Previously for our Asking Artists column, members of our community showed us their workspaces and explained the type of environment that helps them get in a creative mindset. But once they’re comfortable at their workstation, how do they go from staring at a blank screen to adding a completed work of art to their Artist Shop? We recently caught up with artists to learn more about their creative process.
Read about their routines and how they work through creative blocks, and also see their sketches that eventually developed into tangible merch. These examples may inspire you to try out new practices in your own creative process.
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Hillary White | Pob | vonKowen | Thaís Melo | Snouleaf | Nic Squirrell | Stephanie (Wow Another Artist) | TARTWURK
Hillary White
How do your art projects begin and how do you know when they’re finished?
The process starts with an idea randomly popping into my head, and I either add it to my ongoing list with the intention of working on it later, or it might be an idea I feel I need to work on ASAP. I use a Wacom tablet to sketch out the composition in Photoshop first, and once the sketch is complete I do the final line work and coloring. I get a feeling/sense when a design is complete—it’s an intangible thing.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
Do other activities; go for a walk, work out, play video games, read, etc. Putting your attention elsewhere can free the mind. I also paint—I try to balance shirt design and painting…working in one medium for a while can be a helpful break from another medium.
What do you listen to while making art?
Sometimes silence, but mostly music. My music library is eclectic. There’s lots of ‘80s and synth in there though…
What design in your shop are you most proud of?
“Street Cats.” It seems to have resonated with so many people and I wasn’t expecting that.
Pob
How do your art projects begin and how do you know when they’re finished?
I get a lot of inspiration from my daily life challenges as well as creative prompts like Inktober. I’m still stuck in analogue drawing; I ink with fineliner and then scan and color digitally. I don’t always know when I’m done. Sometimes I just have to force myself to leave a design alone for a few days, and then if I can look at it again without something immediately bugging me I call it finished.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
I love taking part in art challenges like Inktober, and have even hosted a few of my own challenges over on Instagram. I also play art games, take part in drawing sessions with friends, and try out new art mediums to get the creative juices flowing.
What do you listen to while making art?
I like to listen to affirmations and inspirational podcasts. This makes the act of creation a magical process, as I imprint all of this into both my subconscious and the DNA of the artwork.
What design in your shop are you most proud of?
I really love my “Stay Weird” design because it really captures the message I want my art to spread. And all my frogs are just so cute. I don’t even know where they come from. The Frog God, possibly.
vonKowen
How do your art projects begin and how do you know when they’re finished?
They begin with an idea and a mood board. They’re never really finished, but I have to stop myself at some point. 🙂
How do you overcome creative blocks?
Go back to my WIP folders in hope of getting inspired by the past me.
What do you listen to while making art?
Metal music and horror podcasts.
What design in your shop are you most proud of?
“Surreal Death Moth” because it influenced other artists to draw a death moth inspired by my version. That’s cool. It also got stolen a lot and that is not so cool…
Thaís Melo
How do your art projects begin and how do you know when they’re finished?
My process starts with little ideas that I write down in a notebook. These are ideas that come to me when I’m doing something unrelated to drawing, like reading, walking down the street, or watching a movie. I choose one of these ideas and start drafting the drawing. This part I consider a kind of puzzle until the image that is in my mind is formed on paper. It can be faster or take a few days. It varies from one drawing to the next. After the sketch is done, I hand-draw in ink, scan, and then finalize the drawing digitally.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
Be patient with myself and do something creative other than drawing. In my case, it’s making miniature houses or embroidery. This always helps me.
What do you listen to while making art?
Lately, I’ve been drawing without listening to anything, but sometimes I like to listen to bands like Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, or Velvet Underground. I don’t know why, they are songs that let me focus on drawing, differently from podcasts that make me completely unfocused.
What design in your shop are you most proud of?
I’m always happy when I finish any drawing, because each result is a process and I learn a lot. But recently I was very happy with “Hippo Namaste”! I got the idea while meditating. I found the idea of seeing a hippo meditating so funny that I loved doing this drawing. Besides being very cute, I got to experiment with lettering, something new to me.
Snouleaf
How do your art projects begin and how do you know when they’re finished?
