Why does art seem so overwhelming at first? It’s supposed to be fun, right? It’s definitely not something you do because you have to. The first thing to be aware of is that there are the elements of art :

color – the hues used and how well they go together

value – how light or dark a color is

line – strokes of the pencil or brush, vertical, horizontal, varied, movement

shape – geometric structures such as circles or squares with varying 2d appearance

form- cubic, spherical shapes, etc, appearing to be 3d

texture – surface quality, varied textures represented by strokes of brush or pencil

space – positive and negative areas in a piece, the arrangement of the composition

All of these elements are skills in themselves. Skills that can be mastered. You need an understanding of the general structure of things. This involves seeing, truly seeing the item in question. Also, there’s the hand eye coordination. How do you represent what you see on paper or canvas? Then, there’s the subject matter, different subjects require different skills and are different experiences when it comes to drawing or painting. For example drawing figures is particularly difficult (for me). It’s taken me years to really see improvement with this, practicing on a regular basis.

Also, just idly practicing may not improve your skills. I’ve wasted a significant amount of time mindlessly practicing. The kind of practice that really makes a difference (for improvement) is mindfully, intentionally practicing.

So, if you’re new to art, don’t be too hard on yourself. Here are some tips based on my experience.

1. Figure out what you like. Then you can narrow down what to focus on and it will be a source of inspiration. For example, I like drawing/painting women, birds, flowers, wildlife, etc. Look at other artists and save the art that really stands out to you. Which styles do you really love? I like anime styles, abstracts, minimalism and realism. I use Pinterest. Have a board for the art you like the most and it can serve as ongoing inspiration. Create boards for all the subjects you find interesting so you can use them to practice later on. I have boards for figures, wildlife, themes, accessories, hair, backgrounds, etc.

2. Understand that this is a long term thing. It takes years to truly master a skill. It wont happen all at once, it will happen a little bit daily or weekly over time. The people you admire on Instagram have likely been at it for many years, so always keep that in mind.

3. Make it a daily habit. This is the thing that will make you see results. It won’t always be easy, but you will be glad you stuck with it for the long term. Sometimes, I get bored. I don’t always want to draw or paint. But I try to do it every day for some amount of time, whether it’s just a half hour or more. Resistance is very real, so be ready for it!

4. Pick one area to work on at a time. Do you want to draw figures? Spend 15 minutes every day for a few months sketching figures. That’s what I’m currently doing. Or try animals, faces, gestures, fast pace 1 minute or 5 minute drawings, work at a slower pace, different poses, angles, etc.

5. Take a class on what you’re interested in or watch YouTube videos, there’s so much information out there. Just make sure you actually practice and learn something from it. Be aware and catch yourself if you’re just binge watching. It’s an easy trap to fall into.

6. Be inspired by others, but don’t compare yourself to them. This one is very important, comparison often leads to negative things because we tend to see what we don’t have or what someone else has and just focus on that. But that’s a complete waste of time and it won’t get you what you want. It’s easy to get discouraged when you see all the beautiful art out there and you’re not yet at that level, so be wary of too much comparison.

7. Have a vision. Something I was missing when I did art as a kid was having a vision. I stopped because it became boring and I had no direction. What do you want to accomplish with your art? Is it a way to relax, or do you want to create your own original characters, or illustrate children’s books or do movie posters? Or maybe you want to go down the fine art path or the manga path – there are so many possibilities! This part is fun in itself, just considering your options.

The important thing to do is to start. Start ASAP. Start now. I spent years not doing art and I really regret that. At some point I realized I just need to start now, in the moment and work consistently. That was about 5 years ago and I haven’t stopped. I don’t plan on stopping until the day I die.