How my art has improved over the past 9+ years
2yr
Christopher Beaven
For the past 9 plus years I've been doing art every single day. Today is day 3541. I'm approaching 10 years straight and I'm looking back at how my art has improved.
The biggest improvement I've seen is with my figures because I've focused on that most. But it reached a whole new level in 2018 when I put a purpose behind my work. It's the purpose that has given me more passion and drive to go beyond the traditional and come up with my own voice.
You can see my journey here: https://chrisbeaven.com/daily-art/
I've logged all 3451 days so others can benefit. Enjoy! :)
Especially the hundreds of really bad drawings and paintings, haha!
2yr
Your daily art log is an impressive journal, @Christopher Beaven, and I'm especially amazed by the writings in each post - you've not only been making art, but also taking time to reflect on your journey day after day. This certainly shows how much you care for this path you've been creating for yourself.
In this particular painting from March/22 which you've attached here, I found it interesting how the brushwork on the figure seems kind of "Van-Gogh-y" when zoomed in, with the small strokes following longer wavy gestures across the forms.
Also, I'm intrigued by what you've written here: what exactly do you mean when you say you "put a purpose behind your work"? Why was that only in 2018, not before? And how exactly do you figure it helped you reach a new level in your art skills?
Just curious! :)
Christopher Beaven
2yr
Yes! It's very influenced by Van Gogh but I'm trying to take it a step further.
In 2018 I entered into a lot of personal development, physically and mentally. One of the most impactful exercises I did was to figure out my "big why", my purpose for doing art, what I'm on this planet to do. Getting clarity there has sent my motivation and focus through the room. I'm working on a script for my next video right now that talks about a system to do this full of practical tools.
Before this I was just making art for art sake. Just painting to paint. To get better in some way. But now I have a purpose beyond that. I still work on my skills but now my art is focused on helping other artists become better versions of themselves.
Before 2018 I was motivated, but I was still playing video games, wasting a lot of time, only doing my minimum most of the time. After going through the Optimize.me program that really ignited my passion for learning plus I discovered that my kidneys were failing and I needed a transplant. It was a full year. I was confronted with a massive library of personal development wisdom plus mortality. My life changed drastically.
This helped me to reach the next level because I had skill, I was doing art, but it was just for me, and the body of work had no focus. Now my art is for me plus others, and the body of work is centered around that.
Hope that explains it well. I'm excited for my next YT video I think it delivers the idea better.
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