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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

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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

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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.

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.
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

Words, Thoughts & Art | Liron Yanconsky’s Podcast – Episode 22

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In today’s episode I’ll talk about the connection between words, thoughts and art, and how we can use that connection to improve our art.

My BEST Painting Ever

A while ago I painted my best painting ever.

What made the difference was the fact that I was narrating the whole process to someone, as I was working on the painting.

I had no idea what impact it’s going to have. Talking and explaining the process, as I was going through it, actually made me think harder.

It made me consider different approaches for achieving the result I was interested in.

It made me re-think the very result I was interested in!

And most importantly – it slowed me down. It allowed me to take my time, and only hurry when necessary.

Thinking, Speaking and Writing

I recently watched a video discussing the connection between writing and thinking. The person in the video said that the best way to improve your thinking capabilities was actually to write.

I have to agree, based on my own experience. I write a lot and I definitely noticed a difference in my analytical skills, my critical thinking skills and the quality and depth of my thoughts in general.

I already talked about my writing habit, and how beneficial it was so far to my creativity and self-development.

It’s All Connected

Improving your writing will improve your thoughts. This, in turn, will also improve your painting skills.

The next time you want to paint something, imagine you have to explain to someone everything you are doing.

That someone is you! (;

See if that makes a difference. I’m definitely going to try and do that more.

Artist Corner

In this episode I talked about Thomas Schaller.

Aside from producing BEAUTIFUL paintings, Thomas has such a calm and nice teaching style. He started as an architect, and this quality really shows in his artwork. I highly recommend you check it out.

To learn more about him, check out this video: Thomas Schaller Interview

I found that I could really relate to many of the things he’s describing in this video.

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

Creating With Complete Immersion | Liron Yanconsky’s Podcast – Episode 17

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In this episode we’ll talk about immersion, and being immersed while you are creating. We will see how this can actually help you make better art!

I got this idea while working out…

So a few weeks ago I was working out, and I noticed I wasn’t really into it.

I noticed my thoughts go somewhere else, and I’m not really focused on the exercise I was doing.

And then I suddenly though – why?

I mean, this is so stupid! I already scheduled the workout session, and I’m already working out.

So why am I so unfocused?

Painting and art making is the same

From there, it was an inevitable connection.

I immediately realized this was also (occasionally) happening to me with painting.

I would sometimes feel unfocused. Like i just want to get it done. Kind of like washing the dishes or brushing your teeth.

And the difference in results shows.

Working while in that headspace leads (at least for me) to mediocre art.

Why do we loose immersion?

I think this can happen for multiple reasons.

For me, this mainly happened as I was detached from the overarching goal. I wasn’t seeing how what I’m doing RIGHT NOW, helps me attain my goals.

This is lack of clarity, and from my experience it isn’t ideal.

So I worked on building up my clarity, writing and figuring out the exact connection between what I’m doing and the end result.

And lo and behold, it worked!

(how I built my clarity is a topic for a future podcast, but brainstorming, writing, asking the right questions and visualizing were a major part of it)

As soon as my clarity increased, I was able to understand why a single rep of a single set of a weight lifting exercise – produces strong ripples into my future.

I was also able to understand how with every brush stroke I improve a certain technique.

Artist Corner

In this episode we talked about Eudes Correia, a Portuguese watercolor artist and instructor.

His work consists of people and figures for the most part. He has an incredible sense of light, shadow and movement.

You can check out his website here: Eudes Correia

And his Instagram account @Eudes_Watercolor

Conclusion

And this is it for today’s episode. I hope you enjoyed it!

Here’s where to find me:

Support me on Patreon

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

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