds, seeing the people. It’s just such a superior experience.

Plus, you get to translate the scene from a three-dimensional manifestation onto a two-dimensional paper.

This is an extremely important experience that you don’t get painting from photos.

Filming Art Videos Outside

So that brings me to art videos.

On the one hand, I really enjoy filming outside. It has a freshness to it.

Also, I have a funny feeling that this has something to do with my more advanced work. With things I want to do when I’m at the height of my career.

I want to show my work and everything I’m doing.

I don’t know if this is a bug I caught from figures like Gary Vee, or something that’s inherently mine.

But I do know it’s there.

But It’s a HUGE Challenge for me, at Times

Filming outside is challenging for me.

I think I can divide this challenge into two elements.

  1. Fear that filming will hurt my artistic results. This is a legitimate fear, but I believe that’s something you learn to deal with. When you are so used to recording everything you do, the camera becomes “invisible” to you.
  2. Fear of filming in public, in front of other people. One of the scariest (and funniest) moments are when I’m just about to talk, and there are many people around my. I know I’m going to surprise them =P

So this led to some challenges. On the one hand I KNEW I have to do this.

On the other, this is scary!

My Decision

I decided to film myself arting outside once a week.

And here’s the thing that will soften it. I don’t rely on that footage at all. I record my three weekly videos normally. And IF what I recorded outside is good, I’ll add it to the schedule.

This really reduces a lot of the pressure (:

You see, I have a tendency to strive for perfectionism at times. So in my head, “the painting process must be perfect”. But if I know that my sole purpose is to record, and whatever happens with it doesn’t matter – this takes off a lot of the pressure.

Artist Corner

In this episode I talked about Carol Evans.

Carol is a watercolor painter, and I think it’s best to let her art speak for itself.

She does crazy beautiful, semi-photo-realistic paintings. You can check out her artwork here:

http://www.carolevans.com/open-editions/

She also has this webpage on her website, showing an actual painting process in stages:

http://www.carolevans.com/original-painting-in-progress/tlvt3k6804rofopi3fsjonqomv4buf

Also, here’s an interview of her:

And this is most of what I talk about in this episode. I hope you enjoyed it!

Here’s where you can find me (:

You can support me on Patreon

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3