I believe that behind every piece of art lies a very ugly doodle that was the beginning of it all. The creation of a design starts with an idea, an inspiration, or a mood that translates into a quick sketch. To further clarify the concept, I gather references for a mood board, which helps me find the shapes and color schemes for the composition. Once the line art is refined, I move on to the painting stage. I know that a design is fully rendered when I find myself spending time adding minor details that are irrelevant to the overall artwork.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
Creative blocks happens to everyone and I learned that there is no point trying to force a meeting with creativity when it’s not in the same room with you. To overcome frustration, I find it best to step away from my drawing tablet for a while and engage in an activity that will distract my mind completely. More often than not, I return with a clearer mind, or even a better idea than what I had originally envisioned.
What do you listen to while making art?
Complete silence helps me focus better when I am seeking an idea. However, instrumental music is generally my preferred choice to let my imagination and creativity flow freely.
What design in your shop are you most proud of?
All designs I do are equally special to me in their own way, but I think that “Autumn Tricks” holds a special place in my heart so far. It’s particularly satisfying when I am able to create a composition that contains a fair amount of details without appearing cluttered. I am also a fan of Autumn color palettes! When all of these elements combine into an artwork that is well received by a lot of people, that is the ultimate form of satisfaction for me.
Nic Squirrell
How do your art projects begin and how do you know when they’re finished?
My ideas usually start to take shape while I’m going for a walk, which I like to do every morning. When I get back I sketch them out, usually making a page of sketching before picking the best one to work on. My art is finished as soon as it makes me smile.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
Take a bit of time off, get out into the countryside, or work on something different. Doing boring admin seems to help!
What do you listen to while making art?
I like to work in cafés with the sound of people chatting in the background. If I’m in the studio, it depends on my mood—silence, music, and sometimes the news, if it’s not too gloomy.
What design in your shop are you most proud of?
“The Fox and the Forest” was one of the first paintings I made digitally. It took me absolutely ages because I needed to learn how to use both the graphics software and the drawing tablet. It’s still one of my best selling artworks, and I use the fox as my logo.
Stephanie (@wowanotherartist on Instagram)
How do your art projects begin and how do you know when they’re finished?
I have a very abstract brain that always creates visual scenarios for words. Whenever someone is talking, I’m visualizing whatever they’re saying, and that’s usually how my ideas manifest. I’m pretty much inspired by my own life and things happening in the lives of people closest to me.
My process usually begins when a moment happens that I think I can turn into art and have a vision in my mind…and I always hope other people can relate to it. Sometimes I also just see a really awesome picture and draw it, but for the most part, I’m usually having a conversation with someone and think “I can turn this feeling, event, comment or emotion into art.” I immediately note the idea down in my notes app for later when I’m ready to draw. Usually the drawing is finished when I’m ready to move onto something new.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
Because I always immediately note down my ideas, or save/take pictures of things that inspire me, I have a huge log of inspiration to browse whenever I’m feeling uninspired. Usually that helps. If I’m really struggling, taking a break and doing something else that brings me joy asides from drawing does the trick. I have a couple of physical books by my favorite artists, so there’s always something to look through when I’m at home.
What do you listen to while making art?
I am always either listening to music or the Mile Higher Podcast when I’m drawing. There is no in-between.
What design in your shop are you most proud of?
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”—that song was stuck in my head during Halloween season. I was singing it, then I decided to make some art for it. It’s one of my most loved pieces, and I always feel warm and fuzzy when so many people can relate to something that is an extension of how I feel.
TARTWURK
How do your art projects begin and how do you know when they’re finished?
My art projects begin by me trying to think of something funny to create that will make someone chuckle. Once I have the idea in mind, I start to lay out a rough sketch. Once I agree with the rough sketch, I just go for it from there. I always know my art is finished when I have a smile on my face when looking at the art.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
Anytime I feel stuck creatively, I honestly just freehand ink on paper to get the blood flowing creatively. Once I feel like I’ve done that enough, I scan the marks in and play with them digitally. When I can create something from those, I’m usually good to go for a new drawing.
What do you listen to while making art?
I listen to super chill instrumentals such as Ewonee, Wuntwo, Jay Alpha, and many others.
What design in your shop are you most proud of?
I would say my “Sucker 4 Love” graphic. I actually spent two weeks illustrating that graphic and trying to make it as fun as possible. Plus, I tried to flex a different creative muscle with it that I normally never use, which is 100% digital art. I usually ink everything by hand and only color the art digitally.
Thanks to each artist who gave us insight into their creative process! We received so many fantastic responses that there will be a Part 2 of this article. Stay tuned for more amazing artists talking about their creative process and how they make art for their Artist Shop.
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