Why is it that so many of us leaving elementary and middle school and never pick up a paintbrush again?
I don’t think it’s because we “can’t draw a stick figure”.
I think it’s deeper.
Blank canvas syndrome happens just as much as blank page syndrome for writers. We stare at the blank page and we think “but I don’t know what to draw”.
Why do we feel this way?
We see this when teaching kids – kids who are afraid of making a mistake. They’re perfectionists, we say. We think that they should just make mistakes, draw lines the wrong way, be okay with that smudge in the corner.
Yet we struggle to do it ourselves.
One way to get over the hurdle is to just do. That’s right – exactly what we tell our kids. Put a single mark on the page and see where it leads.
Yet…sometimes it feels terrifying doesn’t it? We feel like we will be judged for our artistic experimentation.
Well, here’s a permission slip to experiment today. And if you need just a little bit of an idea of what to put on that blank piece of paper, here are three fun art books to inspire you with line and color and give you just a little bit of help making your mark.
Creative Watercolor by Ana Victoria Calderon
Ana specializes in watercolors, and this book is the perfect way to begin to experiment with watercolors. She doesn’t advocate for you going out and purchasing expensive materials, just using what you have, and the beautiful patterns she’ll inspire you to create are the perfect backdrop for journal pages, and even gift tags. She has a few books that are sure to inspire – another favorite of mine is her one based on outer space!
Love Color Pencils by Vivian Wong
Are you looking for a way to spruce up your use of those Prismacolors calling your name? Me too. Colored pencils are so enticing, aren’t they? There are so many colors and you know they are capable of so much more, but what exactly can we do with them? Vivian Wong leads you through the how to’s in this book. And I love that there are places to experiment directly inside the book. That means you can take it with you with some colored pencils and sit outside in the sunshine and experiment.
How to Draw Inky Wonderlands by Johanna Basford
I am infatuated by Johanna’s coloring books (even though I don’t have the patience to color them in). When she came out with a book dedicated to how to draw the beautiful images within them, I had to have it. This book walks you through, and has practices pages for, beautiful shells, plants, flowers, and ideas for everything in between. It’s the perfect inspiration for learning to doodle everywhere and the images aren’t hard to follow, but they will inspire you for years to come.
Do you have a favorite art book that inspires your creativity? I would love it if you’d share in the comments below!
All links above are Amazon afflinks and I earn a small percentage at no additional cost to you.
One fun way to experiment with your own art is with a project that can be as simple or complex as you’d like – such as our Honey Bee Life project. Head here to take a look.